Marzipan
Pain free and so happy!!
Please note: The dogs in ODH's Final Refuge care are not adoptable due to medical reasons and all are in permanent homes. Your sponsorship supports the veterinary expenses for these dogs - and we thank you!
When Marzipan came to our home in July of 2023, she arrived with a long list of medical issues that needed to be resolved…and the most soulful puppy dog eyes I have ever seen in my life. The first thing that needed to be addressed was the large tumor hanging off of her belly – and once she had surgery to have that removed, we were able to start working on the next major issue: her ears. One of her ears had been infected for a significant amount of time.
For almost 12 months, we tried treating it topically and with oral antibiotics, but it was rare to see much progress. After trying everything else, it was determined that the next step was TECABO surgery. TECABO surgery (or “total ear canal ablation and bulla osteotomy”) is when the ear canal and middle ear are removed, and usually just the ear flap is left behind. The incision is made under the ear flap, so usually, it isn’t immediately noticeable when dogs have had this surgery. Marzipan had surgery this year, and the hope was that she would mostly recover in 2-3 weeks. One week post-surgery…things were not going well. Within a matter of days we were already struggling – her incision wouldn’t stay closed, and it seemed like it was becoming infected. If that wasn’t enough, she also had a bout of nystagmus, which caused her to be incredibly dizzy and nauseous. She hardly walked because she was so dizzy, and she also had to be seriously bribed to eat anything…which made getting her to take medication a huge hurdle. When her incision opened for a second time, despite having stitches and staples, both Marzipan and I were in low spirits. It broke my heart to see her in so much pain, especially when the whole point of the surgery was to alleviate the excruciating pain of the ear infection that she had been fighting for so long.
Ultimately they decided the best course of action was to have a second surgery to remove her ear flap, which was so mangled from scar tissue that it was preventing the incision from healing correctly. The next time I saw her, she was coming home with one ear. You would think that would be really sad, but it was obvious from that moment she was already turning a corner. After her second surgery, she felt so fantastic, that it was hard to keep her from playing, zooming around the yard, and rolling in the grass. She was always a sweet dog, but in hindsight, we didn’t know her true personality because it was always hindered by pain. I’m happy to report that now, months after her initial surgery, she is like a brand-new dog. She wags her tail constantly, loves to play, rolls in the grass, chases the cats, and jumps up to greet me every time I come in the door (although she doesn’t always hear me now). I genuinely believe that her surgeries have added years to her life, and can’t thank Old Dog Haven enough for helping both of us through this process.
