Medical Miracles

Over our 120 year history, The Toronto Humane Society has saved the lives of thousands of animals in need of emergency medical treatment. We've seen accidents, neglect and abuse of every kind. And sometimes even our best efforts are not enough. Other times we look on in awe as animals that appeared beyond help have bounced back to live long, fruitful lives.

In this space we'll profile these Medical Miracles as they pass through our emergency room. As always, we salute the vets, vet techs and volunteers who help these animals pull through.

Mary Sue Brought Back to Health by Kind Soul

Mary Sue is an 8 year old Spayed Female terrier mix that came into the shelter because her owner was incarcerated. She is a very sweet dog that would love to find her new forever home. She would do well in a home with older children and a yard.

Mary Sue unfortunately suffers from ruptured cruciate ligament in both legs. The THS sent her off to a specialist to perform an operation and we were repaired one of her legs (they have to be done one at a time).

This week an extremely kind person, whom is interested in adopting her, has offered assist in paying for Mary Sue's second leg to be fixed when she is ready.

Mary Sue will need to rest up for 4-6 weeks before she can go for her second operation. She is currently in our clinic resting up and healing from her first operation, which was a complete success. Mary Sue may be headed to a foster home to be cared for during her recovery.

Once Mary Sue has recovered from her second operation, she will be ready to go to her new adoptive parent, whom quite obviously loves her very much!

The Toronto Humane Society would like to thank this kind person for her generous donation and thoughtfulness towards Mary Sue.

Cat with broken leg brought to shelter
Posted on Aug 25/09

In another example of an all too common occurrence here at the shelter, today we treated another poor little cat whom had been hit by a car.

Rosy came in with a very badly broken leg, and covered in blood. After cleaning her up, and performing an X-ray and blood work, THS vets went right to work repairing the fracture.

Now Rosy is resting in her cage in the clinic, and our vets expect she will make a full recovery, however it will take some time before she can walk properly again.

Accidents like Rosy's can be easily avoided, it is much safer for your cat to keep him or her indoors at all times, it has been proven that cats live longer and healthier lives indoors, and at the same time avoid horrible accidents like Rosy's. So keep your feline friend indoors at all times!

THS vets save snapping turtle hit by car
Posted on Aug 25/09

Edgar the snapping turtle, whom our vets estimate to be about 25 years old, was brought in to the shelter after being found at the side of the road, not moving, bleeding quite badly. Edgar was just strolling along minding his own business, when he was likely hit by a car. His shell was crack and had a large chip missing from it, and his jaw was quite badly fractured.

THS vets immediately went to work and patched old Edgar up. They patched up his shell, and wired his jaw back in to place.

Now Edgar is getting some R&R in the reptile pool in our wildlife area. His is doing quite well, and the vets expect him to make a full recovery.

Inky
Posted on Aug 4/09

Inky has had a tough past few days. Inky arrived at the shelter on July 27th as a custodial surrender. She was basically in the midst of giving birth, but was having a tough go at it, she had already given birth to one of her kittens, who arrived with her, however THS vets had to immediately perform a c-section to deliver her other kittens, she had 3 more, however sadly one did not make it.

Inky is now resting recuperating (and nursing) along with her 3 kittens. She is doing very well, and we expect her to make a full recovery. In a month or so, once she has recovered, and her kittens are a bit more grown, they will all be ready to go to new forever homes.

Jack
Posted on July 8/09

Jack came to us from our investigations department. He was found with a severe eye infection, he couldn't see at all.

After closely examining him Toronto Humane Society veterinarians realized that he didn't just have an eye infection, he actually had a very painful condition called "entropian eyelids". The hair from around Jack's eye had started growing inwards towards his eyes, constantly rubbing up against them. Jack was probably suffering greatly because of this.

THS vets went right to work and operated on Jack to fix his condition. Jack is still healing, and is not quite able to open his eyes fully yet, however we are confident he will recover completely, and be ready to go to a loving new home.

Samantha
Posted on July 8/09

Samantha hasn't had it easy recently. She developed a condition called "Bi-lateral Naso Pharyngeal Polyps". The results of this long named complicated sounding syndrome are polyps which grow in her throat area, making it very difficult for her to swallow.

Samantha underwent surgery last week here at The Toronto Humane Society hospital to remove the polyps. The surgery went very well, and Samantha is now recovering in our vet clinic. She is already looking much healthier, and we hope to be able to adopt her to a new forever home soon.

