Cutie

We’d like to tell the story of Cutie, an English bulldog who has brought great joy and happiness to her human family. These have been difficult times for Cutie’s family whose ‘human’ dad is active duty Navy. After returning from deployment in Afghanistan, everyone’s world turned upside down. There have been changes in family circumstances including financial challenges with child support, mortgage payments, and other significant financial obligations. Cutie’s dad wrote, ‘Our little Cutie brightens up our home in this desperate time’.

In early May when Cutie was about nine months old (she’d lived with her family since she was a young girl of two months of age), she escaped from the yard and was hit by a car. The veterinarian diagnosed a right tibial fracture. With surgical repair, the prognosis for full recovery was excellent. At the same time, other surgery was recommended. Like many dogs with short faces, e.g., pugs, boston terriers, and boxers, the anatomy of a bulldog’s nose and mouth is compacted. Cutie had already exhibited some exercise intolerance in hot weather that forced her to rest and calm down. There is also an increased risk of heat stroke in these dogs because they can’t pant to cool down. We also have to mention that these dogs often snore loudly during the night and that definitely was true for Cutie! During surgical repair of Cutie’s fractured leg, it was time to do a soft palate and nares resection to minimize airway obstruction and make it easier to breathe.

Cutie has about one more week of kennel rest remaining and she can’t wait to run and romp and play again. We are told she is doing great and her loud snoring is a thing of the past. When you look at her photo, you can see that she lives up to her name of Cutie!