One trait that I have always admired about dogs is their perseverance. I just keep wondering how they can endure so much and stay so positive.
No matter how rough their life is, they can always turn over a new leaf and live out their best life. Phelps was a great example of this.
He was a puppy who was born with swimmer syndrome, which meant that his hind legs were backward.
Despite this, he wanted to learn how to walk so badly and was lucky enough to meet a special person who would help him do it.
Phelph’s Therapy
Before Phelphs was taken to a rescue organization in Texas, he lived with a breeder who could not afford to pay his medical bills.
The person took him somewhere where he would receive the help he deserved. Kathryn met Phelps, and she noticed how adorable he was.
She wanted to give him a new chance. Kathryn told The Dodo: “I specialize in special-needs neonates. That’s what I love doing. And I’ve been doing it for years.”
When he first arrived at the organization, everyone was concerned that he would not be able to correct his swimmer’s syndrome.
Usually, it’s easier to fix it when puppies are still very young, but Phelps was a bit older when his owner surrendered him.
A Sign Of Progress
So, he was going to be a big challenge. Kathryn noticed that it was quite difficult for him to do anything. Even eating was difficult, so she had to help him.
They had to prop him up so he could stand straight for a bit. Kathryn said: “That does help him but there were times where I would prop him up – little did I know, I walked over there and he was flat on his back.”
She tried many different exercises to help him loosen up. He would go through therapy every day. It was one of the first things that needed to be changed before going onto the next step.
Kathryn helped him basically every day. They did everything together. He would go through treadmill and water therapy as well.
After a few weeks had passed, he was able to stand on his feet temporarily. This was such great progress and Kathryn was incredibly proud of him.
However, even though he was doing well, there were still quite a few obstacles to overcome. The main one was that he was gaining weight as he grew.
While it might not seem like a problem, this was making it really difficult for Phelps to maintain balance when walking.
A Huge Change For Phelps
Kathryn said: “The more he grew, the heavier he got and the less he wanted to walk on his legs.”
He was taken to a clinic in Texas to get an MRI, and they found that he also had luxating elbows, which meant that his bone was disconnected from the joint.
As time went on, all of Phelps’s progress was regressing and he was no longer walking with his feet. At this point, Kathryn adopted a carrying system in their daily lives.
That way, he would be with Kathryn and her husband at all times when they are taking other dogs on adventures.
Phelps would always make them laugh and Kathryn realized that she was going to adopt him. While they are not done trying to help him walk again, he is now doing much better.
Having a family that you can rely on is a dream come true for Phelps, and he is so grateful to be with such wonderful people.
