Yankee's Second Chance at Life

Yankee one week after her surgery.

It was a sorry sight of anguish and distress when Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Melaka found Yankee, a puppy, who was abandoned overnight outside SPCA’s shelter gates.

Yankee was in a very bad shape as her leg was in a mangled wreck. Her hind leg was contorted, twisted sideways and pinned beneath her.  Her leg was barely attached to her body with the long thin outer bone running at the rear leg protruding through her skin, revealing the broken edges of bone. Imagine the amount of pain that a puppy had to endure.

Due to Yankee’s open wound, it attracted a lot of flies which could lead to a maggot wound with complex infections if left untreated. Her movements were restricted and she was panting heavily due to the dehydration and intense pain.

SPCA Melaka accessed Yankee’s wounds and found that it was most likely to have been caused by an auto-mobile accident. Due to her horrific injuries and the shelter’s limited resources, there was a high chance that Yankee might have to be euthanised (P.T.S).

However the staff at SPCA Melaka saw the fighting spirit and the will to live in Yankee’s eyes. Her injuries were tended to and the dead tissue around her hind leg removed. Antibiotics and painkillers were injected regularly to relieve the pain. Through tender loving care and patience by the staff at SPCA Melaka, Yankee’s flesh wounds were healing and she was getting stronger in health.

The road to recovery is still long for Yankee as her hind leg was still damaged and thus her body weight is unable to support her leg. Therefore her injured leg would buckle and she will howl in pain. Most of her time was spend in a crate where she would keep her upper body upright so as to alleviate the pain in her lower body.

The staff at SPCA Melaka made a referral to Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS) as they felt  she would lead a better life there.  On 14 September 2013, she made her journey from Melaka to Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary.

Raymund Wee, Founder of Noah’s Ark named her “Yankee”.  After taking an X-ray of Yankee’s fractured hind leg, she was deemed to have multiple fractures of the femur and tibia and a dislocated femur head.  The advice was that her hind leg be amputated to stop the pain. Yankee’s leg was  successfully amputated by Dr Alice Liow, who is a volunteer vet from Singapore.

A video of Yankee after her surgery.

Two days after the operation, Yankee was stricken with Canine Parvo Virus* which could affect her already weakened immune system and small body. It was a near death experience for Yankee but she was a little fighter and was determined to live. Yankee survived and recovered from the personalized attention from Raymund.  After a week of recuperation, Yankee was strong enough to learn to use her  three legs to walk again. She adapted well to her condition and was soon running around happily.  Looking at Yankee, we should learn from her and be thankful as able human beings!

Yankee all grown up after 6 months at Noah's Ark.

Yankee is currently residing at Noah's Ark and being both the feisty and playful puppy, you will not notice that she is different from the other dogs. Her story is one of great determination and perseverance against all odds to have a second chance at life.

Written By: Siah Li Mei

* Footnote

What is Canine Parvovirus?

The Canine Parvovirus (CPV) infection is a highly contagious viral illness that affects dogs. The virus  manifests itself in two different forms. The more common form is the intestinal form, which is characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and lack of appetite. The less common is the cardiac form, which attacks the heart muscles of very young puppies, often leading to death. The majority of cases are seen in puppies that are between six weeks and six months old. The incidence of Canine Parvo Virus infections has been reduced radically by early vaccination in young puppies. (Source: PetMD)

Source via PetMD: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_dg_canine_parvovirus_infection