Pooch Receives Kidney From One Of Her Pups In A Rare Transplant Surgery

In 2017, a dog named Star got rescued along with her nine surviving puppies in Missouri. The mother pooch and her litter of puppies were left on plywood. On top of this, they were abandoned under the scorching heat of the sun.

When she was found, the dog looked malnourished and dehydrated. This is perhaps wrought by the intense heat. Star’s rescuers then brought the pooch to a nearby veterinary clinic to have her checked. The veterinarian told the volunteers that after a series of tests, the veterinarian found out that Star suffers from kidney failure.

The dog’s only way to survive is to have a transplant as soon as possible. Star went to the Murphy Animal Hospital in High Ridge, where the dog received treatment for her kidney. The veterinarians here decided not to push with the kidney transplant as the dog’s health improved.

One of the veterinarians who attended to Star’s needs decided to adopt the pooch. Dr. Shannon Flegle said that it would be apt for Star to be under her custody so she could focus on Star’s healing. Star’s pups got adopted by Dr. Shannon’s other friends and resided in different homes around the area.

A few months later, Star became very sick. Dr. Shannon suspected that the dog’s kidney deteriorated. This is the time the veterinarian thought of pushing through with the transplant.

Although kidney transplant is uncommon with dogs, Dr. Shannon believes that Star would survive the ordeal. The only problem is that they should find a donor as soon as possible. Pressed for time, Dr. Shannon thought it would be best that one of Star’s pups be the donor.

Thankfully, one of Dr. Shannon’s friends agreed. It was Elsa, one of Star’s pups, who eventually became the donor. The operation went well, and the two dogs are back to their healthy lives. Just like humans, dogs can also go on with their lives after the transplant, Dr. Shannon assured.

Credits to Murphy Animal Hospital.