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Did you ever one of those days when you feel like there's just no point in getting out of bed? Well, one thing we know for sure, after all she's been through, little Layla doesn't! Layla is about one year old and is a beautiful bench bred liver and white female. She is a truly a happy go lucky girl even though we know she is in a lot of pain and has been through a horrible time.

Layla was rescued by "No More Homeless Pets Atlanta", a project of Best Friends Animal Society and Lifeline Animal Project. Their volunteers found her in an animal control facility with a severe eye trauma and whisked her to their vet to have her eye removed. She was then boarded at a veterinary eye clinic until she was released to an ESRA volunteer. All they knew about her was that she was a sweet, little girl in a lot of pain who deserved a chance. We agree! When we got her into foster care, we also found that she has a terribly infected ear, a case of whip worms, (having already been treated for hook) and whatever the trauma was that caused her to lose her eye also resulted in multiple fractures and breaks in her pelvis, hip and femur. The doctor's think she might have been kicked, but there's no way for us to know for sure.

Layla struggles to squat just to go eliminate without falling over as it is too painful to put weight on her broken leg and she hops around holding that leg most of the time when she is walking. She doesn't want any pity though, and smiles all the time and likes to play with her toys. But it's painful, just to play!

Sweet, little Layla would love to run and play, but she is limited by the pain and the additional damage that could do. She is only 24 pounds, and though she needs to put on a few pounds we will be holding her weight steady to ease the weight bearing problem on her bad leg.

Layla has been in her foster home for just three days and is very much enjoying all of the comfy places she finds including a pile of pine straw raked up in the backyard. The vet staff just adored her and they and her foster mom were heartbroken when they saw her x-rays. They couldn't believe such a sweet, trusting girl could have a pelvic canal that was half the size it should be due to all of the misplaced bones. She was a very good girl for her x-rays giving the staff lots of kisses and she was very good when her foster mom bathed and groomed her.

Layla will require another major surgery to repair the damage. We are consulting an orthopedic surgeon on her case this week to determine what the surgical and follow-up treatment plan should be. The surgery will be costly, but the doctors say there is no way for it to heal on it's own and she would struggle the rest of her life. For now, we are treating the rest of her maladies and giving her pain beds to ease her suffering.

We don't know any of Layla's history, but we do know that with ESRA volunteers and friends supporting her she will have a much brighter future!

Update 1/21/05: (From her foster mom) Layla and I just got back from another visit to the vet. Her x-rays were reviewed by the ortho specialist and Layla spent the day and last night with the veterinarian-owner of the practice where we go.

Sadly, the vet confirmed the opinion of the specialist who said that because the fractures are all more than 5 days old there is nothing we can do in terms of surgically pinning everything back together. That means that the right side of her pelvis is "floating in space" due to all of the breaks and there is nothing we can do for that at this time, but wait. Based on my experience, I had a feeling that she was having some problems with a urinary tract infection and packed anal glands. I have not had experience with a dog with this much internal destruction who was still so mobile so I was a little off on my analysis, but it got the point across to the vet. We are waiting for the lab results of the urinalysis, but the vet suspects that it is not going to positive for urinary tract infection and her anal glands were fine. However, on examination she found that there is definitely pressure being put on her colon and rectum by the broken bones so we need to be sure that she gets a high fiber diet to ensure that she continues to be able to eliminate on her own. The vet doesn't think that there is a problem with her urethra and yet she said she was very reluctant to urinate. I think this is because they had her on a leash and for her own health she has to be. However, she goes potty on command at home, but she does so with sort of a few steps lead in and sudden squat (like she needs a running start so to speak without the running).

That said, we need to spay her ASAP so that, firstly, the vet can get a good look at her urethra and everything else going on, but, secondly and more importantly, we do not want her to go into heat, have swelling in her uterus or any other activity in the area of these broken bones which could further exacerbate her hesitancy to eliminate. The vet also said she could never carry a litter of puppies because even if she carried them she could never deliver a fetus. (Not that we want her to!!!). I explain this because it just helps you understand what is going on
inside this little girl.

