Mowgli

Thank you to everyone who helped with Mowgli's foot fund! Unfortunately, the x-rays showed that there is no surgical answer in store for him. His front left paw is "dwarf" size from the wrist down. This is the same thing that makes dachshunds and basset hounds short-legged. Because this dwarfism only effects a portion of one of Mowgli's legs, we are left to guess what happened while he was devoloping in utero. Fortunately, all of his bones are there, none are missing or severly twisted as our vet originally thought. There are a few knuckles that don't match up perfectly, which means that Mowgli will have arthritis as he ages.

Unfortunately, this diagnosis leaves Mowgli with the same problem he had before with his nails. The only suggestion the veterinarian could give was to keep his nails cut short, which helps, but doesn't stop the problem.

Some of the remaining donations will be used to supply "Quik Stop" for future nail problems to keep him from bleeding so much. The rest has been set aside in a fund specifically for Mowgli to help with his arthritis when that becomes a problem.

Mowgli's page will be left in the "adoptable" section for a few days to let all those involved get updated on his progress (or lack therof). A huge thank you goes out to everyone who wrote, donated, or offered to keep him in their thoughts.

Mowgli was a tiny fluffy puppy that someone dumped. He weighed 12 pounds at eight weeks old. He was born with a deformed paw and a short tail. His mother was a black lab, and his father was something else. Original guesses ranged from golden retriever to husky, now everyone suspects he could very well be 1/2 newfie. Mowgli, now just over a year old, is happily (but painfully) living with his family. He's 86.5 pounds (but is larger than the 120 pound dalmatian he lives with) and visitors often ask where the puppy went and when they got the old black dog. Mowgli has a little bit of stiffness when getting up after laying around for a while. This is probably due to his immense size, but it gives people the impression that he's an old man with arthritis.

Mowgli is NOT available for adoption. He has a wonderful and loving home.