B.C. blood donor dog that has saved many lives gets free surgery
A dog that has made life-saving blood donations in the past has now received a good deed in return after having a surgical operation on Monday.
A medical team performed a knee surgery on Norman, a four-and-a-half-year-old mastiff, as a thank-you for the past generosity shown by Norman and other mastiffs owned by Nanaimo's Jeff King.
"Norman's given a lot to his local community and so the hospital here is helping cover the cost of the surgery," says Tim Preston, a surgeon at the Central Island Veterinary Emergency Hospital.
Preston says surgeries of that nature are in the neighbourhood of $8,500 and make up the majority of the operations he does.
The medical devices inserted into Norman also came as a donation, supplied by the manufacturer Arthrex.
"The operation is designed one way or another to stabilize the knee and the way that occurs is by us rotating the top of the shin bone down so that we effectively change the bio-mechanics of the knee so he doesn't need an ACL anymore," Preston says.
While the decision to give the surgery to Norman was an easy one, dealing with the large-breed dog was not.
"Norman is over 90 kilograms. He's effectively the weight of I guess a large male so we've got five people, six including myself, that are going to be moving him physically."
That included lifting him on and off X-ray tables and operating tables.
"It's a challenge during his recovery in making sure he's able to stand. we have some hoists and other things to help him that are designed for humans," he says.
It is also because of Norman's size that he and the other mastiffs in his household have been able to give blood so generously to other dogs in need.
"Like in humans, there are different blood types, and so it's important that the animals are properly typed and cross-matched,” he says.
After the one-hour-and-45-minute surgery, Norman was carried out of the operating room to begin his recovery and was expected to be released back to his owner on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.