We did get some good news! There is no apparent nerve damage in her hip and leg and she does not seem to
have loss of feeling in the leg. Yeah! With all of this information this is our plan for "Little Layla". Layla is on complete crate rest for two weeks and then will be spayed and have additional two weeks of crate rest. After that, we will do an femoral head removal surgery which is to remove the ball at the top of her femur that goes into the hip socket like you would for a dog with hip dysplasia who does not qualify for a hip replacement surgery. This surgery will not return full use of her leg as with this method bone is removed and the leg is held in place by muscle. The goal is to remove her reliance on that leg as since she is just a pup, she still uses it even though it is painful. That means will be trying to save her leg to be used for balance and allow her to be pain free and yet still independently mobile.

Her long-term prognosis is good, not great in that she will most definitely develop arthritis, but we are hopeful that after the spay surgery, we will be certain that there is no damage to her internal organs and that the fractures will heal on their own, though out of place, so that she will not need to have any bones removed. We will be starting her on glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement immediately to help defer the onset of the arthritis. And we hope that with ESRA's help and the many supporters she has she will have a long, long, life ahead of her!

All that said, she is a sweet, darling little one! She is a wiggle worm who I have found out LOVES to chew up paper. One time I was cleaning her infected ear sitting on he floor with cotton balls on a papertowel and she kept wiggling over to "steal" the paper towels till I just gave her own so we could get the job done! Another time, she was sitting on my lap in the backyard while I was trying to read a magazine and she kept nose bombing it to try and get it till I just gave up! She has great spirit and is not sad or down about her injuries. Though she doesn't like the crate rest and would prefer to be playing, she is a good patient and is loved by everyone who meets her.

Update 2/05/05: As it turns out, I didn't give myself enough credit in Layla's last update. The results of the urinalysis did indeed show elevated white cell counts, indicative of a urinary tract infection (UTI). Layla had already been on antibiotics for her ear infection, but they were not clearing up the UTI, so she is on a new kind now. She doesn't mind because she loves her little wet food meatball (with a pill hidden inside) with every meal. Peanut butter wasn't good enough for the little bugger because she figured out that I was hiding the pill in there and eat the peanut butter ball and somehow spit the pill back out! I can tell she is feeling better already and now she goes potty on command outside and no more little accidents in the house. See, I knew she was too smart for that, darn UTI!

As long as there is no more evidence of the UTI, Layla will be spayed next week. I was away last weekend and
one of our other foster homes dog-sat Layla, and she got along great with both of the dogs there. She is no longer nervous with the other dogs here, and tries to engage them in play, but mean old mommy has to stop it right away so "little one" doesn't get hurt.

She continues to be a great patient, but would love nothing more than to go full "puppy" steam ahead! Good thing she's so little, and I can carry her around a lot, so gets to stay with the pack.

Update 2/19/05: Layla was spayed this week and fortunately the doctors didn't see anything else abnormal while doing the surgery other than those things we already knew. Yeah for Layla! She is recovering very well and continues to be an angel in her crate while recuperating! The other good news is that while her pelvis is still free
floating, she is no longer in so much pain and can now enjoy some limited play time. Of course, she will go back to complete restriction while recuperating from her hip surgery.

We had some exciting news this week when the vet said that Layla can have her hip surgery next week AND they
will have a guest doctor who is an expert in pain management in the office next week. Knowing how much pain Layla has already endured and knowing we can help her have less pain after her surgery, of course, we said yes. So, Layla will get her surgery and then have about two months of rehab to regain muscle strength in her hindquarters. We are all thrilled with Layla's progress and look forward to being able to say, "She's now looking for her Forever Home!"

Layla's met lots of people at the vets and they all love her and she loves them too. She also met the house cats in the office and just gave them a sniff and moved on so I don't think she will have a problem living with cats. She's met several dogs now on her visits and meets them all in a wonderful way sniffing politely and then generally wanting to play. She is great with all four of the dogs in her foster home and even tries to entice the alpha to play with her when she gets her 10-15 minutes of play time that we are allowing her now. He seems to know she is just a pup and full of herself, so when she bites at his ears he doesn't even mind. She truly has the ability to
wiggle her way into everyone's good graces!

Thank you all for your continued support of Layla. She is a well-deserving little one who has a long life of fun and games ahead of her because of your support! I'll post an update next week after her hip surgery.

