Abel is an 8-year-old Doberman whose lifetime pursuit of squirrels was briefly interrupted by a cancerous tumor on his leg. (Scroll down for video.)
Doctors gave his owners, Mike and Barbara Batchelor, of Cumming, the news back in February. "We thought we were going to lose him," said Mike.
Dr. Lori MacDougall at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Sandy Springs recommended taking the leg off at the shoulder, to avoid the abrasions and other complications that a prosthetic device can cause.
Plenty of dogs get along well with three legs, she said.
But the Batchelors argued persuasively for keeping part of the leg, and using a prosthesis. They also committed themselves to the kind of care and attention that Abel would require during rehabilitation.
MacDougall accepted their suggestion and Abel lost part of his left foreleg to surgery. He then went through seven rounds of chemotherapy and was fitted with a prosthesis by Animal Ortho Care.
Thanks to that new mechanical leg, the squirrels in Abel’s back yard once again live in terror.
Five months after the surgery, MacDougall is impressed with the Batchelor’s dedication and with Abel’s progress. “He looks like a happy dog,” said MacDougall. “He’s adapted to his new leg very well.”
Said Mike, “when we put it on him, he wants to jump around. He’s a different dog.”
In a video, that you can see below, Abel bounces like a puppy. (He starts playing around the one-minute mark.)
Barbara had faith in prosthetics, perhaps because she works in customer service for a prosthetic supply company. Mike is retired as a distribution manager for a food company.
They have a blended family of five children between them, all grown and on their own.
So, as an empty-nester, Mike has some extra time to help Abel adjust, and relearn old skills, like walking upstairs. “He’s a special dog,” said Mike. “We’ve had rescue dogs before, but I think he’s the smartest.”