Dorothy
Posted on July 8/09

Dorothy is female long hair calico. Dorothy was found as stray in the boiler room of an apartment building bleeding badly. After being immediately rushed to The Toronto Humane Society hospital she was given a complete check up and it was determined that she had "Pyometria", which is a severe infection of the uterus.

Dorothy was very dehydrated, and very ill. She was put on fluids immediately. Once she had stabilized enough, THS vets were able to perform the necessary surgery to correct her problem.

Now only one day later, she is already up and about, and looking much healthier and happier. She will need to stay on fluids for a while longer, however things are really looking up for Dorothy!

Young Python Undergoes Surgery at THS

Posted on June 10/09

This young Python came in to the shelter a couple of weeks ago, he had be severely eviscerated. Probably while escaping, he cut himself on a sharp object, or was even perhaps attacked by another animal. The result was a severe tear in his abdomen, his innards were completely exposed and had become very dirty, covered in mud.

THS vets immediately went to work cleaning up the wound, and then repairing the damage. A large piece of his kidney had to be removes, along with several other small pieces of his internal organs.

He is now resting and recuperating in a brand new reptile aquarium, in our reptile room. He is doing very well, however we will know how well he has recovered once he starts eating again (Pythons do not eat very often). It may still be necessary to re-open the wound and clean it some more to avoid infection. For now he is happy basking in the warmth of his heat lamp, and getting lots of rest and recovery. We will keep you updated on this little guy's recovery progress in the near future.

You can see the wound and the stitches in this photo

Baby Mallard Ducks Rescued

Posted on June 09/09

These two baby Mallard ducks were found last week at Queensway Park in Etobicoke next to their mother, whom had sadly passed away. If they had been left on their own, the little ducklings would surely have suffered the same fate.

The ducklings are now about 3 weeks old. However before they could be released to the wild, they will need to be fostered until they can fly on their own, which could be several months from now. With a little luck we may be able to find a Mallard duck family in the wild that will take them in. If we cannot find a duck family that will adopt them as their own, we will raise these two little guys in our wildlife area until the end of the fall, when they should be able to take flight, and take care of themselves in the wild.

Toronto Humane Society Helping Injured Pig

A six month old pig was brought into our shelter earlier today, May 25th, with a broken leg. The pig, that we have named Wiggles, is now under the care of our veterinary staff and receiving medical treatment.

A good samaritan saw this pig fall off a transport truck on the 401 and stopped to offer assistance. When he realized the pig was injured he brought it to our 11 River St. shelter. The truck carrying the animal did not even slow down. It was either so overloaded the driver did not notice or they did know and did not care.

After performing an x-ray we have determined that Wiggles leg is broken at the knee and will need to be pinned back together with a surgical operation to be done after we are sure he is stabilized.

This innocent animal, protected by no one, was a victim of our factory farming society.

Animals like Wiggles are ignored by federal and provincial laws and have no protection from inhumane conditions in which they live. Wiggles was extremely dehydrated when she arrived at the shelter, not from her injury but from the fact that transportation guidelines for animals does not require them to be given food or water, even though their shipping may take days.

Updates on Wiggles surgery and prognosis to come...

Myron

Posted on May 08/09

Myron is a Schnauzer who came in as a stray at the end of January 09. He showed all the signs of life as a stray small dog, whom had obviously been on his own for quite some time.

His fur was extremely matted, he had very bad dental disease, he had bladder stones, and also a cancerous mass next to his lymph nodes.

All these issues were addressed immediately upon his arrival at the shelter. He was groomed, his bad teeth were pulled, his bladder stones were removed, and the cancerous mass was removed. However it was unfortunately slightly too late for the cancer, as it had already spread to his lymph nodes. Because of this there is a chance that the cancer may come back.

Myron is ready to go to a new forever home. If you think you may have some space in your heart and your home for this poor little stray guy who has had a very tough life, why not come down to the shelter at 11 River St. and pay him a visit?

Lucy

Posted on May 08/09

Lucy is a five month old shih tzu/maltese cross. She was surrendered by her owners after suffering from a badly broken leg when she was run over by a car. Her owners could not afford to pay for her medical costs and hence their only option was to surrender her to The Toronto Humane Society.

Lucy's right femur was quite badly broken, it was repaired in mid April and has taken some time to heal, however it is now close to being completely healed, and we hope she will be able to go to her new forever home (which has already been chosen) soon.

