Bad luck for Rave: now also emergency surgery

After her remarkable rescue in Borgsweer, when police found her motherless among partygoers, Rave was given a safe place at the seal hospital in Lauwersoog, where she received intensive care. She was in good condition until her umbilical hernia suddenly worsened yesterday afternoon. When staff saw tissue protruding from her abdominal wall, they immediately decided to perform emergency surgery.

Protrusion of abdominal tissue

An umbilical hernia is a condition in which the opening in the abdominal wall (the umbilical ring) is not completely closed after birth. In Rave's case, the skin was also still open and part of the omentum - a tissue that holds the intestines in place - came out.

During emergency surgery, Rave was put under anaesthesia to properly assess the tissue. Fortunately, no intestines were found to have come out, just the tissue. A damaged part of it was removed; the healthy part was replaced in the abdominal cavity. The abdominal wall was then sutured in layers, so that everything remains safely back in place.

Surgery went well

The operation went well, but the animal's age - estimated at two to three weeks - makes her extra vulnerable. "Because she is so young, surgery can take a lot out of the animal," explained head veterinarian Ana Rubio Garcia. "She will receive medication to prevent infections and pain. We hope, of course, that she will make a full recovery."

Such emergency surgery is not common among pups. Of the more than 40 pups currently receiving care at the centre, Rave is so far the only one in whom this has been necessary. "It is incredibly sad that Rave, after such a bizarre start to her life at an illegal party, now also has to go through this," says WEC spokesperson Hester de Vries. 'We are incredibly relieved that the surgery went well and are doing everything we can to ensure her healthy return to the Wadden Sea."

Rave is in an intensive care unit with two other puppies and is visible to visitors.