Read more miracle pet stories from PDSA ...
Skittles – the miracle cat
Skittles, the ginger tom cat, escaped death by a whisker when he was found impaled on a metal fence railing. It's thought he could have fallen from a nearby balcony.
He was rescued by the local fire brigade, who had to carefully cut the metal around his body to free him so he could be rushed to a local vet. With the metal spikes still in his body, Skittles underwent emergency surgery to remove them.
Three metal spikes had pierced his body, including one through a leg and another through his abdomen. Miraculously, the spikes had missed all of Skittles’ vital organs and arteries.
After a tearful reunion with his owner, Skittles was brought into his local PDSA Pet Hospital, where he underwent further surgery and follow-up treatment. After lots more care from our vets and nurses, Skittles went on to make an amazing recovery, much to his owner’s relief.
"It's a miracle that he survived. He's made such an incredible recovery – you wouldn't know anything had happened to him now."
– Skittles' owner
Terrifying attack on tiny kitten Pi
At just eight-weeks-old, this little kitten was part of a litter that suffered a terrifying attack by a large dog. He was the only kitten to survive, but had been severely injured. He was signed over to Croydon PDSA Pet Hospital as a last resort as his owner couldn’t care for him. Skin and tendons on his back leg were completely ripped away, so he was immediately stabilised and given pain relief.
Despite his injuries, he was such a friendly and determined kitten, our team knew they had to give him every chance they could. Once stable, further investigation confirmed that the damage to his leg was so severe it couldn’t be repaired. Amputation was the only option, following a successful surgery, he was renamed Pi, as he had “three-and-a-bit legs”!
Pi was soon up and about, but still required plenty of TLC as he recovered from his injuries and surgery. He also needed to adapt to life on three legs, so he was fostered until he was rehabilitated and well enough to be permanently re-homed. At that point Emylia, a Student Veterinary Nurse at PDSA offered to see if he might be happy coming home with her and her partner, Jamie.
Pi quickly settled into his new home, Emylia said: “We weren’t sure if he’d be accepted by our existing cat, but Iggy immediately started grooming little Pi and they bonded very quickly. He’s a very vocal kitten, he chirps and chatters constantly – he’s dangerously cute and stole our hearts pretty much immediately!”
"Pi has to be kept indoors now, but enjoys daily walks outside on his harness and enjoys a full life, despite the loss of a leg. He dashes around like nothing happened—he’s so fast and agile now you barely notice he only has three legs".
– Pi's owner
Max ‘brought from the brink of death’
West Highland Terrier, Max, came to PDSA for surgery to remove a cancerous tumour. But as our veterinary team were preparing for the operation, things took a very dramatic turn.
Max’s heart suddenly stopped – he was in cardiac arrest. Our veterinary team rushed to the 12-year-old’s aid, helping him to breath and carrying out CPR to try and restart his heart. It took the team five minutes to get Max's heart beating again. Once his condition was stable, a huge decision needed to be made.
The team updated Max’s owner, who was shocked to be told what had happened. But without the planned surgery to remove the cancerous tumour, Max would die. She decided that her beloved companion should still undergo the vital life-saving surgery needed to remove the cancerous tumour.
Our vets and nurses began the operation, taking good care of Max and continuously monitoring his condition. The operation was risky, but without it Max would die.
Max’s operation was a success and he went on to make a full recovery. He had been brought back from the brink of death and still had the life-saving surgery which means he will spend more happy years with his owner.
“Max is my only companion and means everything to me. When they told me he had made it through the operation it was like a miracle. I can never thank PDSA enough. "
– Max's owner
Brad fights off deadly disease
Lakeland Terrier-cross Brad had been out in the garden and returned inside with several ticks attached to his muzzle and leg. His owners later found a hedgehog which it’s thought Brad had been investigating.
The ticks were carefully removed, but the damage was done – Brad was thought to have contracted Lyme disease.
It wasn’t until a few weeks later that Brad’s owners realised something was wrong. He wasn’t his usual happy self and his behaviour had changed. He was distant, could no longer jump up onto the sofa and seemed to be in pain.
Lyme disease is caused by ticks – blood sucking parasites found in woodlands and long grass. It can lead to symptoms in pets such as fever, pain and swelling in the joints, crippling arthritis, nerve damage and even meningitis.
He was given medication to alleviate the symptoms, but there is no cure for Lyme disease. After six weeks of treatment, Brad had made good progress.
“People don't often realise how serious a tick bite can be. Brad is one of the lucky ones and he's 100% back to his old self."
– Brad's owner
We were there for Bobby when he dramatically collapsed after a Sunday afternoon walk.
His condition quickly worsened as our vets raced to diagnose and treat the cause of his sudden life-threatening illness...
Find out all about Bobby, the star of our Christmas campaign, and how we got him home in time for Christmas in the video below:
Video found at youtu.be/OR18cWrC2lY