Joey came to us from Alabama. Sadly his mom had died during his birth. The owners had found him wet and cold laying in the barn next to his momma, and immediately brought him into the house. They did not know that he needed colostrum to jump start his immune system, or that his navel needed to be dipped in iodine to prevent bacteria from entering into his bloodstream. The bacteria settled in his knees and became a severe and painful infection called 'joint ill". Joey's front legs were extremely bad. His right front leg had become severely contracted with his knee inflamed with infection, and his left front was extremely  weak in the knee joint to the point is was bending inward in an awkward way. His owners were told several times to just euthanize him, that he would never be able to walk.

Thankfully they were reluctant to do this, and reached out to us. When Joey got to us, we quickly wrapped and splinted his left knee to try to give him some added support from that awkward bend. He was put on antibiotic several times a day for several weeks. After a month and a half when the infection was finally under control he was able to have surgery on his right contracted leg to straighten it. Surgery was a success, but we were told that that leg would never bend.

Well, Joey is a fighter and proved them wrong. Lots of physical therapy in our bath tub, and lots of walks in his chair to build up those legs resulted in a leg that can bend. Joey has now graduated to the goat barn and can walk and even run!! "Never give up" the animals teach us, and Joey never gave up!

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