Restoring Ginger’s Steps: A Two-Part Journey to a Pain-Free Life

Restoring Ginger’s Steps: A Two-Part Journey to a Pain-Free Life image

Meet Ginger.

Ginger arrived at Little Elm Animal Shelter as a stray with what appeared to be an old, long-healed leg injury. A loving adopter quickly jumped at the chance to give her a home when nobody came to claim her. However, follow-up care revealed that her injuries were more extensive than anyone expected and required care beyond what her adopter could take on. Wanting the best for her, they brought her back to the shelter so she could get the specialized medical care she truly needed.

When the extent of her needs became clear, FLEAS stepped up to sponsor a comprehensive workup.

The Diagnosis: A Painful Past

After x-rays and a comprehensive exam, the vet team discovered something heartbreaking: both of Ginger’s hind legs suffered severe traumatic injuries, likely from being hit by a car long before she ever arrived at the shelter. Left untreated, her bones had tried to heal on their own, leaving her in constant pain.

Enter the incredible team at Atlas Pet Vets. After watching them perform absolute miracles during Elda’s recovery, we knew without a doubt that Ginger would be in the best possible hands.

Step 1: Complete! (07/22)

Ginger’s immediate priority was an FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) on her worst hip—a procedure that relieves intense pain by removing the damaged head and neck of the thigh bone. Without bone rubbing against bone, her surrounding muscles will form a flexible "false joint," giving her back pain-free mobility.

💖 Update: Ginger had her FHO surgery on Wednesday, July 22nd, and it was a success! She is currently resting comfortably with her medical foster (who also happens to be a FLEAS board member!).

Step 2: The Road Ahead

With her most painful joint treated, our focus is now shifting to long-term comfort: fixing her second hind leg, which was previously broken and healed out of alignment.

Ginger is scheduled for a CT scan on August 4th to map out her next surgery. Because her injury is so complex, this procedure will involve a cutting-edge, custom surgical plan developed with a specialist team in the UK!

How You Can Help

Advanced veterinary care, specialized imaging, and custom international surgical planning come at a high cost—but Ginger deserves a chance at a painless, happy life.

  • Donate: Every dollar goes directly toward Ginger’s recent surgery, upcoming CT scan, specialized UK-assisted procedure, medications, and full recovery care.
  • Share: Spread Ginger’s story with friends, family, and on social media to help us reach our goal!

Ginger has survived the worst—now let’s give her the bright, painless future she deserves.