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After 7-month-old Boudreaux, a Golden Retriever puppy belonging to Donna VanDeman of Rifle, was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and in need of major surgery. Dr. Bob Marquis of Tiara Rado Animal Hospital in Grand Junction not only performed the surgery, but afterward flew the pup back home to Rifle in his private plane at no charge to VanDeman, who couldn't get there.
RIFLE — Donna VanDeman's Golden Retriever puppy, Boudreaux, was only 7 months old when she noticed something was wrong with him.
“He kind of hopped like a bunny instead of running,” VanDeman said.
The Rifle woman, took her pup to Dr. Peter Langegger at Divide Creek Animal Hospital in Silt.
Langegger took some X-rays that definitely showed something was wrong, He referred VanDeman to Dr. Bob Marquis of Tiara Rado Animal Hospital in Grand Junction so Boudreaux could have what is called a “PENN Hip” X-ray.
“One of the neat things about Dr. Bob is that he is certified to do the PENN Hip,” VanDeman said. “They put the dog under anesthesia and can get some incredible shots of the hips.”
The X-rays were sent to the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School for evaluation. Results showed that Boudreaux had hip dysplasia and needed major surgery.
“He kind of hopped like a bunny instead of running,” VanDeman said.
The Rifle woman, took her pup to Dr. Peter Langegger at Divide Creek Animal Hospital in Silt.
Langegger took some X-rays that definitely showed something was wrong, He referred VanDeman to Dr. Bob Marquis of Tiara Rado Animal Hospital in Grand Junction so Boudreaux could have what is called a “PENN Hip” X-ray.
“One of the neat things about Dr. Bob is that he is certified to do the PENN Hip,” VanDeman said. “They put the dog under anesthesia and can get some incredible shots of the hips.”
The X-rays were sent to the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School for evaluation. Results showed that Boudreaux had hip dysplasia and needed major surgery.
Hip dysplasia is difficult to prevent and hard to treat, according to VetCentric.com. It is a developmental orthopedic disease in which abnormal formation of the hip leads to looseness in the hip joints, causing cartilage damage. Progressive arthritis can result, and when it does, can be crippling.
“Boudreaux got so bad, it was starting to cause arthritis,” VanDeman said. “I think he was in pain, but he learned to live with it.”
Once Dr. Bob received the results, he knew exactly what to do. He'd performed the surgery before — on his own dog.
The expensive surgery would take four to five hours with eight weeks of rehabilitation. VanDeman works six days a week, 12 hours a day in Meeker and it was going to be tough to Boudreaux to Grand Junction and pick him up after the surgery a week later.
“Dr. Bob graciously offered to fly Boudreaux in his personal plane to and from the surgery at no cost to me,” VanDeman said.
But as it turned out, Dr. Bob's elderly mother fell ill on the day he was to come pick up Boudreaux and he was also bitten on the hand by a patient the day before.
So on a Sunday in June, VanDeman drove Boudreaux to Tiara Rado, where she was met by a staff member after office hours. The surgery went as scheduled on Monday morning.
“I called daily to see how my pup was recovering,” VanDeman said.
The following Sunday, Dr. Bob flew Boudreaux back to Rifle — even though it was his birthday and his friends and family were waiting to celebrate with him at home.
Boudreaux's back side had been shaved and he had two six-inch incisions on each of his hips. VanDeman took a week off of work to be with Boudreaux while he recuperated and said he getting well.
But she will not forget the veterinarian who went out of his way to take care of her precious pup.
“He's just an awesome guy,” VanDeman said. “I just can't express how much it meant to me. I think he went way beyond the call of duty.”
“Boudreaux got so bad, it was starting to cause arthritis,” VanDeman said. “I think he was in pain, but he learned to live with it.”
Once Dr. Bob received the results, he knew exactly what to do. He'd performed the surgery before — on his own dog.
The expensive surgery would take four to five hours with eight weeks of rehabilitation. VanDeman works six days a week, 12 hours a day in Meeker and it was going to be tough to Boudreaux to Grand Junction and pick him up after the surgery a week later.
“Dr. Bob graciously offered to fly Boudreaux in his personal plane to and from the surgery at no cost to me,” VanDeman said.
But as it turned out, Dr. Bob's elderly mother fell ill on the day he was to come pick up Boudreaux and he was also bitten on the hand by a patient the day before.
So on a Sunday in June, VanDeman drove Boudreaux to Tiara Rado, where she was met by a staff member after office hours. The surgery went as scheduled on Monday morning.
“I called daily to see how my pup was recovering,” VanDeman said.
The following Sunday, Dr. Bob flew Boudreaux back to Rifle — even though it was his birthday and his friends and family were waiting to celebrate with him at home.
Boudreaux's back side had been shaved and he had two six-inch incisions on each of his hips. VanDeman took a week off of work to be with Boudreaux while he recuperated and said he getting well.
But she will not forget the veterinarian who went out of his way to take care of her precious pup.
“He's just an awesome guy,” VanDeman said. “I just can't express how much it meant to me. I think he went way beyond the call of duty.”
