Bourbon’s Story

Bourbon was surrendered to us in mid-2023 by his previous owners — backyard breeders who couldn’t sell him because of his multiple health issues. He came to us with a crusty nose, icky ears, and a birth defect that caused him to walk with a significant limp. Upon examination, our vet explained that Bourbon was born without a kneecap or knuckles in the bones of the knee joint of one of his hind legs. He gets around with a funny little scamper and, typically, a dog like Bourbon would be a candidate for knee replacement surgery. But in this case, without enough structure in the leg to do the necessary attachments, surgery isn’t an option. Amputation was considered, but because the lack of vet care for so long caused damage and arthritis to the opposite hip (and a hip replacement may be necessary in the future), the vet decided that amputation was not a good option for Bourbon either.

So, per advice from our vet and with the support of our generous donors, we took a novel approach: Bourbon was fitted with a custom splint or boot to balance his gait in the affected leg and relieve and realign the opposite hip. With lots of practice and encouragement from his foster family, Bourbon has gradually gotten acclimated to the boot. It’s great to see his hip level when he walks now! He can jump on the couch, use the stairs, and do everything that all young cocker kids enjoy doing.

Recently, it was discovered that Bouborn also has a genetic health condition that causes malabsorption of protein. To counteract this, our vet started him on a steroid, prescription food, and weekly vitamin B12 shots. With this intervention, Bourbon showed immediate improvement. Yay! Although he still has a way to go, we all have HOPE that the condition was caught early enough that the symptoms can be controlled and he’ll have a good quality of life.

Through it all, Bourbon has been a gentle, beautiful, chocolate nougat of a pup with a loving soul and HOPEFUL spirit who deserves the best care we can provide. His foster mom said, “I totally adore him. He’s worth every penny, and it hardly seems like work when you love someone.”

Your generous donations to the 2024 Big Match bring Bourbon and many other dogs like him HOPE for a bright future filled with love, good health, and an endless succession of best days!