MEMBER SPOTLIGHT A FIGHTING SPIRIT:
Dr. Ali Coan and Her Inspiring Pitbull, Bunny On April 15, 2020, a 13-week-old puppy was rushed into Desoto Animal Clinic. The puppy’s legs stuck straight out, her head was arched back, and her ears were pinned up together on the top of her head. Her mouth was tautly stretched in a sardonic grin— and she couldn’t move at all, even with force. When presented with this statue-stiff puppy, FVMA member Dr. Ali Coan knew exactly what she was dealing with. “When I first saw Bunny, I had just walked out of a sad euthanasia of a nine-year-old dog,” Dr. Coan said. “The sight of her made me sick to my stomach. She was hard to look at and I knew her prognosis could be poor considering how advanced her clinical signs were. Even though we all do this for a living, I am not completely immune to watching an animal suffer through such harsh states of trauma and pain. Immediately, I thought that this was a case of tetanus so I started to move as quickly as I could based on that tentative diagnosis.” As the owner of the puppy began to discuss euthanasia options, Dr. Coan came up with another plan to give the pup a fighting chance. She asked that the puppy be turned over to her for constant care, and the owner, thankfully, agreed. “I wanted to give Bunny a chance even though I had never seen, much less treated a dog with tetanus. When I looked into her eyes, there was that connection and I knew she wanted help and to live,” Dr. Coan said. “I am a childhood cancer survivor and overcoming such a grave prognosis influences the way I view my patients. I want to give them the chance at life that I had. Being a pitbull, I knew that her strong breed would be a strength in her case and, that if any young puppy could pull off a miracle, it would be a pup like her.” The first two weeks were brutal. Bunny, as the puppy was now called, needed minute-to-minute care; a task taken on by both
The classical saw-horse body position seen in severe Tetanus cases. Bunny’s body remained in this state for a full 20 days. Image courtesy of Dr. Ali Coan. 6 | FVMA ADVOCATE
A healthier Bunny and Dr. Coan weeks after her recovery. Image courtesy of Kim Klement. Dr. Coan and her husband, Matt. They kept Bunny sheltered in a dark, quiet room with a sleep mask over her eyes to help her avoid stimuli, decreasing stress and, therefore, avoiding some of the muscle spasms and dramatic seizure-like activity that occur with tetanus. Bunny received IV fluids, IV antibiotics, IV anti-seizure meds, IV sedatives, IV muscle relaxants and was fed through a syringe since her jaw was locked shut. She also required continual hygiene care to keep her immobile body clean. Dr. Coan also used ice and heat therapy along with range of motion and physical therapy exercises to help recover Bunny’s muscle memory, tone and strength. After about three weeks, there were small signs of improvement—a slightly raised head, a tail wag. After 21 days of intensive care, Bunny took her first unassisted steps. A huge milestone—and the first of many steps to come. Bunny is now fully recovered and lives the active, energetic lifestyle of a healthy puppy.
Dr. Coan soothing Bunny after performing late-night nursing care. Image courtesy of Dr. Ali Coan.
One of many daily syringe feedings. A task that required a lot of patience and attention to help ensure no aspiration occurred. Image courtesy of Dr. Ali Coan.