Mercedes

Posted on May 08/09

Mercedes is a four year old German Short Haired Pointer, she was found abandoned in an apartment in Toronto in mid April. Mercedes unfortunately suffers from seizures, which were happening regularly when she was very first brought in to the shelter. Upon analyzing a blood sample, it was determined that she was probably at one point on medication for her seizures, however her owners could likely no longer afford the medication, and hence abandoned her. Over the past few weeks, The Toronto Humane Society has been stabilizing her on new medication, which seems to be working quite well at stopping the seizures. Regular blood samples need to be taken to make sure the correct measurement of medication is in her bloodstream. Once it is determined that she is completely stable, she will be ready to go to a new forever home. We hope this will be sometime next week (Week of May 11/09).

Bobby

Posted on May 08/09

Bobby is a 3 month old Chihuahua. Bobby is extremely sweet affectionate and loves attention.

Bobby was surrendered to our care by his owners after he was diagnoses with a congenital heart defect. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to treat Bobby medically and he will have a very short life span.

Bobby is currently in a palliative care foster family who will give him the love and attention he deserves until he passes away. It is always tragic when a life is cut short by a genetic condition but we will do whatever we can to make his short life as fulfilling and enjoyable as possible for him.

Posted on Mar Apr 17, 2009

UPDATE - Monday the Miracle Kitty

UPDATE - FRIDAY APRIL 17, 2009 - While Monday was on the operating table having surgery to amputate her tail, she started to go into labor!

She was unable to deliver the kittens on her own so a C-Section was performed, and Monday gave birth to six beautiful kittens! Unfortunately only four of the kittens were able to make it. Unfortunately one of the kittens was also born with a malformed leg, which will likely have to be amputated in the future.

Because of her condition, Monday was unable to pass milk to the kittens, so a decision was made to "cross foster" her kittens with another mom who was currently nursing. The kittens are doing very well, and are gaining weight quickly. On Apr 13 they weighed aprox 80 grams, and only three days later, on the 16th, they were already up to 115 grams!

Monday herself is doing ok, the amputation of her tail was a success, however she still needs her bladder expressed manually (a procedure which, unfortunately, she doesn't seem to enjoy too much...) However she is doing well and we hope one day soon she will be ready to go to a new foster or forever home. We will continue to follow Monday's story and keep you updated!

Monday herself is doing well	This kitten was born with a malformed leg
This mom is nursing Monday's kittens for her

March 19, 2009 - This is Monday. Monday came to us from a shelter in Brampton, where she was found as a stray. Monday had obviously had a tough time out on the street, as her spinal cord was severed right where it connects to her tail. She was not able to walk and had lost complete use of her tail. She also had a large wound on her leg.

The Toronto Humane Society performed immediate surgery on Monday, and now after only a couple of days of rest and recuperation, she is already able to walk again!

As if this wasn't already a miraculous story, when X-Raying Monday, it was discovered that she was pregnant!

Monday will be having her kittens soon, so we will continue to follow this story and keep you updated on Monday the miracle kitty!

Click any image to enlarge
In this X-ray you can clearly see the skulls and spinal cords of the kittens!		In this X-ray you can clearly see Monday's severed spinal cord

Posted on Apr 17, 2009

Chi-Chi

Chi Chi came in to us as an owner surrender, the result of a horrible accident. Her previous owner accidentally had closed the car door while Chi Chi was trying to jump into the car, and the door slammed on her. Chi Chi was completely paralyzed, and could not move at all.

Her owner immediately took her to a vet, who told him that the cost of her surgery would be in the thousands, and it came with no guarantees. Sadly her owner had no choice but to bring her to the shelter and surrender her. She was operated on here at The Toronto Humane Society, and within a few days, was already moving one of her hind legs, slowly, one limb after another came back in use, and now, after only a few short weeks, Chi Chi is walking all on her own! She still has a significant limp, however she is fully mobile on her own.

A sad story, with a happy ending! We will keep close watch on Chi Chi and update you on her future progress.

Posted on Mar 19/09

Jolie's Procedure a Success!

Jolie is a 6 month old husky who came into our shelter with a genetic condition that caused her great pain to walk on her hind legs. Luxating patella, is where the kneecaps move from the front of the joint to the sides. The Toronto Humane Society performed surgery on Jolie’s right leg to correct the problem. (the legs have to be done one at a time). She is doing extremely well and is in good spirits following the procedure.

Updates to come!

Click any image to enlarge

Posted on Mar 19/09

Milky on the Mend

Milky is an adorable long haired domestic cat who is probably not even a year old. He came into our shelter severely injured with his hip and leg broken, most likely due to being hit by a vehicle. Surgery was performed to repair the bones which are being held together with plates screwed in. Without this surgery Milky would have surely died. Milky is currently recovering at the Toronto Humane Society shelter and we are hopeful for a full recover.

