Chihuahua pup Smokey survived after a barbecue fork flew through the air at a garden party and became impaled in his head
This is Smokey - the incredible chihuahua puppy who survived after a massive barbecue fork became lodged in his brain during a garden party.
Yelping in agony it then ran off into nearby woods and hid for two days before worried owner Hughie Wagers found him in the undergrowth and took him to the vets.
Nurse Michelle Duncum, who was was on duty at the Cumberland Valley Animal Hospital, in London, Kentucky, when Smokey's distraught owner arrived, said they were shocked by what they saw.
She said: 'At first we thought it must just be a little fork you use to eat or something and didn't have any idea what we were in for.
'Then Hughie told us to wait there and he went and got Smokey, when he brought him in we couldn't believe our eyes.'
Vet Keaton Smith, 40, immediately rushed the pup into the operating theatre and set to work.
He said: 'When we got the x-ray up it was clear that this fork was not in the skull cavity, or behind the eye, it was in the brain.
An X-ray showed that the fork was not in the skull cavity, or behind the eye, but in fact in the brain
'Smokey had been out in the woods for two days with this in his head and we really didn't know what would happen when we pulled it out, it was 50/50 if he would make it.
'The operation didn't really take any time at all, I just shaved his head and then pulled it out, it was all over in 30 seconds.'
Smokey has since made a virtual full recovery although Dr Keaton said he still has some slowness in movement in his right eye.
He said: 'His nerve endings around the eye still seem to be a little slow but I think that will heal over time, he really is a little miracle.
This is Smokey - the incredible chihuahua puppy who survived after a massive barbecue fork became lodged in his brain during a garden party.
Yelping in agony it then ran off into nearby woods and hid for two days before worried owner Hughie Wagers found him in the undergrowth and took him to the vets.
Nurse Michelle Duncum, who was was on duty at the Cumberland Valley Animal Hospital, in London, Kentucky, when Smokey's distraught owner arrived, said they were shocked by what they saw.
She said: 'At first we thought it must just be a little fork you use to eat or something and didn't have any idea what we were in for.
'Then Hughie told us to wait there and he went and got Smokey, when he brought him in we couldn't believe our eyes.'
Vet Keaton Smith, 40, immediately rushed the pup into the operating theatre and set to work.
He said: 'When we got the x-ray up it was clear that this fork was not in the skull cavity, or behind the eye, it was in the brain.
An X-ray showed that the fork was not in the skull cavity, or behind the eye, but in fact in the brain
'Smokey had been out in the woods for two days with this in his head and we really didn't know what would happen when we pulled it out, it was 50/50 if he would make it.
'The operation didn't really take any time at all, I just shaved his head and then pulled it out, it was all over in 30 seconds.'
Smokey has since made a virtual full recovery although Dr Keaton said he still has some slowness in movement in his right eye.
He said: 'His nerve endings around the eye still seem to be a little slow but I think that will heal over time, he really is a little miracle.
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