Reggie’s Resilience: Saving a Young Life, One Step at a Time

Last night, a Good Samaritan found Reggie collapsed in the middle of the street, alone, frightened, and in severe pain. His condition was heartbreaking—extremely underweight, covered in wounds, and unable to even walk. He was left out in the cold, struggling, and in desperate need of help.

The woman who found him kept him safe overnight, and then reached out to ThisIsHouston. Reggie was rushed to a veterinary emergency center. His situation was dire: in shock, dehydrated, anemic, and with dangerously low blood pressure. Reggie’s blood sugar was borderline low, and he was showing signs that his body was trying to heal, though there are so many challenges ahead.

Reggie's injuries are overwhelming. He has been hit by a car at least twice, the most recent incident happening just hours before he was found. He has a scapula fracture, ACL tear in his right knee, old sacrum fracture, bruising or bleeding in his lungs, significant intestinal parasites, a possible foreign body in his GI tract, and vertebra damage.

Reggie is only about a year old. He's been through so much but has lots of life and fight left in him. It's going to be a long road for Reggie, but ThisIsHouston is determined to give him his best chance at a happy, healthy life.

Update 2/7/25:
Reggie was transferred to a veterinary specialist for an MRI. While it is clear he has many fractures, he cannot currently walk and his hind legs have no withdraw. He does have deep pain sensation in his back legs though. His back left leg is also severely swollen, especially in his paws. Hopefully the MRI will provide some answers.

Update 2/8/25:
The specialist said there was nothing we could do to help him based off the neurologist's exam. We opted for a second opinion and he was transferred to a different clinic. He has been alert and vocal today as well as enjoying treats and lots of love. Hopefully we will have more information soon.

Update 2/9/25:
Reggie was moved from the specialists back to the ER where he had been receiving care, and then yesterday afternoon, he was transferred to a trusted facility with a skilled surgeon. They found Reggie's albumin levels are normal, he has deep pain sensation, his reflexes are intact, and anal tone is present. They plan to do a CT scan to get more clarity on his condition.

While we still don’t know if we’ll be able to repair him, we’re feeling cautiously optimistic. It’s important to us to complete all the necessary diagnostics before making any decisions about his future.

Update 2/12/25:
Reggie seems to be doing alright. His appetite is sticking around really well and he’s been drinking water in moderation. Vitals have been normal all night and day so far, but temp has been bordering on a fever at 102.5 last night and 102 this morning — just barely enough to not technically be a fever but 102.5 is exactly the end of the high normal range. So the vet team is keeping an eye on that.

Reggie's urinary catheter was pulled yesterday and he was observed overnight to see if he has bladder function. They say he DOES appear to have bladder function, so that’s just another positive sign for Reggie!

The vet also observed that there are no drag marks on his knees or back legs which he definitely would have had if he wasn't walking prior to being found. This is a super important observation and hopefully means he was able to walk before this.

Update 2/13/25:
Overnight, Reggie's tech said he was sleeping comfortably in his kennel on a pile of soft blankets receiving his IV fluids and pain meds. He was eating very well and did urinate on his own. They added that he’s been a great patient, and that everyone has fallen for him (no surprise there).

This morning though, he seems a bit uncomfortable. They had to express his bladder as there was just a tiny spot of urine in his kennel from overnight and his bladder was pretty big today. So they will keep an eye on that.

Yesterday his temp was a little high, but it’s a little low today so he’s been on some heat support. His bloodwork this morning showed he’s still a little anemic so the vet recommended doing a blood transfusion and rechecking the bloodwork tomorrow. His transfusion started a couple hours ago. He continues to eat well.

If all is better tomorrow, he’ll have surgery then.

Update 2/14/25:
Reggie had surgery this morning!

His blood transfusion yesterday kicked his PCV up to 41%. The vet and some of his surgery team came in first thing this morning and got his procedures done. Everything went well, and he did very well under anesthesia. He had a Laminectomy and a scapula repair and the vet used plates and screws for both repairs.

