Carrollton Animal Hospital

WARNING, SOME OF THE PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE ARE EXTREMELY GRAPHIC, PLEASE CONSIDER THAT BEFORE YOU CONTINUE.

Blue was a case like none of us had ever seen before. When she came to the clinic, it appeared someone had poured black tar down the middle of her back. We couldn’t believe it and neither could the owners! 
 
As we spoke to the owners, we learned that Blue lived as an outdoor pet.  The owners were getting their fence replaced and having yard work done that week.  Apparently, the people who were installing the fence tied her up so she wouldn’t escape, but did so in a sunny location.  The owner found her tied up, in the sun, with a garden hose around her back leg.  She had  struggled to get out of the sun and damaged her back leg terribly.  Her leg was obviously the least of her problems however; it was her back that was of most concern. 
 
Once Dr. McGuire examined Blue, he realized that it wasn’t tar or a chemical at all, it was actually sunburn.  She had suffered burns so badly the skin and hair had melted!  The owner revealed to us that originally they intended to keep her as an indoor pet but found that their young daughter was allergic, so they kept her outside. Dr. McGuire explained her extreme wounds would require her to be indoors during the healing process.  The owners could not afford treatment for Blue and could not keep her indoors, so they decided the best thing for their pet was to give her to us for treatment.  They asked that we find her a new home. 

Dr. McGuire removed the damaged skin, leaving an enormous amount of exposed tissue.  Through many surgeries, he gradually stretched the remaining tissue to close the opening.  He did this by creating “fish gills” in the skin, taking tension off the stretched skin. Special tubing had to be placed around the sutures to avoid their cutting into the skin as it was stretching and healing.  This, in conjunction with hydrotherapy and special burn cream, allowed both her back and leg to heal over time. 



We are happy to announce that through it all Blue kept a positive and loving attitude at the Clinic and was sometimes allowed to play in our large back yard as we worked through this healing process. Once she healed, we worked with Texas Tailwaggers Village Rescue and they placed Blue in an indoor home where she is free from the elements. She got a second chance to live happily.  Such a young dog that has gone through so much definitely deserved that.  As you can see, Blue has blue eyes and a pale pink nose, she has very light skin as well. This coloring put her at great risk for sunburn.   Many animals run the risk of sunburn.  Owners do not always consider this because their pets have hair.  For more information on sunburn, please go to our section “Pet Library”. 

 
Thank you for reading our story on Blue.  She is truly an inspiration for all of us!
 
Sincerely,                                                
 
Nicole McGuire