Snort

After a chemical burn singed off her nose and whiskers and severely injured her eye, this tiny puppy was rushed to a local vet and promptly scheduled for euthanasia. We couldn’t allow this to happen and quickly stepped up to give her the help she deserved. Now, months later, she has not only healed but has been lovingly adopted by a family who fell in love with her! We truly could not have done this without your support—read on to learn how this beautiful story unfolded.

Snort’s start to life was far from easy. Her story begins in the most tragic of ways—she was found running aimlessly and yelping in pain with no mama in sight. A massive, red wound stretched along her face in the spot where her nose was supposed to be, and she had very bad eye ulcerations in both eyes with lots of discharge. The finder, not knowing any better, brought her to the shelter, where staff said they would put her down if no rescue stepped up to help. 

Fortunately, we stumbled upon this story in the nick of time, desperate to support this fragile baby. We didn’t know what her case would entail, but we didn’t care—for every life we welcome in, we never refuse medical treatment due to funding costs. We were determined to stand by Snort's side every step of the way, whatever the future held.

For a time, the exact cause of Snort's injury was unknown. Vets shared that it was certainly a chemical burn and may have been inflicted by a cruel person who wanted to harm her, which broke our hearts. But a few days after we took her in, more of the story was unveiled. Our rescue received a call from a staff member at a nearby chemical plant—he had seen a stray dog give birth to a group of puppies, and one puppy had a clear nose injury. We can safely assume that Snort got into some trouble, innocently sniffing something that burned her nose and affected her eyes. At least, we hope it wasn't purposely done. 

Regardless of the exact story, there was no doubt that Snort needed urgent help. We dropped her off at Texas A&M, which would be her new home for the following three days. She went in on an emergency basis due to the extent of her injury and because her nostrils had begun to close up, posing a risk to her life. 

Snort stayed in the ICU for the first few days until she could transfer to the surgery department. During her time there, she had a CT scan under anesthesia to ensure the nasal cavity looked normal below what we could see, and, based on the results, everything looked good. This meant she was a good candidate for stent placement (human urethral catheters that would go into her nostrils to help her breathe). 

The medical team dove in to surgically cut away some of the tissue and open up Snort’s nares in order to place it in the tiniest catheter. During this procedure, they were also able to pull down some tissue to cover the “nose” area, promoting healing. Sadly, her eyes had worsened considerably; they had terrible corneal ulcerations, and the eye that was swollen had begun bulging out. Her eyes were clearly causing her immense pain and put the possibility of eye removal on the horizon, a decision that pained us but could be necessary.

A few days after the catheter was inserted, we actually had to drive Snort back to A&M. Because her tissue was so delicate, the catheter became loose, and she ended up sneezing it out. After the catheter was replaced, we saw an ophthalmologist to have her eyes checked more thoroughly. Fortunately, her left eye had healed by this point, but her right eye remained cloudy and enlarged, home to a terrible corneal ulcer. 

The ophthalmologist believed that poor Snort, in addition to her nose injury, had congenital glaucoma. They suggested doing a temporary Tarsorrhaphy to half-suture the eyelid closed to allow the ulcer to heal. We also continued administering antibiotics and medications to reduce inflammation and hopefully promote healing, removing the necessity of eye removal. She was unable to have glaucoma treatment due to her fragile age, so we continued her on the previous eye medications she had been given. 

As for her nose, the replacement catheter worked like a charm! Though she will never have an upper lip, her tissue was healed. In almost no time, she was able to drink water and eat comfortably, breathe without support, and run around pain-free. Getting to this stage took a lot of time, patience, and loads of costly vet bills, but seeing her happy was such a joy. From witnessing her gasping for breath to seeing her running laps around the house without struggle was so deeply rewarding! 

Sadly, though, none of the eye treatments seemed to be helping. We eventually had the sutures in her eye removed and continued to treat the ulcer, but the swelling and clouding never went down. She could only see shadows from that eye, with a soft light response. We kept hoping that the eye would heal and that her vision would improve, but in the end, we had to remove the right eye entirely. Keeping this eye would only cause her more discomfort in the long run. Following surgery, she was given a light meal, lots of rest, and at long last—freedom from pain.

 Once she was well enough, we made arrangements to have Snort transported safely to New York, where she would be ready to find her forever family! When she landed, she was transferred to a loving foster family who was already waiting for her. Like all of us at The Bottle Brigade, they quickly fell in love with her adorable personality and lively spirit. She is such a little snuggler and certainly the queen bee of the house. As time passed, the fosters realized their home wouldn’t be complete without her. So, they made it official—Snort was adopted!

Today, Snort spends her days alongside her sister, playing and welcoming new foster pets into the home. She’s become the best foster sister, showing nervous newcomers the ropes and helping them feel safe and loved. She has truly transformed, and we couldn’t be more proud of her remarkable resilience and strength through all of this.

Snort’s journey is proof that second chances are possible, all because of the kindness of those who believed in her. To every donor, supporter, and advocate who played a part in her story—thank you. Because of you and everyone else at CUDDLY, Snort has a lifetime of love ahead.