We have been following the story of Kabang the Hero Dog from the Philippines for quite awhile (
Kabang 1,
Kabang 2,
Kabang 3) . Today Dogster posted a fantastic update, Kabang gets to go home! The last update I brought to you was that enough money was raised to get her to UC Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital to get her the help she needed. After 8 long months, she is much better and going home infection free. The whole update is below brought to us by Dogster.
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.
Congratulations to the team at UC Davis on remarkable work! Good Luck Kabang! We are so happy you were able to get the help you needed and you are now on your way home to join the family you were willing to give your life for! You truly are a hero dog.
