A Second Chance for Conrad: Help This Brave Puppy Heal After Unimaginable Pain

ThisIsHouston
Conrad was found on the street in McAllen, TX in grave condition. He was clearly the victim of an attack, mostly likely from other dogs, and suffering from extensive injuries. He was partially scalped and part of his left ear was ripped off. He had multiple open bite wounds on the entire front half of his body. The worst part, though, was three of his legs were broken.

The end of the humerus snapped on his right forelimb, he has a fracture on his left forelimb radius, and a fracture on his left hindlimb. Conrad needed help immediately. He initially arrived at the vet in a shock-like condition and needed to be stabilized. He was doing fairly well, but then he began vomiting. His stomach became distended with a lot of gas and food wasn't moving.

A volunteer flew him up to Houston from McAllen where he was found. Conrad is now currently resting comfortably at Blue Pearl ER which is a specialty hospital. He had been throwing up small amounts during his trip and Blue Pearl says he’s got ileus - temporary lack of the normal muscle contractions of the intestines. A urinary catheter was placed along with a jugular catheter and a feeding tube.

Conrad’s been at the vet since being found, getting his wounds tended to, getting a blood transfusion, and having surgery on 2 of his legs. Currently, he’s stable, vitals are well, and he’s eating well. He’s still regurgitating so his vets are making adjustments with his meds and plan to feed him more frequent meals rather than larger ones. He’s clear from pneumonia as of today but he has a URI brewing so he’s starting meds for that too.

Conrad is just 13 weeks old but has already suffered so much. He has an arduous journey ahead, but ThisIsHouston is determined to provide him with every chance at a normal, healthy life, no matter the cost. Please consider donating to help Conrad get the care he needs!

Update: 10/10/24:
Conrad is doing well, he is eating well with no regurgitation, and his feeding tube has been non-productive, so the vet is planning on removing it tomorrow. His nasal discharge has improved a lot and he was brighter today. His urine output is much more appropriate and he has clear urine. His anemia has improved and his PCV (packed cell volume) was 28% this morning.

His right elbow is quite swollen at this point post op and may be infected. His right ear base wound has opened up and has a bit of discharge. Still waiting for his culture results, so hopefully once we change his antibiotic, his wounds start healing better. In the meantime, they’re cleaning his ear base wounds and bandaging it. So Conrad is doing better in some areas but still struggling with his wounds and incision. Sweet baby has ways to go, but we know he’ll get there!

Update: 10/12/24:
An update from Conrad's veterinarian: “Conrad is doing well. He is eating well and has not had any regurgitation. We will be changing his neck bandage today, still waiting on culture results. His right forelimb swelling is better but he doesn't want to use it much. He can stand a little longer than before but still can't get around much. We are removing his back leg splint on Monday so his mobility should improve drastically then. Once he can get around better, we can remove his urinary catheter."

Update: 10/15/24:
Conrad is standing on all of his legs!! He's still at the specialty hospital continuing to rest comfortably, his vitals remain normal, and he’s still eating great. The veterinary team on his case said Conrad's showing his silly personality more every day. We love to see his puppy side coming out! Thanks to those who have been rooting for him!

Update: 10/16/24:
Conrad was found with 3 broken limbs. Two required surgery, and the third is expected to heal on its own with kennel rest. That leg (right forelimb) had some swelling, but it has improved. Radiographs showed the right elbow implants are stable. The plan is to let the bones heal and probably remove the implants in 2-3 weeks. The veterinarian is hoping to pull his urinary catheter tomorrow and monitor his urination overnight. Conrad might be able to discharged into foster care on Friday, but he’ll still have lots of recovery and therapy ahead of him.

Update: 10/18/24:
Conrad was discharged from the ER today!!! He still has a very difficult, long journey ahead but we are so happy for this little guy. However, his hefty ER bill remains and his future care will continue to add to his costs. Any donation is greatly appreciated!

Update 11/21/24:
Conrad has continued to heal wonderfully, except for his right forelimb. The lameness in that leg continued to worsen; he wasn’t using it much at all, and his elbow began to bleed. That was the leg with tons of infection in the beginning. It was becoming super painful for him, and he had a consult with his surgeon. We could’ve attempted to fix it again but he could’ve possibly needed multiple revisions. Because of his discomfort, we opted for amputation. But no worries, four legs or three legs, he continues to be a warrior.

Update 12/4/24:
Conrad’s all healed up from his amputation and has been doing so well. Everyone who meets him comments on how well behaved he is, especially for a puppy. We may be biased but he’s pretty perfect!