Sept. 16, 2005     Maddie Jowers Critical Care Program Names Case of the Year   A 10-year-old Boxer with a bad heart survived against all odds this spring as she underwent four surgeries and is now the Critical Care Program's Case of the Year.   Maddie, the pet of Gaylon and Joy Jowers of Midland, Georgia, gathered recently with 23 other pets from across the Southeast to be honored during the fourth annual Celebration of Life. Nurses selected these extraordinary cases from more than 1,500 animals treated last year by the Critical Care Program. They gathered to share stories of survival and for the presentation of the Manny Morpeth Award for Case of the Year, named for the first recipient in 2002.   "Maddie is doing great now," Dr. Douglass Macintire said. "She exemplifies the spirit of the award because of her desire to live despite overwhelming odds, and because her owners were willing to stand by her and do whatever was necessary to save her life."   In February, the Jowers brought a lethargic Maddie to the Small Animal Teaching Hospital, where Dr. Jeff Simmons diagnosed her with cardiac arrhythmias. An echocardiogram revealed a large tumor at the base of the heart, but the veterinarians decided not to surgically remove the tumor since it was too risky. Maddie was placed on heart medicine to control the arrhythmias, but several months later, she began vomiting and was brought to the Critical Care Service, where she was diagnosed by Drs. Rob Presley and Simmons with a cancerous growth in her intestine.   "During surgery to remove the tumor, the surgical site broke down because the tissue around the tumor was not healthy," added Mary Tefend, the Hills Critical Care Instructor at Auburn. "A second surgery was done to remove the abnormal section of bowel."   Maddie then developed peritonitis, a serious infection of her abdomen, and she spent several weeks recovering in the intensive care unit. First, her abdomen was left open to drain the infection into sterile bandages, and then after the infection cleared, Maddie's abdomen was surgically closed. In addition to her four surgeries, she also had resistant bacteria that had to be treated with a drug that can be toxic to the kidneys.   "The analogy made is that she's a boxer and a persistent fighter," Dr. Simmons added. "She wouldn't let anything knock her down."   Return To News