UPDATE On Kabang – Heroic dog who had nose ripped off saving two young girls from bike crash has treatment postponed after vets find tumour

Update on Kabang, this news is not good but vets are hopeful she will pull through. What an amazing dog, to lose half her face then suffer with a tumour & heartworm. I just hope this further set back will not lessen her zest for life. God bless her, my prayers & thoughts are with Kabang & the surgeons who everyone is looking to, to give this sweet girl her face back. 

A courageous dog who became an international hero after losing her nose saving two young girls, has had her muzzle-surgery postponed after it was discovered she needs chemo.

Kabang the dog won celebrity status when she jumped in front of a speeding motorcycle to save her owner’s young daughter and niece, but lost her upper jaw in the process.

After local veterinarians failed to help her, the dog was flown to the U.S. where her doctors now say she needs treatment for heart worm and chemotherapy before she can undergo facial reconstruction.

Helping a hero: Kabang’s facial surgery has been postponed after veterinarians at University of California at Davis discovered a vaginal tumour and heartworm

After the accident her owner was told by Filipino veterinarians he should put her down, but he refused.

Kabang’s plight reached Karen Kenngott, a critical care nurse from Buffalo, New York, who set up a charity campaign to help.

Care For Kabang raised over $20,000 from 22 countries to cover the costs of surgeries, visas and airfare.

She was flown to the University of California at Davis for specialist treatment to the wound on her face, where doctors discovered a tumour and the heartworm

The veterinarians are ‘cautiously optimistic’ that Kabang will make a full recovery and return to the Philippines, Dr. Jane Sykes of the University hospital said.

‘She’s a very sweet dog and everyone here became attached to her quite quickly,’ the director of the facility’s small animal clinic said.

‘We’re eager to help her get better.’

The horrific accident occurred in December 2011 when the daughter of Kabang’s owner, nine-year-old Dina Bunggal, and her cousin three-year old Princess Diansing, were playing with the dog in Zamboanga City, Philippines.

The girls were crossing a busy street when a motorcycle came speeding right towards them.

Eyewitnesses said that Kabang appeared out of nowhere and threw herself in front the vehicle just before it hit the two children.

Kabang’s face became tangled in the spokes of the bike’s wheel, and her entire upper jaw was torn off.

Kabang, who became a mother to six little puppies in April this year, had a rough start in life when Dina’s father Rudy found her abandoned in a rice paddy.

He brought the dog home to fatten her up and feed her to the family, but his daughter and niece convinced him to spare Kabang and keep her as a pet – a lucky move for both dog and family.

Once recovered from the chemotherapy and heartworm treatment, Kabang will undergo dental surgery and facial reconstruction.

Her veterinarians at U.C. at Davis have said there are no plans to give her a prosthetic nose to replace the one she lost.

Grateful dog: Kabang was found in a rice paddy as a puppy and was nearly killed for meat, but her owner’s daughter and niece pleaded for her life

News Link:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2219013/Kabang-Heroic-dog-snout-ripped-saving-young-girls-bike-crash-arrives-California-medical-treatment.html#ixzz29fE36F00
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UC Davis examined Kabang this morning. Great news! They are confident they can help her. UC Davis VMTH has created a special section of their website devoted to Kabang. It will be continuously updated with the latest news on Kabang. Check it out:

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/small_animal/kabang/index.cfm

 

Kabang, The Hero Dog From The Philippines, Arrives At UC Davis

“I have prayed since the day I first saw Kabang in a News paper last year. I’m thrilled she is actually here & I can see the donation I made was & is being used for it’s intended purpose! Will keep up the prayers until kabang is ready to go back home, God bless her!”  

Almost a year ago, a dog named Kabang lost her snout and upper jaw when she leapt in front of a motorcycle to save two little girls in the Philippines.

Today veterinary specialists at the University of California, Davis, examined Kabang to determine what can be done to give her a better chance at a long and healthy life.

During the hour long, preliminary exam, veterinary surgeons Boaz Arzi and Frank Verstraete assessed Kabang’s overall condition and conducted blood and urine tests.“We are pleased with what we discovered today,” Verstraete said. “We are confident we can improve her condition going forward.”  Added Arzi: “Kabang has suffered catastrophic injuries to her face.

While we had consulted over photos and video, we were not able to make a proper determination of the care we would be able to offer Kabang until we examined her in person.”

To reduce the chance of infection and minimize stress for Kabang, the dog will not be available to the news media at this point. A written statement from the veterinary team, B-roll and Kabang’s arrival and initial examination at UC Davis will be available later today in an online press kit.

Verstraete and Arzi are members of the dentistry and oral surgery service faculty at UC Davis’ William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. The hospital has the most comprehensive dental and oral surgery service of any veterinary teaching hospital in the world, providing surgery for dogs, cats and other animal species.

Arzi and Verstraete are now consulting with Anton Mari H. Lim, Kabang’s veterinarian from the Philippines, to develop a treatment plan for Kabang.