Stay tuned for updates!

Click any image to enlarge
		Before After

Gabriella Fitted with Leg Braces

UPDATE: March 16, 2009 - Gabriella is fitted with permanent carpal brace

Gabriella came to us from Hamilton and is friendly and outgoing Doberman who suffers from a condition which makes her walk on the heels of her feet rather than the toes. To help her learn to walk more naturally we have brought in a certified prosthetist from Pawsability, a company that designed prosthetics and orthotics for dogs who require them to fit her with the appropriate braces.

Gabriella is seen here being fit with a temporary brace for her front leg. She will be fitted with permanent braces for her front leg and back legs in the coming weeks.

Savannah (A130053)

Posted on Feb 24/09

This absolutely gorgeous, bright, cute, bouncy, and happy little girl came into the shelter as an owner surrender. She had a dramatic amount of blood in her urine, which was horribly sludgy and brown.

Savannah's original owners took her to a vet, whom started her on antibiotics, however when the antibiotics were not helping, her owners brought her to the Toronto Humane Society.

THS vets immediately diagnosed the problem as a severe urinary tract infection. Vets at the shelter were able to identify the exact type of bacteria, and were able to prescribe the proper antibiotics to fight the bacteria.

Now that she is on the correct antibiotics, Savannah is doing very well, and her urine has already cleared up almost completely, although some blood is still visible under the microscope.

Savannah will need to stay on antibiotics for about another month, however she is now healthy enough to be available for adoption.

Fiona (A126730)

Posted on Feb 24/09

Meet Fiona, a beautiful little Pekinese who recently came in to the shelter with a severe case of constipation. Left untreated, this constipation would almost certainly have killed her.

After giving here several enemas with not much result, THS vets decided that it was absolutely necessary to completely remove Fiona's colon, a procedure which is EXTREMELY rare in dogs.

Fiona is now recovering well from the procedure, and is now passing stool. She will need to stay on medication for the next few weeks, however vets expect Fiona to completely recover and live a long healthy life.

Scuzzy (A130051) & Lucy (A130052)

Posted on Feb 18/09

Scuzzy and Lucy are two very lucky kitties. These two were recently saved by Toronto fire fighters during a horrible fire at a Toronto Condominium.

THS vets immediately provided oxygen and fluids for the two kitties who were suffering from severe smoke inhalation as well as 2nd degree burns.

Now Scuzzy is breathing on his own again and no longer requires oxygen. We hope Lucy will soon be able to do the same. Both cats are on the mend, and are now starting to drink and eat more. The next few days will be important as far as stabilizing their recovery, but we have high hopes that these guys will be able to go home to their owners some time soon.

Scuzzy		Lucy

Baxter (A128420)

Posted on Feb 18/09

Baxter recently came into the THS as a stray, a gorgeous little one year old Beagle, he was found in a box in a Toronto area park, completely paralyzed, unable to move at all.

After careful diagnosis, THS vets were able to determine that Baxter had a problem with the discs in his spine, which caused the paralysis.

After operating, vets were able to fix the problem, and Baxter left the THS walking around on all fours! Normally with this type of problem, Baxter would have spent the remainder of his life in a cart. But thanks to the incredible work of THS vets, Baxter will be running and playing for many years to come!

Smooch (A128740)

Posted on Feb 18/09

Meet Smooch a very lucky black female domestic shorthair kitty. Smooch was found as a stray and brought in on December 4, 2008 with a broken leg. Smooch had likely had been hit by a car.

THS vets performed extensive surgery, adding a plate and four screws to Smooch's leg. Our vets were concerned that Smooch may never walk again, however after only 3 or 4 weeks of cage rest, Smooch was up and about walking with no problems! Way to go Smooch!

Diva (A129483) & Shadow (A129396 )

Posted on Feb 04/09

These two wonderful animals were both recently surrendered to the care of the Toronto Humane Society by different owners who could no longer care for them. Our veterinarians discovered that both of these dogs had mammary tumors. Both dogs underwent surgery to remove the tumors but we have found that they are malignant and the animals will have to be closely monitored by a vet in case they come back.

Diva is about 10 years old lab cross and is very friendly and outgoing. Shadow is a 9 year old lab rottweiler cross, and is also a very friendly, happy, outgoing pup.

Diva		Shadow

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For more information on these 'Medical Miracles', the animals and people involved, please contact the THS Communications department.