When Timber was surrendered to Placer SPCA she had an abnormality in both of her knees called luxating patellas. In short, this means that her knee caps kept popping out of place every time she walked. This condition can cause significant complications the longer it goes on, including severe arthritis and lowered quality of life.
Timber received a life-changing surgery to correct her knee defects, performed by a local veterinary specialist surgeon. Timber’s complex surgery was funded by donations from generous donors to the Placer SPCA Guardian Angel program, which was established to help special needs animals receive the care and attention they need before finding their new home. The program covers expenses associated with life-saving surgeries along with lab work, x-rays, biopsies, dental work, and other diagnostic tests and non-routine procedures.
The surgery may have corrected her knee defects, however, Timber still had a long way to go in order to regain her strength and learn how to walk all over again. During a nine-week-long recovery process, Timber worked hard to be ready for her new home. She persevered through one to two weekly hydrotherapy sessions in the water treadmill, which was generously donated to Placer SPCA and helped alleviate her discomfort during the rehabilitation process and promoted healing.
The buoyancy of the water supported Timber’s weight. This allowed her to comfortably regain her full range of motion in the back legs while building back any muscle atrophy that occurred pre/post surgery. Timber became so skilled on the water treadmill that she became a bit of a local celebrity and was featured on several local news channels and seeing popularity on social media.
In no time Timber was up and about walking pain-free for the first time in her life. She even lost some weight in the process, which helped increase her mobility even further. During her time at Placer SPCA, Timber was a favorite among staff and volunteers. Her journey was closely followed by her many supporters, with weekly updates shared by her recovery team.
All of Timber’s hard work paid off, and she was adopted in July of 2021. Learn more about Timber by watching the short video below.