Aug2015_OLD MILL VET’S PET OF THE MONTH

Stella’s month not exactly Boar-ing

Locals will tell you that a sighting of a wild pig can be a pretty common occurrence around here, but what about a pig coming into your backyard and attacking your pets?  That’s exactly what one local family witnessed in July when their gentle giant Bull Arab dog, Stella, was set upon by a wild boar early in the morning. 

 

Stella’s injuries landed her in the Old Mill’s Intensive Care Unit for a week, and she endured a long surgery to repair her punctured chest and the multiple gore wounds.  The tusk of the boar had entered her chest, ripping the muscle from the chest wall and exposing the heart and lungs!  Dr Slade, Dr Annika and Dr Laurence worked to close the hole which was precariously hanging open, and stitched two ribs together to give her the best chance at healing.

At first, Stella was suffering from shock and was very afraid of her new surroundings in the hospital.  With strict rest, constant IV fluids and around the clock care being her only chance at survival, she came to see the team of vets and nurses were only there to help.

By day 3, she greeted us with a big wag of the tail and enthusiastically pawed at her kennel at breakfast time.  If we paused for just a moment during her toilet walks, she would roll over for tummy rubs immediately. Ironically, we accidentally offered her a pigs ear to chew on to pass the time in hospital, but she declined it with a very unimpressed look on her face!

The big boar was destroyed at the property and boy, it was one of the biggest we’d ever seen.  When hung from the back of their ute by its legs, his nose was laying on the ground!  A toddler stood next to the carcass for size comparison and it was a real monster!

Being a fit, healthy young girl, Stella’s wounds healed quickly and she has been able to return home to finish recuperating amongst her fur-siblings.