Dr. Cliff’s hope for a relaxing day at the JSPCA in Kingston, Jamaica came to a screeching halt when a dog named Wendy arrived at the clinic. She had been viciously attacked by a Pit Bull Terrier and her life hung in the balance. Wendy was quite lethargic with damage to one of her legs. The team was not sure she would be able to walk.

Going to Work on Wendy

After Vet Tech Julia took all the vitals, Dr. Cliff started examining the wounds on her neck. He hypothesized that the Pit Bull had caught Wendy by the neck and shook her around violently. This might have caused trauma to her spine, similar to whiplash, resulting in neurological damage that had immobilized her front leg.

They hooked her up to an IV line and administered fluids to help get her blood pressure up, along with pain medication and antibiotics. All the while, the large offending Pit Bull sat muzzled in an adjacent room!

After cleaning and shaving her, the exposed skin showed the extent of the puncture wounds. Little Wendy had suffered several serious bites, some of which were quite deep. It was quite miraculous how none had punctured the jugular vein but were so close! She would have surely bled out if that had occurred.

Dr. Cliff got to work on the bite wounds which presented a threat of infection, particularly from maggots. They treated it with a purple antiseptic spray to prevent insects from laying eggs. After a few hours, the drip helped stabilize Wendy’s blood pressure. Her temperature and breathing normalized. She passed all her pain test responses and while she was not out of the woods, Dr. Cliff felt she was neurologically sound. Wendy was going to require lots of rest and TLC. The vet techs patted her goodbye as they prepared to leave after their unexpectedly intense day.

However, Dr. Cliff was not quite done. He surprised the vet techs by bringing Wendy back with them so they could keep an eye on her for the night! And were the techs ever surprised and delighted. There was no end to the pats and hugs they had in store for their adorable purple-necked patient.

Maggot Alert!

And so the evening went by, with them coaxing Wendy to drink and eat when Dr. Cliff noticed her pawing at her ear. He took a closer look by flashlight, and sure enough, she had a family of maggots who had set up shop inside the puncture wounds in her ear. He began pulling the maggots out while Wendy yelped and protested. The vet techs tried to keep her calm. They took her up to the bathtub where Dr. Cliff continued to squeeze, tweeze and extract the maggots. A dazed Wendy had a big drink of water at the end of the harrowing process, before turning in for the night.

The next morning, Dr. Cliff and the crew were delighted to find her sneaking around the kitchen floor like a regular puppy, looking for scraps to eat. As they drove her back to the JSPCA, Wendy drooled calmly, but otherwise seemed like she was on the path to recovery. They had already screened her negative for Parvovirus and Coronavirus, and the neurological trauma was not as serious as it could have been. They left Wendy in good hands at the JSPCA where she would spend the next few days in recovery.

About The JSPCA

The Jamaican Society for the Protection and Care of Animals 100-year-old organization that promotes compassionate treatment of animals through education, advocacy, veterinary care and the placement of unwanted animals in loving homes. For more information, or to donate visit JSPCA.

To see more rescue missions like this by Dr. Cliff Worldwide Vet, subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

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