the rescue of YORKIE-POO puppy "north STAR"                                2012

DAY ONE
Muffled sounds of distress came from the cardboard box behind the store in the Northern BC town of Prince George. It was -35 and it was only by chance that a woman heard those faint cries. What she found in the box sickened her profoundly. It was a near-frozen three-month old Yorkie pup with a rubber band around her muzzle, her tiny Yorkie-Poo nose bulbous from edema caused by the circulation being cut off by the rubber band, her lips infected and rotting.  The smell from her rotting lips was nauseating.  Her kind finder thought she would die, but even if the puppy could be saved, it would cost far more than she had, so she called on AAS.  We said, Yes, we will pay.  That is what we do.

DAY TWO
Ospika Animal Hospital, AAS's vets in Prince George, immediately put her on IV fluids, pain-killer and antibiotics and she was allowed to rest her exhausted little frame overnight.  The vet told us that the rubber band had cut off circulation to her nose and mouth for at least several days causing the verges of her lips to die. To find out how much necrotic (dead) tissue would have to be cut away, and if she would have enough lip left to contain her teeth (which would flare out and have to be extracted without lips to exert pressure), she was sedated.  There was far too much dead tissue to remove under sedation so the next day she underwent surgery.

DAY THREE
Warning.  Photos below may be upsetting, but the good news is that the vets are hopeful that new skin will form, allowing surgery to draw the edges together and be sutured.

On day three the vet removed all the necrotic tissue.  Little Star is a real going concern, bouncing, yelping for attention, and gobbling her food. AAS is paying for boarding at the vet so that the staff can keep an eye on her wounds, make sure her mouth and her whole muzzle is cleaned properly after meals, and that the tissue is massaged many times a day to encourage blood flow and tissue growth. These photos were taken after the surgery.  We hope to get daily photos showing her progress and video so that you can see what a cheerful little mite she is.

DAY EIGHT

With the excellent daily care by Ospika Animal Hospital in Prince George, Star is making an astonishing recovery.  After meals, the staff make sure that the wound and mouth is cleaned and hydrated and gently massaged to increase blood-flow to her muzzle to assist healing.  AAS is paying for Star to stay under Ospika's care until such time as the wound is fully healed. Star's rescuer, Shawna Thrift, visits Star daily for play and to learn how to make sure the wound continues to heal.  Shawna will be adopting Star as soon as Star is fully healed. 

Although most of the muzzle is recovering there is still significant swelling and it seems likely that it will take surgery to pull the edges of her upper lip together.