A dog was left fighting for his life after being poisoned by a mystery bite when out walking in the park that left his skin turning purple.
Breezy, an English Bulldog, was being walked by owner Millie Batten, 23, in their local park in Surrey as they do most days.
However, on July 16, their walk took a worrying twist as Breezy was bitten by what is thought to have been a snake or spider.
The next day the pooch’s neck began swelling heavily and he was rushed to the vets. In a matter of days the dog was fighting for his life against what vets thought was a flesh eating bacteria caused by the unknown bite.
Looking after her beloved pet, Millie has spent £7,000 so far and expects to spend something like another £10,000 in after-care.
However, at first, the vet was happy that it was nothing serious and discharged Breezy with just a course of antibiotics to combat the infection.
But two days later the swelling spread to the dog’s lower body and chest.
When Breezy was rushed back to the vet they confirmed the infection had spread and were forced to make multiple incisions to drain the fluid.
The NHS nurse, from Sutton, Surrey, said: "Everything happened so fast, we didn't even have time to process it.
"One minute he was happy and playing as normal after the vert originally saw him - but then a few days later he was ill again.
"Breezy was sleepy, lethargic, continually panting and his swelling had ballooned up to triple the size.
"The vet identified a build up of purulent fluid in and around his wound which needed to be removed through a number of incisions.
"But he was becoming critically ill by the day and the infection was rapidly spreading - turning his skin a scabby purple colour.
"After three incisions Breezy had to be referred to the emergency vet for a life-saving operation."
The surgeon also removed the dead skin, cleaned, bandaged Breezy's wounds and inserted a feeding tube to keep him alive through the surgery.
After the operation, the dog was transferred to the Fitzpatrick Oncology Veterinary Centre in Guildford last week, where he received a fresh frozen plasma transplant.
Prior to the life-saving surgery, the vet suggested putting Breezy down as it may have been the kindest option but Millie refused.
In the days since Breezy went under the knife he has since recovered well and remains in a stable condition.
Millie said she’s confident they have survived the worst but the focus is now on managing her dog’s wound.
She said: "I had to sign a consent form before he had the emergency surgery as there was a high chance he wouldn't make it.
"But Breezy is a fighter and he seems to have come out the other side.
"He is currently being administrated methadone and ketamine to help with his pain, and the focus is now on tending to his wounds and supervising his eating and drinking.
"And, the vets at Fitzpatrick have concluded they believe he contracted a flesh eating bacterial infection, likely from a spider or snake bite."
Millie has forked out £7,000 so far for his total treatment and has said she expects to pay another £10,000 for his in-patient care as Breezy has a long road ahead of him.
Even with her pet insurance, which covers the first £15,000, she expects to face a hefty bill in the thousands, so started a GoFundMe to help with her costs.
Click here to visit her fundraising page.
