An owner in love with her dog did everything to save the life of her best friend, her beloved chihuahua. Jac Williams, 54, sold her car and turned to her inheritance to pay $20,000 for urgent surgery, plus medical bills, plus hospital bills to help her 10-year-old dog Louie: And she didn’t regrets, despite the terrible cost.
The little pup was diagnosed with mitral valve disease in 2020, which can be fatal without surgery, so Jac sold her Nissan Qashqai for around $17,000 to cover all costs. In Great Britain, where the woman lives, medical costs related to pets are very high, hence the need to sell the vehicle to help her chihuahua.
The intervention took place at the Royal Veterinary College in London and was led by Professor Daniel Brockman. Surgeons had to resort to general anesthesia as Louie’s heart stopped completely for 90 minutes. At the time, a machine was in charge of pumping blood throughout her body while the vets worked.
Finally, after a four-hour operation, the surgeons finished their work. Louie he had to spend two days in intensive care and then was in the hospital for another week to recover. Now, three months after going through that trance, the chihuahua is already at home completely healed thanks to his owner.
A unique surgery in the world
Jac explained to the British newspaper Metro that, “although it was a large sum of money, I thought I owed it to him. He’s such a sweet little dog, I love him very much. He’s only 10 and Chihuahuas can live to be 16 or 17”.
It was a cardiologist who detected Louie’s health problems during a regular teeth cleaning. Jac recalls that after hearing the news, “I asked about our options and the vet said there had been surgery, but it was new, very expensive and very specialized. It’s only done in three places in the world: London, Cambridge and Japan. The surgeon said we had nothing to lose but a lot of money. Without that operation, he would probably die before the end of the year.
Jac does not regret her decision: “I know that’s a lot of money, but in the end, if you love your dog that much, at least there’s a choice.”
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.