Update 2/24/05: Layla had her hip surgery yesterday and she is doing great! My vet had a pain management expert in the office for the day and they actually used an epidural for her surgery. It was the first time they have used it for a surgery, and they are all sold on it! The doctors have said they have never seen a dog come off an FHO surgery and begin toe touching her bad leg the very next day. Normally it takes 4-5 days and Layla did it today!!! The surgery was very difficult and took several hours due to several factors. One is that the right side of her pelvis has now bridged but is permanently at a slant, in short, it's like a squished pelvis. Also, due to the many fractures of her femur, when they went to cut the ball off the femur the ball fell apart into many pieces, so they
had to do a lot of manipulation to ensure they got all of the pieces out. They even did x-rays during the surgery to ensure they got them all.

Layla's spirit and will to be well and enjoy every moment in life is amazing. She was very excited to see me when I picked her up this evening, her little tail wagging at hyper speed. She is resting comfortably in her crate as you can see from the attached pics. She LOVES her crate (as long as when I am home I am in the room, except bedtime when she and Gunny sleep in side by side crates and are completely quiet) which has made her an excellent patient. We go back on Sunday to get the pain patch removed and to have a checkup. She's on crate rest now until Sunday at least and then we'll know when she will get the staples out and be able to go full steam ahead. I
know she just can't wait!!!

She'll soon be looking for her forever home!!!

Update 4/01/05: We have great news for our Little Layla! She got the all clear last night from the doctor and that is no April Fools joke!!

Her doctor is thrilled with her progress (and of course, so are we!) and ability to heal so quickly. There is a dog at the practice that had surgery before Layla who is still not really using his leg. Not Layla! The trouble now is getting good pictures of her because she is always on the move unless she is in her crate! We went outside yesterday in between rain showers so these new pics will have to do and I guess they do show the "real" Layla now. The first one I call, "Layla Fly By". The second is Layla and my two fieldies doing a lap around the yard. It's hard to make them out, but it really shows her mobility now and the last one is Layla smiling, which is now a permanent expression on her face!!! I will try for better ones when it clears up.

Here's the official report: Layla will always have a little bit of a limp because her pelvis is healed back together, but slanted downward and she will need to stay on a glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplement and fish oil capsules to help prevent arthritis. However, trust me when I tell you it does not slow her down! She is extremely agile and quick! She keeps up with her field bred foster brother and sister and loves nothing more than a wrestling match with Gunther! She chases them and bites at the ears just to entice them to wrestle with her. She does battle ear infections, so it would probably do her well to keep yogurt in her diet, and her new family will have to clean her ears at least once a week.

Layla loves to play, play, play. She loves stuffed toys and to chew on bones. She has no fears at all and would likely make a really fun agility dog. Yes, you read that correctly! It would be a challenge for the handler because she has just one eye so making sure she sees you to be able to follow your commands would be the difficulty. We are going to try it my local dogpark this weekend where they have the agility equipment set up.

Layla loves people and has proven that a fence will not keep her separated! She'll just climb over it! She doesn't have any intention of doing that if you are with her on the "right" side of the fence. Layla is excellent off leash in our neighborhood because like I said, she just wants to be with her people so she stays right by your side.

Layla knows how to sit and comes when she is called. She walks fairly well on a leash, but needs a little more work on this task. She will chase after a bone in the yard and brings it back to your feet to chew on it. She's perfectly Ok with you taking it to throw it again and will happily go get it again. Layla goes to the door and sniffs if she has to go outside and has not had an accident in weeks. She doesn't scratch or bark as of yet when she has to go as of yet, but I am very diligent about watching her when she is left loose in the house because she is a chewer and will chew clotes or paper if she gets her paws on them. She will gladly trade for a chew toy or stuffed animal and the other day she had three stuffed toys hoarded on the big stuffed chair with her. She continues to be wonderful in her crate. She will cry if you leave the room and after weeks of trying to get her to sleep in her crate in another room and her crying to be with me, I finally moved it into the bedroom and she now sleeps quietly until I let her out in the morning. She does settle down if you leave the house with her crated, but if she is crated when you are in the house she wants to be in the same room with you. She will bark at other dogs when they approach her crate though as if she has had to protect herself in the past. She has no food aggression with people and doesn't mind if you take anything from her. She knows where her spot is in the kitchen at mealtime and runs there and sits (sometimes woo wooing me to hurry up) until everyone else gets their bowls and then she gets hers. With eager anticipation, she dives in and eats it all up right away. She has also gained two more pounds and is now at her perfect weight of 32 pounds!

