- The Bulldog was born with Atresia ani type 3, which means she had no anus
Luckily, the puppy lived up to her name after vets performed life-saving surgery to give her a good bum.
The five-month-old Bulldog was born with Atresia ani type 3, a rare birth defect, meaning she had no anus.
Her concerned owners noticed she was struggling and took her to a vet who referred her to specialists at West Midlands Veterinary Referrals (WMR), owned by Linnaeus, near Burton-on-Trent, Staffs.
This summer she underwent a complex operation to build her a new bottom from scratch.
Dr. Chris Lancelott, who led Lucky’s treatment, said: ‘Lucky was essentially born unluckily with a birth defect which meant she had no anus.
Luckily, the puppy lived up to her name after vets performed life-saving surgery to give her a good bum
The five-month-old Bulldog was born with Atresia ani type 3, a rare birth defect, meaning she had no anus
‘It was a serious case of a condition we call ‘Atresia ani type 3 and rectovaginal fistula’.
‘In layman’s terms, I had to create an anus, move the rectum and attach the intestine to this new anus.
‘The operation is challenging in these cases because atresia type 3 means that the closed intestine is far away from where the anus should be.
‘First we removed the fistula (abnormal internal passage) and then carefully dissected the rectum to mobilize it.’
After the three-hour surgery, Lucky spent a week recovering and learning to relieve himself.
Her concerned owners noticed she was struggling and took her to a vet who referred her to specialists at Linnaeus-owned West Midlands Veterinary Referrals (WMR), near Burton-on-Trent, Staffs
Lucky has now returned to her home in Rugeley, Staffs, where she continues her recovery
Lucky has now returned to her home in Rugeley, Staffs, where she continues her recovery.
Her owner Frances Silk said: ‘We realized within the first week after Lucky was born that she had not been properly ‘piloted’ and as a result she was suffering from water infections and constipation.
‘Our local vets suggested we try to get her between eight and twelve weeks old, when she might be big enough to undergo surgery.
‘After a thorough investigation and detailed discussions, we decided to go ahead with the surgery to correct her problems.
‘The operation went well and three months later Lucky is slowly getting stronger.
‘After months of being on a liquid diet, she can now eat kibble just like her mother.’