A six-year-old dog from Oregon named Woody just joined an exclusive list of animals who survived a rare, extremely complex brain surgery… and then went right back to enjoying their simple, fun doggy life without skipping a beat.
Conducted by veterinarians at DoveLewis Animal Hospital in Portland, Woody is alive and well after last summer, his owners noticed him stumbling on stairs and hesitating before jumps, a couple of behaviors that were very unlike him, and are more generally uncharacteristic of dogs his age. In November, specialists discovered a bone tumor pressing against his brain. The diagnosis meant brain surgery, a procedure that’s difficult in humans and is more often than not even riskier in dogs.
Human skulls are generally the same person to person. Canine skulls vary from breed to breed. And then factor in other complexities like the dog head muscles being thicker and their vital blood vessels tending to be inconveniently close to stuff that surgeons need to remove, and you have a recipe for potential disaster.
Speaking with Portland’s ABC affiliate KATU 2, neurosurgeon John Du explained that the tumor sat near major blood vessels, turning the operation into a four-to-six-hour surgical marathon.
The team removed the tumor and rebuilt part of Woody’s skull using titanium mesh, effectively making Woody a futuristic cyber dog.
Within three days, Woody was back home. Soon after, he was walking daily and playing with his brother, unbothered by the fact that he underwent a procedure that sounds like the origin story of a C-list Marvel villain.
There is a little bit of lingering concern, however. The tumor wasn’t completely eliminated, but, fortunately, it’s slow growing, and doctors say careful monitoring could give Woody plenty of good years ahead of them. Luckily, the surgeons at DoveLewis are damn good at what they do, not only having helped Woody, but having previously removed a big brain tumor from a seven-year-old Boxer named Tuba.
Portland dog owners really know how to pick a charming name for their pups.
The post This Dog Got Rare, Dangerous Brain Surgery and It Saved His Life appeared first on VICE.
