TulsaPets Magazine November 2023

22 TulsaPets • November / December 2023 A Spot of Luck Vet Staffs Unite To Help Pup by Tembra Gatlin, DVM | Photos courtesy of VCA T here are always spots for hope! In this case, those spots belong to a rescue pup named Domino. The Humane Society of Tulsa was called to an overcrowded breeding facility that was holding more than 50 animals in unbear- able conditions. One of those animals was a pregnant heeler. After she gave birth to a litter of puppies, including Domino, in November 2022, the Humane Society was able to provide a foster home for this brave mother and her pups. After several weeks in the foster home, however, Domino suddenly lost the use of his back legs. He was lethargic, in pain, and just looked defeated. The foster contact- ed the Humane Society of Tulsa with a sense of urgency to seek help for this poor pup, and he was rushed to VCA Owasso Animal Medical Center at the beginning of February 2023. After careful examination and testing, I suspected that Domino was suffering from meningitis. With a very poor prognosis for the pup, a veterinary assistant at VCA, Taylor Numbers, decided she wanted to give Domino a chance to fight. At first he could not move, needed help using the bathroom, and seemed to have very little hope. Numbers worked hard making sure that Domino ate, helping him go to the bathroom, and providing physical rehabilitation and stimulation to help him regain feeling in his hind legs. After just one day of endless effort, she saw improvement not only in his motor function but also in his attitude. He began to act like a puppy again, wanting to play and cuddle. Num- bers worked with Domino for about a week and a half. After this improvement, it was decided to contact Dr. Sarah Stegman at VCA Woodland Central Animal Hospital for acupuncture and water training. Within a week, Domino’s improvement skyrocketed to kicking his feet, crawling around on his own, and using the bathroom on his own. With his continued improvement, a regis- tered veterinary technician named Donna Dr. Sarah Stegman at VCAWoodland Central checks over Domino.