A female dog was found recently on Short Road in the Smartt Station community bleeding profusely from her nose and mouth. The animal, named Corona, was taken to the Cannon County Animal Clinic in Woodbury where Dr. Gayle Tate X-rayed her and discovered she had been shot in the mouth.
“This is one of the worst things in the mouth I have ever seen. There was a lot of face and head trauma,” said Dr. Tate. “We originally thought she had been run over when we did the X-rays, but she had been shot in the mouth. Her tongue was blasted wide open. Her larynx was hit and has a hematoma on it. She had bullet fragments up and down her throat.”
Dr. Tate said he sutured the dog’s wounds and there was severe damage to her soft tissue. She is now on pain medication and antibiotics.
According to Tate, it will be a couple of days before he knows if Corona will need more surgery. There is a possibility her esophagus has been lacerated.
“She is a great dog. Just super. I think she will probably make a full recovery,” Tate said.
The veterinarian said the dog is able to eat a little bit, which is good considering her injuries.
A report of dog abuse has been filed with the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, although Sheriff Jackie Matheny says he has not seen the dog. She was in the veterinarian’s care at the time of the report.
The dog has no known owner and is believed to be a stray.
Donations for the dog’s care can be made directly to Cannon County Animal Clinic in Woodbury. The clinic’s phone number is 615-563-4022.