Warning! Though this story has a very happy ending, some of the photos along the way are extremely graphic and may be upsetting. Please proceed with caution.
When Violet the little Pomeranian arrived at OC Pound Hounds on Nov. 7, 2012, she was a very strange color for a dog. She was mottled purple and yellow, and she was obviously in poor health and in need of extreme care. She was transferred to PetSurg & ER4Pets, where doctors uncovered the severity of her condition: Her skin was rotting away and falling off.
Vets concluded that Violet had been bitten by a larger dog or coyote, and, after receiving no medical treatment, her flesh necrotized, turning her skin purple with death. Violet was placed in the care of Dr. Jones, who has extensive experience treating bite wounds. But that was only the beginning.
The first obstacle Violet faced on her road to recovery was whether or not the little dog possessed enough additional skin for a graft. In dogs, grafts are usually taken from the scruff, but since that’s exactly where Violet needed skin, her chances looked uncertain. However, doctors determined a graft would be possible, and Violet was prepared for surgery.
Violet spent four hours in surgery — in vain. The first skin graft died because the poor state of Violet’s veins could not support the new flesh. Dr. Jones refused to give up, and after another six hour surgery, Violet came out resembling a patchwork doll. It would take a couple more surgeries and a little ingenuity to finally stabilize Violet.
In the meantime, Violet was confined to a swaddling of bandages, fed and hydrated by hand. As she slowly healed, she got to wear an array of cardboard boxes to prevent aggravation of the wound.
After months of slow but steady progress, Violet looks like an entirely new dog — her success surprises even her caretakers. She was declared healed March of this year. According to Dr. Jones, Violet was an outstanding patient who was, “fine sitting for her wound to be dressed every day but hated having her nails trimmed.” She tolerated her confinement, but once she was allowed to move again, her personality blossomed, and the little dog would “dance to get attention … pranced when walked outside” and “she was happy sleeping on the couch in the waiting room.” Everyone fell in love with her, and the forever home she goes to will be a very lucky one indeed.
For more updates on little Violet, check out the PETSURG Facebook page.
Photos via the PETSURG Facebook page
