Working Border Collie's face rebuilt by vets after horrifying hit-and-run collision with car

A sheep dog who suffered horrific facial injuries and multiple fractures of the jaw after being hit by a car has had her face rebuilt by a specialist vet at one of the UK’s leading animal hospitals.

Graphic photographs taken after the hit-and-run collision show the extensive impact trauma suffered by three-year-old Border Collie Pearl.

But just eight weeks later, the working sheepdog was back in the fields thanks to the painstaking efforts of Annabel McFadzean at Linnaeus-owned Cave Veterinary Specialists, in West Buckland, Somerset.

Annabel, a veterinary specialist in dental and oral surgery, is delighted by the positive outcome but admitted that Pearl’s dramatic injuries were both shocking and challenging to treat.

Annabel said: “Pearl suffered severe maxillofacial trauma with multiple maxillary (jaw) fractures and multiple fractured teeth.

“The upper part of her jaw was basically detached from her face. She had bone, dental and soft tissue damage which all needed to be urgently addressed.

“Her soft tissue injuries were so extensive over the upper jaw that there was concern whether it would survive.

“We were also concerned that Pearl would require multiple procedures to enable her to fully recover.”

Working Border Collie Pearl had her face rebuilt at Cave Veterinary Specialists, after she suffered horrific head injuries and multiple fractures of the jaw after being hit by a car.

A CT scan of Pearl’s head and a detailed oral examination were carried out to accurately access the full extent of the severe trauma she had suffered and help plan for the challenging surgery she required.

Annabel added: “First of all Pearl needed multiple dental extractions with all her upper incisor teeth removed as they had undergone root fracture injuries.

“We were able to save both her injured canine teeth, though, by performing root canal treatments on them as they had lost their blood supply in the trauma.

“The detailed dental work was then followed by the application of an intraoral wire and splint to repair her upper jaw and restore it into its normal position. Finally, the widespread soft tissue damage was repaired.

“Everything went well, and Pearl recovered positively from the operation and was soon allowed home under strict orders for complete rest for two months.

“She then returned to us to have the splint in her jaw removed as the bones had now healed.

“Miraculously, the soft tissue had also healed without complications and she was able to return to work soon afterwards.

“Pearl’s recovery has been truly remarkable. I’m delighted, not just that she can function again but that she’s been able to get back to work herding the sheep!”

Cave, located just minutes from Junction 26 on the M5, offers comprehensive, specialist-led services in anaesthesia, cardiology, dentistry and oral surgery, dermatology, internal medicine, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, orthopaedic surgery and soft tissue surgery.

For more information on Cave Veterinary Specialists, visit https://cave-vet-specialists.co.uk or search for Cave Veterinary Specialists on social media.