Feb 19, 2004

Pet of the Week: Lizzie

This little 19-month-old Corgi certainly has a will to live. Attacked by coyotes, Lizzie has shown tremendous bravery in the past couple of weeks as she recovers from the attack.

At about 10 p.m. on Feb. 2, Lizzie and her brother Taz, were taken outside. The two dogs, playful and young, heard something down the hill and went running after the noise. Forget about the phrase, “Curiosity killed the cat.”

A frightening experience was to follow as the Potts family of Almaden could hear the dog whimpering, and they knew that something terrible was happening.

“My husband went in the house and brought out some flashlights, which scared away the coyotes, and we could still hear Lizzie down the hill crying. She found a way to get herself up the hill enough so that my son could get her,” says Lynn Potts, who says Lizzie has a feisty spirit.

The family couldn’t tell how severe Lizzie’s injuries were until they put her on the floor in the shower. Potts’ first reaction was to call 911, but they directed her to call a veterinary hospital, so her next call was to the Oak Ridge Animal Hospital. The family was told to bring the dog in right away.

“It was so difficult driving there,” says Potts, “I was trying to drive fast, but trying to be safe and stay calm at the same time. She was obviously in shock, it was quite scary.

Dr. Elaine Forell, a vet at the Animal Emergency Clinic of San Jose that shares a building with the Oak Ridge Animal Hospital, performed surgery on the Corgi the next morning, and kept her in the animal hospital for five days.

“She had multiple bite wounds to the neck and abdomen; what really saved her was the fact that there were no severe punctures to any vital organs. Usually, large animals, like coyotes, aim to crush the larynx,” says Dr. Forell.

Large animals don’t just bite in an attack, but they shake as well. And, according to Dr. Forell, the bite on the outside is usually just the tip of the iceberg, “The injury underneath is usually far more severe than what the bite may look like,” she says. Lizzie suffered a hernia in the left abdomen wall.

“On the one hand, Lizzie was very lucky that the bites weren’t as severe as they could have been; it’s amazing that she even got away being a smaller dog,” says Forell, “On the other hand, the owners get a lot of credit because they brought her in right away and Lizzie received the appropriate critical care that she needed.”

Lizzie’s brother, Taz, was in distress during the time Lizzie was in the hospital, so the family had to bring the pup to the hospital to show him that his sister was OK.

Potts is so thankful for the wonderful job that Dr. Forell did with Lizzie. “She was just wonderful about everything,” says Potts.

Upon Lizzie’s return home on Feb. 7, she had to be kept in closed quarters, where she will remain for a couple of months. She is on pain medication and Pepcid AC not to upset her stomach.
The family can finally sleep through the night, as Lizzie is slowly regaining her strength, and her breathing is getting back to normal.

The lifesaving operation wasn’t light on the wallet though. Anyone who has ever had to ask themselves the troubling question, “How much is too much?” knows that it isn’t easy. Potts says, “It’s a really difficult thing. They look up to you with those little eyes and there’s just no way you can put a limit on what it costs financially.”

Lizzie lost about five pounds since the incident, but is slowly gaining weight back. Potts compared Lizzie’s appearance to Frankenstein, “All of those stitches just look so awful. But she is living pretty well now, considering she gets to eat liver and cooked chicken breasts. No wonder she’s gaining weight! I’m interested to see how she reacts when she gets to go back to regular dog food.”

“Post operation can be quite intense; there is a lot of soreness, and recovery of the muscles that has to occur,” said Dr. Forell. “Lizzie was a wonderful dog; she never once tried to bite us, as animals usually do when they are in pain, when we tried to help her.”

According to Potts, Lizzie has been a wonderful addition to the family. The two dogs make great pets, and great company, “She’s just our little princess, she’s a perky, extrovert dog who likes to cuddle. Having them around has been so much fun.”

—By Miranda Schultz

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