A tiny Cavapoo, a cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Miniature Poodle, was born in Perth, Australia, with a very serious problem – he has no bottom.
Anal atresia is a congenital defect where the anal opening is incomplete or completely absent.
He's only five weeks old, but will need to undergo major surgery
As a result, the animal cannot pass stools, which not only causes abdominal bloating but can later lead to toxic poisoning and death.
As soon as the breeders realised the puppy had a problem, they rushed him to the veterinary hospital in Warwick. The little one was already vomiting and bleeding by then.
However, discovering the problem was completely accidental...
Where do I put the thermometer?
When the vet wanted to take the dog's temperature in the usual way, he realised that the opening where you normally insert it simply wasn't there. This explained a lot about the dog's symptoms.
Tootsie, as the puppy is called, was immediately scheduled for surgery. Unfortunately, the dog's carer couldn't cover the operation costs, so Mrs Doyle from the clinic decided to organise a fundraiser to cover the procedure expenses.
"It's a miracle the puppy survived five whole weeks without being able to defecate," says the vet.
"She also confirms that Tootsie's case is extremely rare. Some vets in our clinic have 20-30 years of experience and have never seen such a case," she explains.
Fortunately, they managed to raise the required funds and the little one has already had his operation. You can follow his recovery on his Instagram profile.
