Quasimodo 'doing well' after 1st round of surgeries

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Photo courtesy of Secondhand Hounds.

Quasimodo, the 4-year-old German shepherd with a rare condition known as short spine syndrome, is recovering from the first round of surgeries he will undergo on the road to finding his forever home in Minnesota.

“Quasi” is one of only 13 dogs on in the world diagnosed with short spine syndrome. X-rays showed he has a full-size head and legs, along with a crooked spine, missing vertebrae, a shrunken stomach, one testicle and a corkscrew tail. He also suffered a neck wound likely caused by a collar found embedded in his nearly nonexistent neck.

On Monday, Quasi was neutered and underwent a procedure that debrided and tacked his penis, according to Sarah Anderson, the large breed foster coordinator at Secondhand Hounds. Veterinarians will eventually evaluate whether additional surgery will be required to fix his screw tail. His back, however, cannot be surgically repaired.

Anderson says Quasi had a scary bout of bleeding on Monday night following his surgeries, but is doing much better.  He is currently living with a foster family who will take care of him through his recovery process. He will not be put up for adoption until his doctors declare him healthy.

Updates on Quasi’s condition can be found on his Facebook page, Quasi the Great.

READ HIS STORY - Meet Quasimodo, 1 of just 13 dogs with short spine syndrome