Dog who had snout ripped off when it jumped in front of motorcycle to save two young girls now recovering from cancer treatment

Dog who had snout ripped off when it jumped in front of motorcycle to save two young girls now recovering from cancer treatment


A mongrel named Kabang 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.
That courageous act had another life-threatening element it for the dog, however, as doctors realized that it had to undergo chemotherapy to treat undiagnosed cancer.
After completing six weekly intravenous chemotherapy infusions, Kabang appears to have beaten the cancer she was suffering from, Gina Davis, the primary care veterinarian at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Davis, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

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

The dog, however, is still facing treatment for heartworms in her arteries before she can have the gaping wound on her face closed.
Full treatment of that condition was put on hold during cancer therapy.
Kabang - a female mongrel - had the first of three arsenic-based heartworm shots on December 4 and is expected to receive the other two in the second week of January, Davis said.

 

'It will be one to two months for her to recover from that before she goes in and has the surgery,' Davis said.
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 dog ended up in Davis earlier this year after a nurse from Buffalo, New York, spearheaded a fundraising campaign to bring her to the U.S. Veterinarians in the Philippines were apparently unable to treat her injuries.

Good girl: Kabang was hailed as a hero in the Philippines after saving two girls by jumping in front of a speeding bike, which left her severely disfigured

Treatment: Dr. Anton Lim plays with Kabang after her arrival at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at University of California Davis

Care For Kabang raised over $20,000 from 22 countries to cover the costs of surgeries, visas and airfare.
Surgeons are planning to perform two or three procedures. The first will involve dental work, extractions and covering exposed roots.
They will then try to close the dog's wound and restore nasal functions.
The dog's bony structures are currently exposed to air, increasing the chance of infection, Davis said.
Kabang may return to the Philippines in May or June. The bill for her treatment is expected to top $10,000.

Close call: Doctors in the Philippines suggested that Kabang's owner put her down, but he would hear none of it

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

Global effort: A New York nurse helped raise more than $20,000 from 22 countries to pay for Kabang's medical care in the U.S.

Davis said despite Kabang's many conditions, the dog appears to be in good spirits.
'She has come through everything very well,' Davis said.
'Her appetite is still good. She's still bright and happy.'
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.