Update 5/8/2023:
Update 4/12/23:
Dr. Beam examined Duke, took X-rays, and was pleased with this boy’s progress. The pins are holding in place and Duke is slowly regrowing the surrounding muscles. This means the treatment is holding and Duke will not have to have the leg amputated. In addition, Duke has been given the go ahead to be neutered and begin his heartworm treatment. The next phase of his treatment is estimated to cost an additional $1,500 – your donations to Duke’s fund are greatly appreciated. He is on his way to a better life and his forever home. He will be available for adoption in early June!
Update 3/7/2023:
Duke continues to recover and has passed a big milestone with the removal of the bandage and the cone. He had a follow up with Dr. Beam on the 7th who took more x-rays. The bone is staying in position and should start to grow back together. Duke is still not using the leg much but his on-going physical therapy will help him learn how to use it again. He loves his walks with the vet techs and is really anxious to run and be a Brittany again. He has been cleared to be neutered and begin his 6-week heart worm treatment.
Update 2/20/23: Status Update New X-rays
On Monday Duke’s leg was x-rayed and Dr. Beam said it’s “looking good”. You’ll notice his bandage has been changed to come up higher on his hip – needed to hold his leg in the right position for healing. Dr. Beam felt it was necessary to change his dressing from a soft bandage to a hard splint to prevent mobility. This young boy doesn’t know how to chill and be still. We promised him that once this is over we will find him a forever home with a big back yard so he can run to heart’s content.
Update 2/10/23: Status Update Post Surgery
Duke saw Dr. Beam again and had his stitches removed, his bandages changed, and his leg inspected. Outwardly he is healing well but it continues to be a challenge to keep this active young Brittany still. Dr. Beam wants to see him in 10 days for xrays and another follow up. Here is a short video of him on a walk with his favorite vet tech.
Update 1/26/23: Good news – Duke survived his surgery and Dr. Beam was able to save his leg!
It was touch and go during most of the three hour surgery. It was a very complicated fracture repair. Even two hours into the procedure Dr. Beam was not sure if the leg could be saved. Duke’s right rear distal tibia fracture has been unattended for so long it “healed” at an extreme angle (approx. 35%) and had developed a bulging amount of new bone/callus which has to be cleaned out.
As you can see by the x-rays he has a plate and many pins to encourage new vessels and bone growth in the correct area. There is a 20% chance he may still loose the leg but Dr. Beam is optimistic the repair will hold.
However, Duke has to stay still to heal which we all know is a challenge for a young Brittany boy. Because of this, and frequent monitoring by Dr. Beam, he will have stay in hospital care for the duration of his rehab which is estimated to take 3-4 months.
It’s a good thing this boy is young and strong (despite his heartworms) and must be feeling better as he was wagging his tail in this picture. 
Original post dated Jan. 19, 2023:
Duke was surrendered to BRIT in mid-January (2023) with a right rear leg that has been broken for 5 months. He is also heartworm positive. We were told the leg was first broken in September of 2022 but he didn’t receive any medical attention. He has been in pain for 5 long months and gets around by dragging his leg.
Dr. Beam, our orthopedic surgeon’s first comment when he saw Duke was “Oh my, this is serious.” Duke’s surgery is scheduled for Jan. 25th. Unfortunately, the doctor won’t know if Duke’s leg can be saved, or the extent of the work needed, until he gets in there.
Duke’s extensive surgery, rehabilitation, and heartworm treatment are estimated to exceed $10k. If you can help please visit BRIT’s donation page. Thank you for your support – we couldn’t do this work without you. We will post updates about Duke here and on social media.