UPDATE ON DECEMBER 28, 2023: Mabel was adopted in mid-December by one of the clinic staff members who was working the night she was found in their vestibule.
Thank you for your support!
Scared, Injured, and Alone
Looking at her smiling face and wagging tail, you’d never guess that Mabel’s journey started so traumatically.
About a week after Thanksgiving, a small brindle dog was discovered in the vestibule at an emergency veterinary clinic in the middle of the night. Abandoned, scared and injured, her journey to healing began. The clinic provided immediate care and gave her the name Mabel. Monona police transported her to Dane County Humane Society (DCHS).
Mabel had fleas, irritated skin, and extensive damage to her tongue. Portions of Mabel’s tongue were swollen and wounded, and some of the tissue was already dead. While we can’t know for certain what caused these injuries, they are consistent with electrical burns possibly caused by chewing on a live electrical cord.
Triumph Over Trauma
Shortly after arriving at DCHS, Mabel was taken into urgent surgery. Our veterinary team worked tirelessly to repair her wounded tongue. They removed the dead tissue and carefully closed the wounds with stitches. Despite everything she went through, when she woke from the anesthesia, Mabel looked up hopefully at her caretakers and wagged her tail. They started her on antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and three different pain medications to keep her comfortable while she slowly healed.
Unfortunately, just a day later, Mabel’s tongue swelled up and even more tissue had died. Mabel had struggled with the foreign feeling of stitches in her mouth, and by chewing at them, the stitches had all started to open. Mabel needed surgery again.
This time, though, our surgeons had to do something different. They had no choice but to amputate nearly one-third of her tongue. This would make it difficult for Mabel to eat normally while she healed, so they placed a feeding tube in her neck during surgery. Our staff would be able to give Mabel her medications and a food slurry bypassing her mouth, allowing it time to rest and recover.
After a few days, Mabel was already attempting to eat food on her own and made steady progress. As of today, she can reliably consume the proper amount of food, and her feeding tube was removed.
Miraculous Mabel
Through it all, Mabel has become a beacon of resilience, winning the hearts of everyone she meets with her sweet demeanor. To provide close monitoring and specialized care in a comfortable setting, Mabel has been recovering in foster with one of our veterinarians. Her foster family says she’s a “snuggle bug” and is happy around everyone – adults, kids, other dogs, and even cats! She spends her days wearing a variety of sweaters, cuddling with her stuffed puppy toy, snoozing during staff meetings, and drooling over her favorite treat, squeeze cheese. Her journey towards recovery has been nothing short of miraculous, and Mabel is reclaiming a life filled with love and care – all thanks to your generous support.
DCHS is a private, community-supported non-profit not affiliated with any government agency or nationwide animal organization. Your gifts to DCHS make stories like Mabel’s possible, ensuring every animal who comes through our doors can receive the specialized care they need and deserve.
We extend heartfelt gratitude from Mabel, our staff and volunteers, and all the animals at DCHS. Your generosity transforms tales of despair into stories of hope and healing. Give today and make even more stories just like Mabel’s possible.
PLEASE NOTE: Mabel is not currently available for adoption. We kindly ask that you watch our website for updates to Mabel’s status, as calls and emails can interrupt staff trying to assist animals and pet parents in need. Thank you for your patience and support.
