Rocco was a 15+ year old chihuahua mix who was surrendered by his previous family to ACCT Philadelphia.

Rocco’s previous family reported he was depressed, his legs weren’t functioning, and they worked too much so they did not have time for him.

Rocco was pulled by our rescue due to obvious medical issues that needed to be addressed. Our veterinary team determined Rocco was suffering from intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), or the degeneration of the discs that sit between the vertebrae of the spine. This condition can be very painful and was the reason Rocco had trouble using his back legs. Rocco was very old and was also diagnosed with early stage liver failure, so performing surgery on a dog at his age and health condition would have been inhumane. Instead, we pursued physical therapy and careful medical management of his pain to allow him to live out the rest of his days pain-free and in the comfort of a loving foster home.

Rocco was a sweet old man who just wanted to lay in the sun or on someone’s lap. He was happy despite all the turmoil he had gone through, and while Rocco is no longer with us, we are confident his last days were filled with lots of love!