MY BASIC INFO:
NAME: WINSTON
DOB: MAY 19, 2021
NICKNAMES: WINNY THE ROO, WINNISTON, WIN, WINDOG
BREED: GREAT PYRENEESE X
# OF BIRTH SIBLINGS: 4
WEIGHT AT 8 MONTHS OLD: 48lbs
MY DEFORMITIES:
As you can see when you look at me, I was born with some deformities. This is due to some parts of my body not developing properly when I was in my birth mom's womb.
My left arm has a pretty normal humerus, an underdeveloped radius and is missing the ulna. My right arm has a short and thick humerus, and a short radius and ulna. It also has 3 toes.
The big problem is that I'm missing most of my sternum - which means my ribs are not connected to anything in the front. I also had a large hernia that was visible when you looked at my chest but after a CT scan and surgery that has been fixed.
My next appointment at the University Of Guelph Vet College with a specialist is on January 17, 2022.
MY MEDICAL DEVICES:
I am so lucky to have custom wheels and a custom chest protector made by Janice @ PawsAbility in Toronto, Ontario.
I'm on my second set of wheels now and I'm growing out of them quickly! How cool are my BIG wheels though!? To make them custom, Janice makes a mold of my chest first and takes lots of measurements. Then she builds my chair and does all the final adjustments with me in it.
I also have a chest protector (made by Janice) which serves like a chest plate to keep my chest protected. Its made of a thick rubber and foam and fits me perfectly.
The third thing Janice made me is my nub boot! It protects my longer/ bent arm and gives me the ability to get around inside and out surprisingly well.
Check out some pictures:
MY FAVORITE THINGS:
TREATS:
- Whimzees
- Naturally shed deer antlers
- Fruitables
- mom's leftovers
TOYS:
- my Wilma
- my Winnie the Pooh
- anything with a squeaker
MY HUMAN
This is mom, her name is Lauren. She founded Charlotte's Freedom Farm, my home. We hang out a lot - I help her with all the farm chores.
FAQ
Where do I live?
I live at Charlotte's Freedom Farm, an animal sanctuary in Ontario, Canada.
Do I live in the house?
Yes, I have my own bedroom, teepee & more.
Do I have friends in the house?
Oh ya, Willow, Bambi, Rooster, Mabel, Mac, Taylor and some of my cat friends live in the house too!
Do I get to sleep in the bed?
When I was younger, I didn't since I did a face plant out of it one night to pee. Now that I'm a little older and able to wait till morning to pee I do get to sleep in the big bed!
Do I wear my wheels in the house?
Not very often, i can get around pretty well without them - mom put down foam floor on the entire floor so it keeps me safe while I bounce around. My nub boot makes all the difference as well.
How often do I wear my chest protector?
Before my hernia surgery I wore it anytime I did anything that put me at risk of damaging my chest. For example when playing with my sisters, meeting new animals around the farm, riding in the gator... But now I'm pretty safe so I only wear it when mom and I go on extreme adventures.