Layla is a very special Springer and she has been a pleasure to have as a houseguest. I am beaming now that I get to say, Layla is looking for her Forever Home!!!

Update 4/10/05: Excuse me, I see here that it says I am a "Special Needs dog." Well, yes, I do have a few, I guess. For one, I NEED to be able to lick your chin as often as possible. If you could just bend down here I'll wiggle over right away! Oh, and I definitely NEED to play a lot. You know I am only one year old so even though I had to deal with this surgery thing awhile back, I feel great now and I really like to run! I definitely NEED toys and I prefer the stuffed kind. I like to hoard them in my crate with me. Or, if you don't mind, I really like to take them on the couch with me. I NEED some bones too. I like the fresh ones my foster mom gets me. She's really great about giving me one at least once a week. It would great if my new family could do that too. My foster mom says to say that I need someone that will make sure I don't chew on paper and clothes too. I don't know why I can't have these things because I really like them, but I guess she knows best since since I've been living with her I do feel much better. I also NEED to have treats passed my way and, heck, while I'm at it, I NEED to have steak for dinner every night. Ok, OK, I don't really need the steak, but who can blame a girl for trying, right?

What I really NEED is a family to call my own. One who will play with me and take me for walks and play fetch with me and give me toys. I would especially like to make sure they know that I like to eat twice a day and I do NEED to have my supplements every day. That sounds like all my needs and yes, I do know that I am very special!

I like people of all sizes and I like to play with other dogs too. Today we went to this place called the dog park. It was great! There were lots of people and I ran up to all of them and sat for my loving from them, which is really is why they were there, just to love on me. I am the cutest after all.

I am read to go home. Will you give me a chance to be part of your family? I promise to give you years of love and wiggles!

Kisses and Springer Wiggles,
Layla

Contact: Heather Young, midsouthesra@yahoo.com

Click Here To Sponsor Layla

LAYLA'S GENEROUS SPONSORS:
Katrin Owen
Pete Cuttino	In memory of Barney
Rick and Janet Siegert	In memory of too many abused dogs
Liana B Anheier	In memory of Jenny
Vicki Wingo	In memory of Bob. Bad hips, but a puppy til the very end!
Heather Waldern Hinds	In memory of Kelly
Cathryne Slaughter	A gift for all the wonderful ESRA volunteers
Carol Sanderson	In memory of Gentle Chester. We miss you still
Jamie Balazs	In memory of Aunt Dorothy
Lisa Flood	In memory of Romeo, Harli, Freckles & Benji
Joyce Ligon	In memory of Solar
Kathlene Lima-Powell	Heal quickly, little girl!
Larry Thachuk	In memory of Lady Telacre Snowbird
Shelly Cote	In memory of Kylie
Greg Morse	Good luck Layla, Buddy (rescued 1SEP03) and Buddy
Jill Quander	In memory of Abby
Kelly & Tim Richards	In memory of Max, Hallie, Savannah & Macy
Kim Neven	In memory of Coco and Ginger
John and Gloria Kareken
Beverly Lynch	Best wishes from Dixie
David Allen	A gift from Chance, Kippers, and Jonah
Cynthia Ramsa	In memory of William's Lady, what a great loving dog
Brad & Diane Weidt	In memory of Coco's dad. Love, George and Tripper
Gary Hanes	In memory of little Maddie in Texas - never forget!
Valerie Beck	In memory of Gus. Not a Springer, but a great dog just the same!
Kelly and Bob Head
Kathleen Edwards
Tom and Annette Laird	In memory of Sadie Mae and Sam. We really miss you!
Craig and Brenda Clark	In memory of Clarkie
Jessica Erwin	In memory of Molly & Brandy
Elizabeth Vandiford	Happy Birthday, Elizabeth, from Brian
Mary B. Hausler	In memory of Sir Reginald and Maggie Mae Thatcher
Ellen Harley	In memory of Molly
Luann Smith	In memory of Duffy and Tavish
Becky Junkins	In honor of Amber and Buffy
Kim Neven
Jim & Tressa Goughenour	In memory of Chipper & Putter, our departed Springers
Monica Smith	In memory of Sherlock, who shared his Springer spirit with us
Linda Kipper	In honor of Cocoa (the sweetest ever), and Scrapper
Ann Maybank	In memory of Nicky and a gift for Lindsay Prosynchak