Brian, a rescue dog from overseas, had been shot multiple times but has received love and care by his new owner and treatment at Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Runcorn.
Rescue Dog With Multiple Shotgun Pellets Now 'Smiling'
10 months ago 
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A north-west veterinary hospital has given a ‘smile’ back to a rescue dog after removing an abscess caused by multiple shotgun pellets.
Brian, a three-year-old Brittany, was adopted from overseas by his owner Alison Slinn. After owning Brian for a year he was referred to Linnaeus-owned Northwest Veterinary Specialists (NWVS) in Runcorn regarding an unrelated issue with his leg.
Surgery resident Samar Riziq was thorough in her examination and quickly realised there was a more urgent problem that was causing abdominal pain that would need investigations.
It was then that shocked vets discovered Brian had been shot multiple times, with a total of 19 pellets in various areas of his body. His recovery required the skills of the surgery, anaesthesia, imaging and nursing care teams at NWVS.
When being told what they had found, Brian’s owner, Alison, who lives in Ellesmere, Shropshire, admitted she became upset.
Alison said: “To think what poor Brian must have gone through in the past and up to this point – that he had probably been in pain for so long. My second response was relief that he was in safe hands and could be treated.
“I understood that surgery came with a risk but also witnessed just how quickly he had deteriorated, so realised these were risks which had to be taken. I was also confident he was with the very best veterinary specialists.”
Panagiotis Kokkinos, resident in small animal surgery at NWVS, said: “A CT scan was performed and showed multiple gunshot pellets all over Brian’s body, with a large suspected abscess extending across the 10-12th ribs and extensively adhered to the liver.
“We then undertook abdominal surgery and exploration of the abscess, which involved removing the abscess caused by one of the pellets.
“Brian was then hospitalised for four days before being allowed home. I’m happy to say he’s now a very different dog and is bright, very active and playful.”
Alison added: “Brian is so very, very different now. His face looks more relaxed and he even seems to ‘smile’.
“He has gained a new love of life and so many people who know him have noticed just how much he has changed.”
NWVS is one of the UK’s leading specialist-led animal hospitals. It offers care in anaesthesia and analgesia, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, orthopaedics and soft tissue surgery.
For more information on Northwest Veterinary Specialists, visit www.nwspecialists.com or search for Northwest Veterinary Specialists on social media.
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