It’s a stress no Colorado pet owner ever wants to face — the idea of having to put a pet down. However, Joy Hughes found herself in this position when her dog’s pain was preventing him from being able to stand or get up on his own.
Hughes wondered how much longer she could allow her Labrador retriever, Tucker, to suffer. He has severe hip dysplasia.
For years, veterinarians have had to put down animals with chronic pain, especially when they are too uncomfortable to move on their own. Now Colorado dog owners are getting the gift of time thanks to a local study that seems to be doing wonders for pets with arthritis pain.
Hughes signed Tucker up for the study after seeing CBS4’s story “New Gene Therapy For Dogs Developed In Boulder Could Help Humans” in November. Veterinarians are conducting the gene study only on Colorado dogs and so far they are finding a 100% success rate. Dogs are getting a new lease on life after just one injection. The shot is made up of the Interleukin 10 gene, which the body naturally produces.
Dr. Rob Landry gave Tucker that shot and now he can run, hike and is pain free.