Destined For Euthanasia, Family Battles For 2-Day Old Special Needs Puppy & Wins

When a human is born with deformities, there are so many challenges that the family faces.

For a dog, the challenges are immense. The expenses for treatment and surgery often outweigh what is feasible and many puppies are put down.

In the case of Tinkerbell, one family decided euthanasia was NOT an option.

Source: Mac The Pit Bull/Facebook

Look at the size of Tinkerbell compared to a banana!

Source: DogRescue/YouTube

Tinkerbell has a severe cleft that includes a dual lip and the soft and hard part of her palate. From birth, a puppy must nurse to survive. Tinkerbell could not latch on.

The next step would be to bottle feed a puppy that doesn’t latch but Tinkerbell could not latch to a bottle’s nipple either.

Source: DogRescue/YouTube

For a dog like Tinkerbell to survive, she needed to be fed with a tube. The system to feed a dog like this is quite elaborate. When they are so small, they need a tube attached to a syringe.

The syringe will hold the formula. The tube should be measured out and be the length of the puppy from head to tummy.

Slowly, you insert the tube into the puppy’s mouth and as she swallows it, it goes down all the way into her esophagus and into her belly.

Source: Mac The Pit Bull/Facebook

A puppy this young needs to be fed very often. Most veterinarians will recommend every 2-3 hours. Plus, at this age, a puppy will also need help to defecate.

That’s what mama does as well, by licking and stimulating their bowels. It’s a big task to take on and many families aren’t equipped.

However, this family decided they’d go for it. And Tinkerbell began to thrive!

Source: DogRescue/YouTube

She’s still young and still has a long road ahead but as she ages, things will get easier. Especially when it’s time for solid foods. Some vets can also recommend a surgeon that can help repair some of Tinkerbell’s issues. What a little fighter!

Thank you to Tinkerbell’s family for being so incredibly patient and kind. They are truly angels! Watch the video below to see more of Tinkerbell’s story and see her play. She’s so utterly adorable!

Feature image courtesy of Mac The Pit Bull

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