Theo's surgery on Friday was a success! Of course he is in
pain and groggy, but he's awake and alive, which is everything we had hoped
for. He even started purring when the vet patted him!
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| Theo during surgery. (The nerves in his left eye are dead). |
The surgery was pretty tough, as the area around the injured
eye was bruised and black. There were a lot of blood vessels in the area, and
the vet team had to be extremely careful. They successfully removed Theo's left eyeball and stitched his eye socket up. They also found bruising around the
eye, as well as inside the mouth and face, indicating that he suffered a
hemorrhage. It was interesting how all the damage and injury was concentrated
on his face, leaving the rest of his body unhurt.
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| Bruising |
The Vet noted that the jawline fracture was in the joint
area between the left and right jaw. This was a good thing, as it meant that it
would heal on its own, although that would take a while. Since this means that
he can't eat solid food, a feeding tube has been inserted into Theo's throat
through the side of his neck so we can feed him mashed and liquid food. When he
was fed with a small amount of food through the tube, he took it well and did
not throw up.
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| After surgery |
During the surgery, Theo was also neutered and ear-tipped.
He will be closely monitored for the next two days. Our
concern now is that the septicemia from the eye might have entered his brain.
If it had, we will know in one or two days when he starts having problems
walking, with his head tilted to one side.
If there are no problems, he should be discharged by the end
of this week.
The aftercare Theo requires at his foster home includes
being tube-fed small meals 4-5 times a day for 2 to 3 weeks. He'll be put on a
prescription diet from the clinic, and the food needs to be blended before
being put into the tube.
We are in the midst of finalizing a foster home for sweet
Theo.
We thank everyone who has provided him with financial aid.
The road to recovery is a long one, but like all our other rescues, we will
always be there for them.
If you wish to ADOPT Theo, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg. He
is a local cat, estimated to be about 6 to 7 years old, sweet and affectionate.
Photographs courtesy of Dr Poh
