Kabang, the snoutless hero dog from the Philippines, is suffering from two serious health problems that will delay surgery to repair her face, one of her UC Davis veterinarians said Tuesday.
The dog, who witnesses said saved two young girls from injury when she dove in front of a motorcycle a year ago, needs treatment for heartworm and will undergo chemotherapy for a vaginal tumor, Dr. Jane Sykes told a large news media gathering.
She said both conditions are treatable and that veterinarians are "cautiously optimistic" that Kabang will recover and eventually return to her home country.
The mixed-breed dog became an international celebrity after news media in the Philippines reported that she lost her snout when she leapt in front of a speeding motorcycle headed toward her two young owners. A campaign raised enough money for her transportation to UC Davis, one of the top veterinary schools and hospitals in the world, and her treatment.
But before veterinarians can perform dental and cosmetic surgery on her face, they need to fix her other problems, Sykes said.
"She's a very sweet dog and everyone here became attached to her quite quickly," said Sykes, director of the facility's small animal clinic and an internal medicine specialist. "We're eager to help her get better."
For more on this story, read tomorrow's Bee.
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