My name is Toby!

Updated bio 7/6/2015 Toby is now 10 months old and weighs about 8 pounds.

He is still being fostered in Clearwater, FL and continues practicing with his new back legs. He is having trouble putting his feet correctly on the ground, so he can often drag the top of his foot. We're still trying different shoes and grippy socks to help him figure this out, but nothing's really worked so far. If the shoe can come off, it becomes his new favorite chew toy. Toby loves running around, no matter how awkward it can look at times. He even taught himself how to play fetch! The surgeon who has been working with Toby is still waiting to see how his legs continue to heal before declaring him officially "finished". We think it's looking really good for him so far.This week, Toby had an unplanned vet visit for his first ear infection. You can see in this picture, he was NOT excited one bit. Now that his legs can function, he is sort of able to scratch his ears. It mostly looks like he is smacking himself in the head, but that's his hint to Foster Mom that he needs her help. The last two nights he has woken up multiple times asking for help. Then last night, he wouldn't let FM touch his right ear. We noticed some drainage, redness & swelling. It hasn't slowed him down any, but we know he'll be feeling tons better after his 10 days of treatment.

Updated bio 6/1/15 Toby (Florida) is an amazing puppy who is 9 months old today. He weighs about 8 pounds. He is being fostered in Clearwater, FL

"Don't feel bad for me anymore. All of my feet can touch the floor!"

https://youtu.be/sIfI8bPFi8g

Toby had surgery on his other back leg, WOOHOO! Everything is looking great so far. Let's hope this was his final surgery and all of his procedures are behind him. We know he still has plenty of healing, learning and strengthening ahead, but he looks like he's on his way to chasing lizards around soon. Once he figures out how to keep his back legs underneath his body, he'll be unstoppable!

After the first 2 surgeries on his right leg, the surgeon gave Toby a little break to stay in his foster home and "be a puppy" as he built up his strength for the next surgery and recovery process to start. Once again, he has to spend the weekdays at the vet and return only for the weekends. It seems Toby is a bit more emotional this time around. He wants to be touching FM at all times and has learned a new sweet little trick. If FM stands still long enough, Toby puts his small front paw on her foot, licks her ankle and waits to be scooped up and held close. Everyone in the house must have grown accustomed to Toby's company during his break, because the resident dog nearly tackled him through the door! It's been hard to tell these boys that wrestling and toy tug-o-war is not allowed for a while. They seem to be making due by teaming up against the squeaker toys of the world, determined to tear them all to shreds. Once today's battle has been won, they snuggle next to each other amid the fluff and stuffing of their victory and sleep until the next squeak calls them back to action.

We will keep you informed as his healing and therapy continues. We are all eager to see how he learns to walk with the benefit of 4 functioning legs!


Update 5/14/2015
Toby is now 8.5 months old & is still being fostered in Clearwater, FL. He was born with severely deformed hind legs and could only drag his back half. Thanks to the generous donations from all of YOU, along with an amazing surgeon, Toby can now stand on his back right leg! While continuing to heal and gain strength before surgery starts on his other leg, Toby has been granted the freedom to enjoy being a puppy. He has been so much fun and impossible to slow down! Surgery on his left leg will start later this month and the healing process will start all over again. We know it will be hard, but he is super Toby tough and he will really love the stability gained along with the lightened pressure on his other hind leg. We will keep everyone updated during his upcoming recovery.

Here is a quick video to show his incredible progress to this point:
https://youtu.be/24rKbE2u2A8



On April Fools Day, Toby will be 7 months old! He now weighs 7 pounds and is still being fostered in Clearwater, FL.

As you may know, Toby is the pup who was born with severly deformed back legs. So far, he has had 2 surgeries on his right leg to give him the chance to walk. The surgeon has been wanting to keep a very close eye on his masterpiece-in-progress, so Toby has been staying half of each week with the vet and the other half in his foster home. Toby has been cheerfully tolerating our joint custody arrangement & is progressing like a champ! He has had his hard splint off for 2 weeks now and is balancing on his right back leg really well. He doesn't usually try to put any real weight on it while he's walking yet, but we know he's still learning. Plus, he has no muscle to speak of in his tiny little butt and back half. Since his legs never worked correctly, his muscles wasted away where they weren't being used. We are super proud of him for simply putting his foot on the ground & trying with each step. Slowly, as Toby is allowed more activity by the surgeon, we know he will build those muscles and run like the wind. FM was so excited to have the splint off, she rushed to buy a life jacket and get him started on some swimming therapy. Toby isn't too sure he likes the water, but he loves his FM and the treats she brought in the pool! We just got the news that Toby is doing so well he gets to stay home for the next few weeks. We are also starting to plan for the first surgery on his left rear leg sometime in May. For now, his crooked left leg sort of dangles and drags. Toby thanks all of you for the incredible support! He already looks pretty proud of himself & we're only halfway there. It will be exciting to see him using all four legs in a few more months. Stay tuned!

Update 2/23/2015 Toby is going to make an appearance at the "Get Rescued in Gulfport" event on Saturday, Feb. 28th in Gulfport, FL. If you want to say "Hi" to this darling boy, he will be at the UYR tent for the first 2 hours (before lunch).

