A few months ago, a team of dedicated rescuers responded to a distressing report about a stray dog in desperate need of their help.
The caller described an adult dog suffering from a massive tumor on the left side of her face, which unfortunately made her appearance unsettling to people.
As a result, she faced rejection and cruelty; people not only shunned her but some even threw stones at her.
The poor dog was ridiculed and bullied by everyone, and all she wanted was to be loved.
Without hesitation, the rescuer reached the location where the dog was found and immediately took action. They named her Ruth and promptly transported her to a veterinary clinic for a thorough examination.
The vet confirmed a massive tumor that had spread across Ruth’s left face, jaw, and eye.
While urgent surgery was needed to remove the tumor, another critical procedure had to be addressed first.
According to the vet, Ruth’s abdomen was noticeably bulging due to a nodule on her spleen. This posed a risk of rupturing at any moment and necessitated its immediate removal.
The vet and his assistants quickly prepared Ruth for the spleen-removal surgery, which she bravely endured, winning her first battle like a true champ!
The next day, Ruth was doing very well and was due for consultations, CT scans, and a biopsy, the results of which would determine whether she needed chemotherapy or urgent tumor removal.
She was still very scared and timid, likely because she had been abused by humans for so long.
However, the rescuers made sure to shower her with love and help her see that not all humans are bad.
The results of the CT scan and biopsy soon arrived, revealing that the tumor was attached only to the soft tissue, not to the bones.
Therefore, the team of experts decided to remove as much of the tumor as possible surgically.
During the surgery, the vets performed a total left-side mandibulectomy – a procedure to remove part of the jaw bone – and enucleated the tumor-affected eye.
No one could deny that it was a risky surgery, but Ruth endured it heroically, successfully winning her second battle!
Although the recovery process was difficult and lengthy, everyone remained hopeful and believed strongly that Ruth would fully recover.
Ruth’s recovery involved numerous painkillers and sedatives to ease her pain, along with physiotherapy to restore regular movement to her tongue.
Due to the loss of half of the left side of her face, Ruth initially had to be tube-fed until she could learn to eat on her own.
This brave girl proved herself a true heroine; just four days after surgery, she began retracting her tongue slightly and was able to drink independently.
She became more active than ever, finally feeling comfortable around those who cared deeply for her welfare.
Although still reliant on tube-feeding, her rescuers were confident that she would soon be able to eat like any other dog.
I think we can all agree that Ruth’s story is nothing short of miraculous. After everything she endured on the streets, this brave girl has truly come a long way and is now doing so well.
I wish her a speedy recovery and a loving family that she will soon be able to call her own.
After facing so much disdain from passersby, Ruth truly deserves her second chance and an abundance of love.