Holidays are Happy for Dachshund Puppy After Rare Throat Surgery

Lauryn Gilliam, 6, plays with her grandparents' Dachshund, 'Lucy,' Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010

Meet little 'Lucy,' the 11-month-old red longhair who hails near Merced, California.  The poor girl was afflicted with a rare disorder called "reflex achalasia," where her throat muscles tightened, and she was aspirating her food and water.  Conventional surgery is usually fatal for this disorder, so her veterinarians turned to laser surgery.  Lucy is the second dog in the nation to receive laser surgery for this ailment; the first was also a Dachshund.  Excerpt from the Modesto Bee:

Lucy has a feeding tube, but that doesn't stop her from acting like any normal 11-month-old puppy.

The only problem Lucy has faced is she isn't allowed to have treats. "She doesn't quite understand that," human Charles Clark said.
Lucy is going back to Davis this week, and the Clarks hope her feeding tube will come out and she can start eating like a normal dog again.
Despite the heartache and cost Lucy has brought the Clarks, they are glad they gave the dog every chance to live.
"She's part of our family," Charles Clark said. "I don't think the good Lord wants us to dispose of an animal because something is wrong with it."
The Clarks said the UC Davis veterinary hospital absorbed some of the cost, but they don't begrudge any of the money they spent on Lucy.
"We support three children in Honduras, Colombia and India," Georgia Clark said. "I believe when you have a pet, if you're in for a dime, you're in for a dollar."

We hope Lucy continues to recover well.  Read all about her at the Modesto Bee.

'Mojito,' a red longhair Piebald in the archives, may be the first recipient of the procedure.