Dogtime.com first brought you the story of Kabang in August of last year. The hero mixed breed dog from the Philippines, credited with saving the lives of two young girls in late 2011, suffered grave injuries to her face — including the disfiguring and painful loss of the top part of her snout.
For brave Kabang, the road to recovery has been a long process full of ups and downs. In October, after the “Care for Kabang” group reached and surpassed their preliminary fundraising goal of $20,000 USD to cover the transportation costs, Kabang was brought to the United States for much-needed veterinary treatment. Finally, after nearly a year, the open wounds on the hero dog’s face would be assessed, treated, and healed.
Kabang was examined at the University of California Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, and while she initially appeared to be a great candidate for surgery, veterinarians encountered some unexpected setbacks when taking a look at some test results. In October, Kabang was diagnosed with two very serious conditions that would require attention before she could undergo her facial surgeries — heartworm and a vaginal tumor. Veterinarians gave Kabang a good prognosis, and treatment for both conditions began immediately.
After making it through six grueling chemotherapy sessions to eradicate the vaginal tumor through and dealing with the nausea that often accompanies the standard but aggressive treatment for heartworm, veterinarians were able to safely spay Kabang in late February.
Finally, on March 5 — nearly five months after arriving at UC Davis and over a year since receiving her injury — it was time for Kabang’s first facial surgery.
UC Davis reports that following a CT scan, Kabang was prepped for surgery. Veterinary surgeons Drs. Boaz Arzi and Frank Vertraete then extracted Kabang’s two upper premolar teeth and reconstructed her left eyelid. Kabang made it through surgery like a champ, and her recovery from the anesthesia was described as “uneventful.”
The Facebook page for “Care for Kabang” posted a photo of a Kabang resting after the procedure. Kabang will spend the next few weeks recuperating before undergoing her second and final facial surgery.
Source: Vetmed.UCDavis.edu
