Hooray! Kabang, the Hero Dog Without a Snout, Is Heading Home

“We were able to treat all of the complications ... with the best specialists available,” one vet said.

We've been following the story of Kabang, the hero dog who lost her snout when she jumped in front of a motorcycle and saved two little girls in the Philippines, for a long while now.  

Finally, it's over. Kabang has been successfully treated and is heading back to her family in the Philippines. She doesn't have a new snout -- that was never part of the plan -- but she's had a bunch of work done to give her a good life, free of infection and pain. 

You'll recall that after losing her snout, Kabang's online fame grew, allowing an international effort dubbed Project Kabang to raise the money to bring the dog to the United States back in October. Unfortunately, after Kabang finally arrived at UC Davis' famed Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, vets discovered she was suffering from heartworm and a type of infectious cancer, known as a transmissible venereal tumor.

A team of vets -- specializing in oncology; infectious diseases; dental, oral and soft-tissue surgery; internal medicine; and outpatient care -- went to work on Kabang with multi-pronged approach, completing a series of treatments one after another for nearly eight months. 

“Kabang’s care at the teaching hospital was a great example of the synergistic approach we have toward veterinary medicine at UC Davis,” said professor Frank Verstraete, chief of the dentistry and oral surgery service at the school’s William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

“We were able to treat all of the complications that arose with the best specialists available,” he said.

In February, heartworm and cancer treatments were completed. On March 5, vets performed the first oral surgery to remove two of the Kabang's upper teeth and reconstruct one eyelid. 

Then, on March 27, Kabang underwent a five-hour surgery to close her facial wound with skin flaps, reconstruct nasal openings, and insert stents in those passages that would allow two new permanent nostrils to form.

“The surgery was long but went just as planned, in large part due to the collaborative nature of Kabang’s veterinary team,” said veterinary surgeons Boaz Arzi. 

Outfitting Kabang with a new snout is beyond vet science at this point, but the dog has been cleared for an active, infection-free life back in the Philippines with her family. We wish her the best. 

Read more on Kabang:

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Good News for Kabang, the Hero Dog Without a Snout

She can add cancer to the list of adversities she's survived. She's a step closer to surgery at UC Davis.

It looks like 2013 is shaping up to be a pretty good year for Kabang, a dog from the Philippines who almost made the ultimate sacrifice when she jumped in front of a motorcycle to save her owner's daughter and niece. The dog lived, but the top half of her snout was destroyed, leaving her with a disfiguring and potentially life-threatening injury. When the vet suggested it might be easier to have the dog put down, owner Rudy Bunggal refused, citing the dog's incredible heroics.

Project Kabang rallied around the dog, raising enough money to transport her to the United States to receive the best care possible at the University of California, Davis. But her struggle was far from over.

It turns out Kabang was also suffering from cancer. However, a round of chemotherapy infusions seems to have beaten the disease, putting Kabang one step closer to her reconstructive surgery. The hero dog is also receiving treatment for heartworm. She's already received her first dose of medication and is expected to receive the second in January.

Once cleared, Kabang will undergo surgery to close her gaping wound. Surgeons are planning two to three procedures. The first will concentrate on dental work, extracting teeth and protecting exposed roots. Then doctors will close the wound, restoring nasal functions. Currently the exposed boney structures of Kabang's face are at high risk for infection. Despite the daunting road ahead, vets at Davis say that Kabang "has come through everything very well. Her appetite is still good. She's still bright and happy."

If all goes well, Kabang might be returning to her family in May or June, where we are sure she will receive a hero's welcome.

Via San Francisco Chronicle

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Chickens and “Mouth to Snout” Save Irish Puppy

John Greene and Nutty

If it weren’t for some chickens who played Lassie and the man who listened to their crazy cackling, Nutty the Pup’s life would have ended in a watery grave.

Fortunately when Nutty fell into the pond behind his owner’s house in Ireland, John Greene’s nine chickens kicked up such a ruckus that he went to see what was amiss. (Good watch-chickens!)

“I ran downstairs, straight out into the yard and grabbed him by the back of the leg and pulled him out,” he told the Irish Times. “I brought him into the house and laid him on the counter. There was no movement whatsoever. . . The dog’s tongue had gone blue and his eyes were wide open.”

Most people may have given up at this point, but Greene started pumping Nutty’s chest and giving him “mouth to snout” resuscitation. He started to feel a faint beartbeat. After about 20 breaths the pup gave a little yelp but was still fairly motionless. Greene rushed Nutty to the vet, who treated the puppy with diuretics to get rid of the fluid in his lungs, and put him in an oxygen tent. The vet said that if it weren’t for Greene’s fast action, the pup would surely have died.

It’s been about a week since the incident, and all is well with Nutty again. The chickens may wish they’d kept their beaks shut, though. “Now he’s back to himself and chasing after the chickens again…” said Greene.

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