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A bulldog named Angie Diane is finally receiving treatment for her "swimmer puppy syndrome" that causes her to move like a sea turtle, after her family surrendered her to a rescue organization.
The Lone Star Bulldog Club Rescue has been helping Angie Diane learn to walk after she failed to receive vital early intervention with her former family. Angie Diane was born with swimmer puppy syndrome, meaning rather than walk, she simply scoots on her stomach.
Swimmer puppy syndrome means the limbs of a dog lie laterally, and little is certain about what causes it. Using her arms like flippers, the result makes Angie Diane appear like a "sea turtle on land" which despite looking adorable, causes calluses on her underside.
"Typically, this condition is diagnosed just a few weeks into a puppy's life and that's when interventions can start so the pup can learn how to stand and walk. Unfortunately, that didn't happen with Angie Dianne. She came to us much older, at 4-months-old, which makes our job helping her that much more difficult. Not to mention, much more challenging for Angie Diane," volunteer Deirdre Jack told Newsweek
After sharing her story to both Instagram, where they have over 14,000 followers, and Facebook, upon arrival to the rescue organization in January, Angie Diana received mass attention and has been enjoying boxes of gifts and donations that make her feel like a "princess" as she learns to walk.
"Angie Diane was surrendered to Lone Star Bulldog Club Rescue by a family who had apparently been given the dog perhaps by the breeder, we're not exactly sure. I believe the family thought they could help her, but they soon realized they were in way over their heads. They needed help from breed experts, so they opted to give their dog to our organization. They knew we were her only hope," said Jack.
Volunteer Lisa stepped forward to be Angie Diane's foster mom, and just so happens to also be her rehab tech.
"Lisa can take Angie Diane to work with her, where she receives specialized treatment. It's a vet environment that offers all the resources Angie Dianne needs to learn how her legs are supposed to work," said Jack.
Angie Diane is having weekly rehab appointments and the shelter also has to think about radiographs, a custom therapy stand, orthopedic specialist exams, MRIs, neurologist exams and more. Although it's too early to tell if she will need surgery or amputation, they have begun to think about wheelchairs and custom prosthetics too.
As shown by shared videos of the bulldog, she is starting to make progress already and is strengthening her currently nonexistent pectoral muscles. Literal small steps for Angie Diane are actually far bigger ones in her recovery.
"Right now, our entire focus is helping Angie Diane to become mobile. We want her to live a normal, happy life. She needs to be able to walk, to run and to play, just like any other dog. It's hard to say when we'll get her there, but we're working toward the goal each day," said Jack.
Although adoption and finding a forever home is way off into the horizon at the moment, it's still a dream in the making for the shelter.
"What a celebration it will be though if we can hit that milestone and adopt her out to a loving forever home where she will be adored for all the rest of her life," noted Jack.
For the organization though, Angie Diane is a lesson on why even those with swimmer puppy syndrome deserve love and life: "There are still many uneducated breeders who believe swimmer pups should automatically be put down. Yes, swimmer pups take more work, but we believe their lives are certainly worth saving."
