Thomas, the twelve-year-old Pomeranian was a little too forward one morning and rushed to greet a passing dog who was walking down the footpath outside his house. Unfortunately for Thomas, he didn’t realise quick enough that his new “friend” didn’t appreciate the rude welcome and they ended up in a very nasty tussle. Thomas, being smaller and significantly older than the other dog came off second best, with his owner frantically trying to step in and stop Thomas from getting seriously injured.
We knew as soon as Thomas showed up at the Berwick hospital that he was in serious trouble, clearly shaken, covered in blood and bleeding profusely from his mouth. Dr. Tracy prioritised the administration of pain relief and we knew not much could be examined with Thomas conscious, so he was admitted into hospital for sedation and further investigation.
Once Thomas was heavily sedated and was not in any discomfort, radiographs and an examination of his mouth were performed. Luckily for him, this appeared to be the only injury he had sustained. His mouth however, had been significantly injured. In the scuffle, the other dog had managed to deglove (where skin and underlying tissues are torn away from the body) Thomas’ bottom lip from his jaw whilst also causing significant loss and damage to the end of it. This meant that not only were his front bottom teeth missing, but he had also sustained a fracture of the mandibular symphysis. A mandibular symphysis fracture is a break in the bone at the front of the lower jaw where the two halves of the mandible meet. Dr. Tracy informed the owners of the degree of Thomas’ injury and that without surgical repair, Thomas would not be able to recover.
Thomas was placed under a general anaesthetic to place a pin into his jaw, stabilising it for the next six to eight weeks whilst it healed. Dr. Tracy also reattached his lip to his now shortened jaw. Due to the location of the injury and surgical site, breakdown of the sutures was a huge possibility, meaning that multiple surgeries would likely be required before Thomas was at a stage where his mouth would begin to heal properly. 
After only one additional surgery since his initial pin placement, we are delighted to report that Thomas is healing very well at home and his very worried but very grateful parents are over the moon at his recovery. Though his appearance is slightly altered, Thomas could have lost a lot more than a small piece of his jaw that day, and we hope that he remembers that having arguments with strangers is NEVER a good idea! Enjoy your twilight years in peace now please Mr. Thomas, we are so glad you are ok!