Veterinarian Neil Burnie is appealing to the public to help an adopted dog to bounce back from a knee operation.

"Bounce", was adopted by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals by a local family but it was soon found to have congenital defects in both knees requiring two major operations. So far, he has had one operation, but the family who adopted him are appealing for help with the cost, which is estimated at $5,000.

"Bounce was brought to the vets at Endsmeet where we found he had a congenital abnormality of both knee joints with severe malformation of his tibias," Dr. Burnie said.

"X-rays were sent for assessment by an orthopaedic specialist at the renowned Angel Medical Centre, one of the largest vet clinics in the US, where it was determined he needed major reconstructive surgery on both tibias."

Effectively, Bounce's condition meant that the tops of his knees were too deeply angled, meaning his weight forced his thighs to slide down towards his shins.

Dr. Burnie said: "In early August Dr. Nicholas Trout, one of the most renowned veterinary orthopaedic specialists in the US, returned to Bermuda with his family for a holiday and elected to stay on to do some surgeries and Bounce was scheduled for corrective surgery on tibia."

"Bounce was operated on on August 17 and underwent a two-and-a-half-hour surgery to reshape his tibia just below the knee and his tibial plateau angle was changed from 50-plus degrees to a better 20 degrees. For comparison, a wolf has an average tibial angle of 15 degrees."

Dr. Burnie said the operation was successful, but Bounce will require a second surgery.

"Within one week he is putting more weight on the operated leg than he is on the other one," he said.

For all the good news, the family who adopted Bounce and were unaware of his knee problems at the time, are now facing a hefty bill, Dr. Burnie said.

"Bounce's new owner, while happy to accept the cost of some of the surgery, was shocked to discover the cost of both procedures would be in excess of $5,000," he said.

"Given that they basically gave the dog a home as they adopted him from the SPCA, any contributions towards the Bounce Bounceback Fund would be greatly appreciated."

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Interested donors can contact Dr. Burnie or Endsmeet office manager Jennifer Hume at 236-3292.