Toby is 5.5 months old now and is our pup that was born with deformed rear legs. He had his second surgery on his right rear leg last week. The surgeon put in a second plate that overlaps and extends past the first plate fusing his knee in the correct position. This second plate will help stabilize his leg where it fractured after his first procedure due to his tiny and fragile bones and the screws needed to help give him a chance to walk in the future. Toby is feeling SO good now! He cannot wait for the doctor to give him permission to try out this "walking" thing he sees all the other pups doing. Until then, Toby is confined to his foster mom and dad's laps while they attempt to find toys to entertain him and keep him still. If you've ever met a puppy, you know that's a tricky task, but also so rewarding, fun, and full of kisses. Don't you want to foster too? Not all foster pups are as needy as Toby. Most of our dogs only need a warm bed and loving hand while they wait for their forever homes. Thinking it over but have questions? Ask. It never hurts to give it a try.

TOBY (Florida) had his first surgery on Wednesday! The surgeon was able to get his right rear leg straight by fusing his knee joint in a fixed position. He says we're off to a great start in Toby's long process towards standing up on his own. We feel very lucky that he let Toby come home with his foster parents for a weekend of intense snuggle therapy while on strict bed rest orders. Toby will return on Monday and stay the entire week again for them to watch his movements and begin his rehab. Toby has no idea how to move with a straight leg and a foot that now points towards the ground. Poor little guy either falls over and whimpers in confusion or takes a few steps while doing a handstand as his bandaged leg and other rear leg hover above the ground. He has a lot of learning and practice to do as he heals. We appreciate all of the strength you are sending his way! Toby is so brave.

TOBY update 1/18/2015:

Good news & bad news.
Toby is our 4 month old pup without the proper use of his back legs, being fostered in Clearwater, FL. Here is his newest video showing how he walks:
http://youtu.be/nGKUC4GA46A

He just had his first visit to the specialist and we're in a tough spot. Toby's legs are so extremely rotated, the doctor says he only sees 1-2 cases/year this severe, and each one is very different. The surgeon says, although it will be a "significant challenge", he thinks he may be able to fix Toby's legs!! Hooray! There is no guarantee, and it may take more than one surgery per leg, BUT how great would it be if Toby could stand up and/or walk on his own for the rest of his life?!

The bad news... this could be even more expensive than we thought. Best case scenario, with everything going perfectly, his surgeries will be $4,000. It could possibly reach as much as $6-7,000! We have had so much support, and donations (big and small) have been coming in to help little Toby. Every little bit helps a great deal and you are ALL amazing & appreciated.

Some people may recommend a "wheelie cart" instead of surgery. Understandable. If you were a young kid and your legs could be fixed, would you rather have the limits of wheels your whole life?

Some may also point out how happy he is now...
Here are a few things Toby cannot do:
Cross a threshold. Toby's back legs get hooked on door frames and it can hurt and be really scary. He'd really like to just run inside like the other pup, but he has to stand and wait for someone to lift him over every bump and step.
Go potty without struggling to do a handstand. Toby tries SO hard to keep his legs clean. When he has to potty, he balances all of his weight on his 2 front legs while his back legs quiver and dangle, hovering as much as he can manage (about an inch off the ground). That's hard work!
Scratch his own ears. Poor Toby rubs his ears with his front legs as much as he can, but it doesn't do the trick. When his ears itch, he has to ask for help from Foster Mom or Foster Dad.
These may seem small, but Toby is such a young puppy, has so much life ahead of him, and he wants to be independent & free to explore. Wouldn't it be great if we could at least TRY to give him the gift of walking?

If anyone has ideas to help raise money, please share. Pass Toby's story along to your friends and family too.
The link to donate to Toby's surgery is https://www.youcaring.com/TobyUYR

TOBY! He is a male Yorkie puppy at 4 months old and currently weighs a slender 5.8 pounds. He is being fostered in Clearwater, FL.

Toby was born without the proper use of his hind legs. He has been mostly dragging his back legs his whole life, though he does try very hard to make them work.

We have an appointment next week with our surgical specialist to see what we can do to help little Toby. Hopefully, surgery can fix the problem. If surgery is not an option, we will still work towards any recommended plan of action to make sure Toby can move around without risk of further injury or pain. The doctor needs more x-rays to look closely at the deformity of his legs/knees before deciding the best next step.

We can do it! UYR has the most amazing supporters (more and more each day) and Toby has that strong Yorkie spirit to get him through ANYTHING! Now, he needs your help to get him all fixed up. Please support in any way you can by donating a few dollars towards his surgery and anticipated therapies OR simply by sharing his story.

Toby was initially afraid and distrusting of a petting hand. His fluffy puppy hair was already in matted clumps all over his body. It took both myself (Foster Mom) and Foster Dad working together for 2 hours to clip his hair as he was very jumpy around scissors and clippers. We gave him many breaks to rest and recover as to not make his first day too stressful. Once we could better see how his legs were moving under that hair, both of us couldn't help the tears welling up in our eyes. Toby felt AMAZING after his fresh haircut and bath and started quickly giving kisses and playing with the permanent dog of the house. He has never known any other life, so his way of moving around isn't sad for him at all. What a tough little pup! The only time Toby seems frustrated, is when he sees the other dog easily go up a stair or over a threshold that he needs help tackling. He is eager to explore the yard, but the smallest ruffle of a leaf sends him scooting away as fast as he can. The world seems brand new to him and it's a little bit exciting, but sometimes pretty scary. Sweet Toby is getting a crash course in socializing and learning about everything so quickly.

Toby is not yet available for adoption. Let's figure out what he needs first and make sure he gets it. I promise to keep the updates coming and please keep watching for a video of him wiggling about soon.