Based on preliminary discussions, Arzi and Verstraete anticipate that Kabang will need at least two surgeries. The first likely would focus on dental work. The second would attempt to close the gaping wound on the dog’s face, protecting her from infection and improving her quality of life.

Kabang is expected to be at UC Davis for at least six weeks.

Contrary to some rumours in the media, there are no plans to fit Kabang with a “prosthetic snout” or to replace her jaw.

An independent, international donation campaign raised the money to bring Kabang and Lim to the United States for a consultation with veterinary reconstructive surgery specialists at UC Davis. Kabang and Lim landed at Los Angeles International Airport late Monday night and arrived in Davis on Tuesday.

The veterinary hospital’s website includes background information on Kabang’s story and will feature continual updates about her care and progress

News Link:–http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10371

Face book page covering Kabangs story with lots of pictures :–https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151076693640509&set=a.10150995056590509.423972.512045508&type=1&theater

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• Life-saving surgery scheduled for heroic dog who saved children by jumping in path of motorcycle (preciousjules1985.wordpress.com)

 

Life-saving surgery scheduled for heroic dog who saved children by jumping in path of motorcycle

“Please note, out of hundreds of pictures & countless videos, I have tried to be as discreet as possible with images of Kabang…I know it’s not pleasant to see her injuries, but when you’re loved, like she is, it doesn’t matter what you look like. Kabang really is one in a million & very, very lucky…she was actually meant for the  cooking pot!” 

This past February, a family dog in the Philippines was credited with saving two children from getting hit by a speeding motorcycle, by throwing herself in the path of the bike.

The dog named Kabang lost the top part of her jaw and face. It was a horrific injury, but she survived. A local vet asked the family to turn over the dog to their custody for euthanasia. But the grateful family refused to put down the loyal and pregnant dog. Kabang has since given birth to her six puppies.

When people heard about Kabang’s courageous actions and her plight, there was outpouring of goodwill and concern for the dog. This week it was announced that Kabang will be flown to the United States so she can undergo reconstructive surgery, in order to survive.

According to the Inquirer Global Nation, a group of veterinarians, animal lovers and humanitarian groups helped raise enough money to organize the trip and surgery.

“Kabang is going to the US with the help of many kind-hearted individuals and donors, who would like to see the dog…live longer. Her story inspired many people especially animal lovers,” veterinarian Dr. Anton Lim said, citing a confirmation from Ramona Consunji of the Animal Welfare Coalition.

The plan is to fly Kabang over to the US within the month. Karen Kenngott, the US coordinator for Animal Welfare Coalition, said: “The more time that goes by, the more Kabang is at risk of infection. Fungal infections can be especially difficult to eradicate and any infection in the bone can be a lengthy process to treat at best. Her chances are better the sooner she can get those wounds closed.” Dr. Kim also agrees speed is of the essence now. Kabang is already losing one of her remaining upper molars, a tooth very important for chewing food because of an earlier infection.

Kenngott said Kabang would be operated on at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the University of California in Davis, “under a team of multi-disciplinary doctors and surgeons led by Dr. Boaz Arzi.” Arzi is a maxillofacial and dental surgeon.

Veterinarians in the US also had raised money for Kabang’s owners Rudy Bunngal and his wife, Christina accompany the dog to the United States. However, there are some difficulties securing passports for the pair. Despite that problem, everything else is in place to transport Kabang. “So far, the Team Kabang estimated the overall cost for her treatment to reach $20,000. Kabang is expected to be in the US for a month,” said Lim.

The Philippine Airlines Foundation said they have sponsored four roundtrip tickets for the Bunggals and the two accompanying veterinarians. Maria Carmen Aquino Sarmiento, executive director of the Philippine Airlines Foundation, said in a statement: “The Philippine Airlines through the PAL Foundation will help Kabang, the heroine dog of Zamboanga City to get to UC Davis so she can get her face fixed.”

News Link:–http://www.dogheirs.com/tamara/posts/956-life-saving-surgery-scheduled-for-heroic-dog-who-saved-children-by-jumping-in-path-of-motorcycle

“Please note, close up images of Kabang’s face just after the accident have been blurred out. However, this video does show Kabang as she is now,  so viewer discretion advised”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC0ZCTVWH5E&feature=related

“Kabang’s story – Few know the dog, wasn’t rescued to be a pet – she was meant for there dinner plate, like many more before her! I sincerely hope her recent litter of pups will remain as pets too!”

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—There must have been something about Kabang, the pet dog that recently lost half her face saving the lives of two children. Until she came into their lives as a foundling puppy, the Bunggals occasionally kept dogs but only for meat.

In fact that was what Rudy Bunggal had in mind over a year ago when he found Kabang, then a few weeks old, in a swamp where the unwanted puppy had been left to die.

“The dogs we raised did not last longer than three months. I slaughtered them. It’s our only way of eating meat,” Rudy Bunggal told the Inquirer in an interview. “Life is difficult and I have to feed my family.”

