Chances Story

We named him Chance because we were giving him a second chance at life. On October 31st, Halloween afternoon, I saw a Chihuahua walking past my home out here at the lake. The week before a teen girl came to the house asking if I had seen the dog they found (25 miles away)trying to cross the steet in a busy city. They picked it up and said they were not keeping it just looking for the owner or a good home.
I remembered that girl and knew where she lived so, I went out called the dog over and he came right to me. He looked good but, didn't want water or food and his mouth looked rather tilted. So, when my cleaning girl and friend by the way, stopped over we went to the house where I knew he was from. When I saw that house and the girl's mother I knew that Chance was not every going back there. The woman said they put up signs for five blocks around where they had found him and no one had claimed him they had him two weeks by then. I asked what was wrong with his mouth, she replied well when he came home a week ago it was all bloody and his neck was swollen. I tried to clean it but he just kept throwing his head around. Well, lights went on in my head and I said did you take him to the vet in this past week? No, we aren't keeping him were going to take him to the Humane Society this afternoon. I said no, you are not I am keeping him will take him to my vet immediately. The Humane Society only keeps them for four days and I couldn't see him being put to sleep.

Well, off we went to the vet I thought for just a check up. Low and behold, she said Chance looked to have a broken jaw. If you could have heard him screaming at that check up it would have broken the hardest heart around. Tears streamed down my cheeks and Millie's by this time she had come in with my other dog Ace, a pomeranian that was having a bad choking spell. That is another story for another time.

The vet said that if I wanted to save this dog he would need surgery he had very bad broken teeth, abcesses, exposed roots, and a fractured lower jaw. That was after the x-rays, etc. I said yes, save him he is mine now. So, Chance stayed at the vet's for the three days following extensive surgery to wire the jaw, remove six teeth, clean up the infection, and of course while he was under he was neutered. She said he also had the beginnings of cataracts, they did blood tests to see if his kidneys and heart were in good condition before I invested in his surgery and they were.

I picked Chance up three days later we began a schedule of antibiotics, salt water rinses, limited activity, blended food, liquids, etc. He seemed to be coming along well but had puppy breath which I felt was a sign that maybe he had infection or something and he wasn't feeling well that day. He was off his feed and that poor dog could eat 20 times a day if you let him I really think he was starved before I took him. I know he hadn't eaten for a week before because the woman that had him said so. So, off we go to the vet's this is a month after the surgery and by now he should be on the road to recovery. Well, it was time for his x-ray to see if the jaw was joining and healing so, our vet did that and felt the jaw said it was not joining together the wire was just holding it together. My heart went down to my toes and I said now what can we do? She said well, I would like to put a plate in to stabilize the jaw and have it joined. I said ok, will this work he has been through so much already. She said I can't give you a guarantee but, will see when I get in if the plate will hold or I need to put a pin in his jaw. Ok, now here we are with more surgery so on my way to taking my husband (75 miles away) to the hospital for an MRA and a Cat Scan we dropped Chance off for surgery. My husband has an 80% or more blocked carotid artery which may need surgery soon and neither one of us could get our mind off of Chance's problem. After being gone all day I stopped by the vet's to see about Chance and they told me he was having the plate put in now the vet got a late start had patients and was alone that day. I got home and my mom said I called at 3:45 Chance was in surgery, I said I stopped there and he was in surgery at 4:45 they will call when it is over. Well, at 7:30 that evening my vet called said I am sorry I tried putting in a plate but when I tried to tighten the screws his jaw bone shattered or splintered (can't remember what exactly she said so nervous) so I put in a pin the length of his jaw, used the bone chips to wrap around it and tissue and sewed it inside and outside. He has a wire nub through the front bottom of his jaw and will need the stitches out in ten days.

Well, the next day I called about picking him up and finally at 10:00am I was told he could come home. I had my husband go over with me since I was driving and I didn't know what condition Chance would be in. Lord, when I saw him I thought I was going to either faint, or vomit. I never realized how extensive that surgery would be. His mouth was so swollen and drooling blood, stitches along the entire outside of his jaw which was shaved and down under his gullet. He looked so pitiful I can't tell you how devastated I was right then. So, I took him in the car to his doggie bed and covered him up then went back inside for my instructions on his care. I again had antibiotics, vitamins, pain meds, rinse with salt water, and feed liquid food again. I made a schedule and thought how will I get him to open his poor little mouth to do this? This is his second day home now, he takes everything I give him is so good that I could never complain. He ate four times today I feed him with a syringe, he goes out and does his business, takes his meds even if he doesn't want them, and looks at mom with those pitiful eyes. His mouth swelling is going down, he sits on my moms lap covered up most of the day. At night he sleeps with me on my bed. He likes the quilt over his head so he can nest and when the lights go out so does Chance for the night.

By the way I never told you what happened to his jaw did I? Well, the vet said someone kicked him in the face and fractured his jaw. I think I know who did it and that is why he was never going back to that house again. God was good when he sent Chance past my house that day. He gave Ace, a brother and friend, gave us someone else to love. We see the vet tomorrow and the story continues. Will his jaw heal and join, will the pin hold, will he have an infection? What we do know is he will always have a good home, plenty of food, and lots of love. That is a sure thing in Chance's life.

Email: Penny Z