Bear is the very model of a gentle giant – sweet, mellow and full of love at his dainty 85 pounds. This big boy came to the shelter after being left outdoors, suffering neglect, abuse and injury, and deprived of any health care. When Bear came to APA! his back left leg showed obvious injury from a history of being hit by cars and suffering from possible gunshot wounds.
Our medical clinic noted that Bear’s foot was missing toes and was noticeably shorter that his other hind leg. The leg injury was likely caused by an old traumatic event which lead to avascular necrosis - the death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply. The clinic recommended the amputation of the left hind leg as it was prone to septic arthritis and of little benefit to Bear’s mobility.