Bunggal, 57, is a “vulcanizer” who earns a living mending punctured tires while his wife, Christina, sells small quantities of candy.

The couple has one daughter, Dina, 11, but a niece, Princess, 3, lives with them.

Neighbors agreed that life for the couple was difficult and that the family subsisted mostly on water spinach—”kangkong” or swamp cabbage—harvested from the nearby swamp.

As Rudy Bunggal tells the story, he plucked Kabang out of the swamp amid heavy rain over a year ago. He initially had the same thought about what to do with the puppy: make a family meal at the right time.

So the Bunggals raised Kabang, initially giving her coffee creamer because milk was expensive.

But days, then weeks and months went by and Kabang never came close to being placed in a cooking pot. Bunggal said he did not know why he never felt any urge to slaughter the animal.

Ricky Llorete, one of the family’s neighbors, said they too had looked forward to eating Rudy’s “azucena,” as dog meat as referred to by Filipinos, after Kabang’s arrival.

Llorete said the Bunggal family was known in the community as dog eaters and would share with their neighbors cooked dog meat.

“During Christmas or New Year, we ate azucena and drank tuba (coconut wine),” he said.

Christina, Rudy’s wife, said she, too, was puzzled when Kabang lasted longer than her predecessors.

“It was maybe because we treated her differently. Of all the dogs we raised, she was the only one we fed coffeemate and milk. None of the other dogs we had raised spent the night in the same space with our daughter,” Christina said.

The family shared whatever food they had with Kabang.

Dina and her cousin would play with the dog, who never ventured alone farther than the door of the Bunggal family’s shanty on Nuñez Extension here.

“If she went out of the house, it would be with the children,” Rudy said.

Christina Bunggal plays with a horribly disfigured but treasured family pet Kabang

He described Kabang as a “sweet dog,” who wanted to be cuddled.

Rudy said that aside from providing joy to Dina and her cousin, Kabang would also guard the family’s house against intruders.

“She would sit on the (vulcanizing tools) apparently to prevent strangers from taking them,” Christina said.

“Rudy became a different person when Kabang came. He became humane to animals,” Llorente said.

Rudy admitted that he could not thank Kabang enough when she saved Dina and her cousin from harm one day last December.

Kabang, a hero female aspin, enjoys Rudy Bunggal’s scratching of her head and neck.

The two girls were walking across Nuñez Extension one day in December unaware that a speeding motorcycle was bearing down on them. From out of nowhere Kabang jumped onto the path of the motorcycle.

Kabang lived but she lost her upper snout, which got caught in the spokes of the motorcycle’ front wheel.

Rudy maintained that the incident was Kabang’s way of repaying the Bunggals for saving the puppy and caring for her.

“I believe she was God’s gift to us,” he said.

News Link:-http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/151165/heroic-dog-changed-master%E2%80%99s-life

Heroic miracle dog loses face while saving children – Video

“OMG…This happened in February but amazing story so I had to share it with you. Firstly what an amazing dog for saving those children. You would think a story like this would show people how wrong it is to eat mans best friend.  Secondly, how the hell did that dog survive without getting an infection whilst she was missing?? Incredible, having seen this It makes me wonder if Vucko, the dog whose face was blown off after youths taped firecrackers into his mouth; he was pts.”

In December, Kabang, a German shepherd, saved two children from being run over by a speeding motorcycle.

In the process she literally had her face ripped off. In fact, in looking at her photo, it is hard to believe that she is alive today – hard to be imagine how she was able to survive her horrific injuries.

But she is alive and she is being hailed a hero by those who have heard her amazing story.

According to the Inquirer-News, Kabang jumped in front of a motorcycle back on December 14, just before the speeding bike ran two children, ages 11 and 9, over.

According to a witness to the dramatic event, the courageous dog threw herself in front of the motorcycle in an effort to save the children from being struck. One of the children was from Kabang’s own family – the other was the child’s cousin.

Tragically, Kabang’s heroic leap planted her snout directly into the wheel of the motorcycle. When the bike flipped, her snout and jaw was ripped from her face.

After the horrific accident, the grievously injured dog fled the scene – nobody saw her for two weeks.

But, she did eventually return home. Her family is grateful for her heroic act and they are not put off by her drastic change in appearance.

They told the Inquirer-News,

 “It does not matter if she’s ugly now. What is important to us is she saved our children and we cannot thank her enough for that

Kabang came to be a part of the Bunggal family about a year ago when she was just a puppy. The family considers her more than “just a dog”.

They also believe that her heroic act which result in her permanent disfigurement, was done because she is grateful to them for taking her in.

Today, Kabang has reportedly learned to live with her disfigured face. She uses her paws to help her eat.

She is an amazing dog indeed.

Note: In the Inquirer-News story, the dog is referred to as Kabang. According to Zamboanga Today, her name is actually Tabang.

News Link:-http://www.examiner.com/article/heroic-miracle-dog-loses-face-while-saving-children?cid=PROD-redesign-right-next