This photo was taken on the 26th of January 2013 when he was rescued:
When he first arrived at Otjiwarongo Veterinary Clinic on the 27th:
Since arriving at his new home in Cape Town at the beginning of April, Azzan has been on a strict regime of Science Diet Mobility, plenty of love and rest.
Doron did lots of research and found a veterinary surgeon in Steenberg who specialises in pain management and rehabilitation, Dr Megan Kelly. Holistic Vet offers treatments such as Acupuncture, Hydrotherapy (Underwater treadmill), Biopuncture, Homeopathy, Physical Rehabilitation and Herbal Medicine. Dr Kelly has also developed post surgical products that aid recovery, ageing, handicapped and debilitated pets. Their products include harnesses, joint supports, wheelchairs, braces, orthotics and prosthetics.
Eventhough Azzan had been so well cared for by Dr Hartmann and his team, he still suffered a number of setbacks and the pin in his one leg had to be reset three times. The injury was so old when he got there that the tendon had pulled right up into the muscle and the one in particular kept coming undone. By the time he left Otjiwaringo he'd already had about 5 or 6 operations.
This was how he walked when we first picked him up in Namibia at the beginning of April.
Azzan was taken for a consultation and fitted for his orthotics at the beginning of June after Dr Gray at the Panorama Veterinary Clinic had removed the pins and started hydrotherapy twice a week.
In six weeks, he has gone from doing six 1 minute sessions (with a break of 40 seconds in between) to a full 20 minutes of constant walking in the tank!
This was his first hydrotherapy session on 10 June:
And his 20 minute walk last week:
And this is Azzan today, we're so proud of how brave and strong he's been. He's come so far:
Azzan today - on the road to recovery:
