A VETERINARY team which saved the life of a dog which suffered life-threatening injuries in a horrific road accident has been praised by her owner.

Ziggy, an eight-year-old cocker spaniel, was rushed to Farnham Veterinary Hospital after the accident near her owner’s home in Frensham.

She suffered a number of internal injuries including fractured ribs, a punctured lung, crushed liver lobe, internal bleeding and blood clots in her heart and was taken into theatre for a six-hour life-saving operation.

Vet Fiona Walker said: "Ziggy’s injuries were life-threatening and she needed emergency surgery to her abdomen and chest to repair the fractured ribs and stop the internal bleeding. During the operation we had to breathe for Ziggy, and our nursing team gave her artificial respiration for four hours to keep her alive.

"She lost a lot of blood and needed an emergency blood transfusion."

Ziggy needed round-the-clock care for ten days from the hospital team to help her recover from her extensive injuries. She was so poorly she couldn’t stand up, eat or go to the toilet by herself and was fed through a tube for the first five days.

She also received massage therapy and physiotherapy to help resolve the neurological issues she was suffering and help her to walk again.

Ziggy is now back at home with her owner, Clare Saunders, who said: "The team at Farnham Veterinary Hospital are angels in veterinary uniform - the care they gave Ziggy was absolutely incredible and without their skill and expertise she wouldn’t be with us today.

"They went above and beyond the call of duty for Ziggy and were so dedicated to helping her recover."