OPERATION TIA. Why we Need YOUR Help!

Three Counties took on Tia as an unwanted dog. Although they see many cases of dogs and cats in a poor state, Tia’s condition was very distressing.

Following an injury as a puppy three years ago Tia was unable to open her mouth.

Tia had to eat by getting food onto the floor, pushing it towards her paw & lapping it off the floor with her tongue through the side of her mouth through the VERY small gap she had. She had been unable to eat properly or pant for three years, which is important for dogs as its one of the ways they regulate their temperature, and at significant risk of choking if she were to vomit. It is small wonder that poor Tia was so drastically underweight.

Gyll at Three Counties took Tia to Burghley Vets where head vet Michelle examined her.  She suspected Tia had fractures of her cheek bone and damage to her jaw. Since her injury as a pup her jaw had grown unnaturally twisting it as one side tried to grow more normally. Some of her teeth were also painfully impacting into her palate. Attempts to identify the cause by ex-ray were unsuccessful and Gyll and Michelle decided to go ahead with an exploratory operation as this was Tia’s only hope.

Move the cursor on  the picture below to see Tia’s recent operation to remove some of her damaged teeth.

A surgical team of two vets and two nurses conducted a four hour operation involving the removal of Tia’s cheek bone which had fractured and compressed some of her jaw bone, then removing a section of bone from the back of her lower jaw to allow her jaw to move for the first time in 3 years! The operation was an over whelming success and, despite the long surgery, within 5 hours Tia put her jaw to the test, eating a whole tin of a high energy diet rolled into meatballs. This was no small feat for a dog that has been unable to open her mouth for THREE YEARS.

This is just the start of Tia’s recovery, she now has to gradually increase her weight and is going to need lots of physiotherapy treatment to strengthen her jaws and increase the width she can open them. She will also need dental treatment to try to correct her bite and to get her teeth and gums clean and healthy again. However, for now, she is just enjoying all the fuss made of her and of course the food!

The cost of this treatment will be met by Three Counties Dog Rescue. This will put great strain on the Rescue’s finances coming on top of treatment the week before of two Lhasa Apsos who were rescued in a desperate state of neglect, added to by having apparently been caged alone in a house for a week leaving them very poorly and the male Ozzie with an appalling eye condition.

Happily Ozzie and his pal Wicket are both doing well after their ordeal and with Tia, are grateful for the skills of the vets at Burghley.

If you would like to contribute to the cost of helping these dogs back to health:

text TCDR to 70085 to donate £5 as a contribution to the cost of helping dogs back to health.