October 29, 1998
Barbara's Surgery Successful!

After weeks of preparation the surgical team was assembled. Dr. Ed Ramsay and Dr. Jurgen Schumacker of UT Knoxville Veterinary Program were ready to begin a most monumental surgery. The goal was to remove overgrown teeth from Barbara's mouth.

Since her arrival to the Sanctuary and for a decade prior health problems have plagued Barbara. Overgrown teeth were one of her more obvious conditions but until her weight and overall health improved consulting Veterinarians recommended postponing surgery requiring anesthesia.

The time had arrived. At 10:30 A.M. October 29, they laid all of the surgical equipment out and the team was ready to begin. Barbara was a star patient. Although her keepers at the Sanctuary do not dominate her, Barbara responded immediately to Carol Buckley's request for her to lie down. In this prone and most vulnerable position Barbara remained fully cooperative allowing Dr. Schumacker the anesthesiologist to administer an immobilizing drug into a vein in her ear.

Every thing to this point went smooth. Barbara quickly drifted off, responding to the drug as expected. However, she then stopped breathing. The five competent practitioners sprang into action. They gave Barbara respiration stimulation, both intramuscular and intravenous and within seconds her breathing resumed. They detected a steady heart beat. There was a collective sigh of relief, including a huge rise and fall of Barbara's chest as she took in and expelled a healthy breath of air.

To open Barbara's mouth Dr. Ramsay used a six-foot long crowbar and a two-inch wide piece of flat bar steel as a tongue depressor. To trim and remove sections of the 10-pound tooth, they used an electric grinder, concrete chisel and sledge hammer. The surgery was a success and Barbara responded to the reversal drug by awaking and getting to her feet in less than five minutes. The surgery was completed in 73 minutes. Within five hours of the surgery Barbara was already eating.