Labrador Lifeline seeks help to find caring homes for 4 disabled puppies

Labrador Lifeline seeks help to find caring homes for 4 disabled puppies

In March last year the Trust were approached by a vet seeking help with a litter of 6 pure bred Labrador puppies who had been taken to the surgery to be euthanased. The puppies had been diagnosed with Neosporosis.

Neosporosis is a serious parasitic disease in dogs caused by Neospora caninum, primarily affecting the nervous and muscular systems, particularly in puppies under 6 months. It causes symptoms like hindlimb paralysis, muscle rigidity, and swallowing difficulties, often transmitted via raw meat or mother-to-pup.

The Trust agreed to give these pups every chance of life and one of their Trustees took all six puppies into foster. Weeks of treatment took place and they all grew steadily. Their mobility did not improve and none of them could stand unaided. Hours of physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, most offered free of charge by local experts and complete devotion by this Trustee and his wife has given them a good quality of life. Every waking moment is taken up with their care and enrichment of life.

The Trust engaged with more experts in the field and it was discovered that the pups had been misdiagnosed and had never in fact been tested for Neospora. Once they were tested by our own consultant the results came back clear. Two of the pups were then taken to the Royal College Veterinary Hospital and seen by one of the top neurologists in the country.

The devastating news has now been revealed that these puppies have a condition called Cerebellar hypoplasia (CH). This is a non-progressive neurological condition where the cerebellum—responsible for motor control and balance—is underdeveloped at birth. Common in cats ("wobbly cat syndrome") and rare in humans, it causes ataxia, tremors, and uncoordinated movement. While incurable, it is non-painful, and affected individuals often adapt and live full, happy lives.

The Trust now have four puppies who are now 12 months old seeking new foster/permanent homes. Mobility carts are being sought to give them more mobility but these have to be tailored to each dog as they are all different sizes. Obviously these are extremely expensive and donations are being sought as the Trust has invested a lot of money in their future.

If you think you can give one of these pups a forever home then the Trust will help as much as possible and advice will always be on hand to safeguard their future welfare. In order to do this the Trust have set up a sponsor scheme whereby for a monthly donation you can sponsor your chosen puppy. Updates and pictures will be sent at regular intervals keeping you up to date with their progress. To obtain further details on this and adopting/fostering please contact info@labrador-lifeline.com

Anne Carter
Labrador Lifeline Trust
www.labrador-lifeline.com
Labrador Lifeline Trust Reg Charity 1076061