Beloved Portsmouth cavapoo in danger of being put down after freak accident is saved by TV's Supervet

A BELOVED pet dog that was in danger of having to be put down after a freak accident – leaving its owners staring down the barrel of an £8,000 operation – has been saved by Channel 4’s Supervet.
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Four year old cavapoo Tia was left on the brink after falling down a ditch at Buckingham Green, Buckland, last Thursday while out for a walk with owner Megan Heywood.

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After ‘screeching’ in pain Megan, 35, rushed over to the family dog before carrying the ‘immobile’ pooch home and going to Harbour Vets on London Road.

Four-year-old cavapoo TiaFour-year-old cavapoo Tia
Four-year-old cavapoo Tia
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‘I was out walking with my three dogs when Tia suddenly ran off and lost her footing in a ditch and stumbled before letting out a huge screech,’ Megan said.

‘She was lying flat and was immobile so I had to carry her home.’

Tia was given painkillers at the vets but the next day was still in distress - resulting in Megan rushing her back to the vets where X-rays showed Tia’s hip had been dislodged from its socket.

They were told a new hip replacement would cost £8,000 - with there no option but to put Tia down if she did not have the operation.

Brienna Heywood with TiaBrienna Heywood with Tia
Brienna Heywood with Tia
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The blow left Megan’s devastated 10-year-old daughter Brienna frantically looking into fundraising, launching a GoFundMe page, and offering to give all her upcoming birthday money towards the operation.

‘Brienna slept on a blow-up mattress downstairs with Tia after the accident,’ Megan said. ‘We’ve had Tia since she was 10 weeks and they are very close. She wanted to give all her birthday money towards an operation for Tia.’

Tia was initially referred to specialists in north Hampshire who said they were unable to perform the operation.

But the bleak outlook was suddenly replaced by optimism after Harbour Vets referred Tia to The Supervet’s clinic, Fitzpatricks, in Surrey.

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A call late on Monday evening saw Tia booked in on Tuesday to attend the celebrity vets, run by Noel Fitzpatrick.

After an assessment by The Supervet, renowned for his inventive life-saving interventions, it was decided Tia no longer had to undergo the intrusive hip replacement.

Instead Tia will now have the damaged part of her hip removed with muscle infused into the area to pad it.

‘It’s so clever, we’re so happy about it,’ Megan said. ‘Brienna is thrilled. We don’t know how Tia will be afterwards and what treatment she will need but it’s great news. Hopefully she’ll be home in a couple of days.’

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The operation will cost between £3,000 and £4,000 - less than half the amount of a full hip replacement.

Megan, who had vets insurance with Animal Friends, will have £2,000 to put towards it from her claim - and is waiting to find out from Fitzpatricks how much more she will need to pay beyond the insurance contribution.

Megan said she felt frustrated after believing her insurance was meant to cover £8,000.

‘I was surprised when I was told they wouldn’t cover what I thought I was paying for,’ she said. ‘I’m now changing my insurance.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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