‘A little short on toes, but never short on love’: HSPPR performs rare amputation surgery on guinea pig
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – When Arnie the guinea pig first arrived at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, volunteers noticed something unusual about him.
One toe on his right paw was larger than normal—much larger, in fact.
HSPPR staff wasn't entirely sure why this was, so they consulted one of their veterinarians, Dr. Rose. After a thorough exam and X-rays, Dr. Rose discovered Arnie had some bone destruction, which could be a result of trauma, infection, or even cancer, HSPPR said.
The best course of action staff decided on was a rare one – a toe amputation for the little guinea pig.
Despite the procedure being fairly uncommon, HSPPR said the surgery was a great success, thanks to Dr. Rose and her veterinary technician Olivia. Arnie was soon restored to his normal, happy guinea pig self ... minus a toe.
But the story doesn't end there – not only was Dr. Rose Arnie's surgeon, but his foster mom while he recovered from the procedure.
HSPPR said that though Arnie is now a little short on toes, he was "never short on love." Just last week, he was adopted by his forever family, who fell in love with him "just as he is."
"A huge thank you goes out to Dr. Rose, Olivia, and the entire veterinary team for making happy tails like Arnie's possible," HSPPR said in a Jan. 8 post. "You guys are truly the heroes of this story, and Arnie is just one of many lives you've touched with your kindness and expertise."