He’s still on IV fluids until he shows more interest in drinking, but he’s still eating great. He also had a good amount of urine in his kennel overnight, so it appears he does in fact have use of his baldder. His techs are keeping a close eye on his bedding to make sure he stays dry.

His current bill at this one clinic is $7,958.54, and this does not include the bills at the other two clinics he's been seen at. While his expenses are high, giving Reggie a chance is truly worth it!

Update 2/15/25:
Reggie post surgery update!

Temp is good at 101.3, and he's still urinating on his own. He seems bright and alert, ate his small meal, and actually drank some water.

You got this, Reggie!

Update 2/16/25:
Reggie is stable and making progress! Today he had his first laser therapy session.

Update 2/17/25:
Reggie continues to do as best as possible! He transitioned to all oral meds, his appetite continues to be great, the incisions look good, and he's been pushing himself around his kennel. He does range of motion exercises a few times throughout the day. Time will tell how much movement he'll get back, but we love to see him content.

Update 2/19/25:
Reggie is still being a strong boy!

He's still eating well and loving the dry puppy food. He's making some slow progress and is starting to pull back his hind legs when doing his therapies. The right leg seems stronger at this time, but he’s doing range of motion exercises and getting some massages on all four legs twice daily for now until he’s more healed. Then we can look into what else can be added in for him.
For now, we’re continuing with some laser therapy on his shoulder and down his back. This will help keep him as comfortable as possible and help speed up some healing.

Update 2/21/25:
Reggie seems to be feeling a little peppier today! He was caught rubbing his face and gently mouthing at his tech’s legs and hands, almost like he was trying to play—such a sweet moment to witness! While he’s still slow in his movements and has a long road ahead, it's encouraging to see glimpses of his personality returning. He’s doing well with his twice-daily therapies and is showing more strength in his right back leg compared to the left. Yesterday, he even placed his front left foot a few times while standing, which is a great sign since he usually tries to hold it up. His appetite is strong, and he's drinking well. He’s urinating a little on his own, but for now, they still need to express him. He’s getting lots of love and care at the clinic, and we’re hopeful for his continued progress!

Update 2/25/25:
Reggie developed a cough suspected to be just kennel cough, so he’s been in isolation but doing well otherwise! Here’s an update from his tech: “Still having good bowel movements on his own and eating/drinking great. Is urinating a bit more on his own from overnight, but still expressing his bladder as needed. Was about softball sized this morning and easily expressed. We have him on the Prazosin to help his bladder function still. He does well for his therapies and although he is a little suspicious of treats at first [he] loves them lol. He did pull his hind legs back a few times this morning which is more than he did yesterday. He was a lot better about that last week, so hoping he will get back to that point. Stood him up and helped him walk to his kennel after his exercises, is a little unstable so did have to hold him under his chest as well as his rear end but he didn’t do too bad. Had a few coughs this morning but overall is still doing pretty well.”
We are so excited about the progress he is making!

Update 3/5/25:
Reggie was introduced to a toy and has been sitting up on his own! He wasn’t sure what to do with the toy, but he’ll figure out toys soon enough. He has a lot of interest in walking around on his front legs. He also has a lot more strength on both back legs! He pulled the left one away from his tech more than he had been when doing his flex and extensions; that leg tends to be the weaker leg. And on the right hind leg, he had some pretty decent muscle tone going through his range of motions. He's still eating/drinking great and defecating on his own. He's still not 100% with being able to urinate on his own but when expressed it is done so easily.

Reggie still has a long way to go but we’ll take any small wins he will give!

Update 3/10/25:
Reggie is waiting on an arm wound to fully heal, but once that is complete, he'll be able to start water therapy!!

Update 4/9/25:
Reggie started physical therapy and it is going well! He is regaining strength, but still needs help getting around. We are getting him a wheelchair, but don't want him to rely on it too much and hinder his progress. So the plan is for him to continue physical therapy and to use the wheelchair sparin