Perth vet working to save Tooshie, the cavoodle puppy born without an anus

Perth’s dog-loving community has rallied around a tiny pup with a rare and life-threatening condition in a bid to save his life.

At just five-weeks-old, a cavoodle puppy with Atresia ani — a birth defect where the anus is missing or blocked — was surrendered to Warwick Veterinary Hospital.

Practice manager Kate Doyle said the puppy was handed into the clinic by a backyard breeder who noticed he was vomiting and bloated.

They then made the discovery.

“We tried to insert a thermometer and there was no hole for it to go into,” Ms Doyle said.

Ms Doyle and her team began urgent surgery on the backed up pooch who couldn’t pass poo, giving rise to his name Tooshie.

The owner was not able to cover the costs of specialist treatment, so Ms Doyle — who also rescues and rehomes pets — offered to take care of him and created a GoFundMe to pay for Tooshie’s surgery and recovery.

Ms Doyle said it was a miracle that Tooshie had even survived for five weeks without being able to poo.

“It is extremely rare, just the fact that he survived for five weeks with toxic poo fermenting inside of him is a miracle — his insides could have rotted away,” she said.

“Some of the vets that I work with here have been vets for 20, 30 years and they’ve never seen a case like this.”

Ms Doyle has been sharing Tooshie’s health updates online, which have triggered an outpouring of support.

His GoFundMe has raised close to $11,000, far exceeding the original $8000 target.

“We’ve even had people come into the clinic to ask if he’s pooped yet, we’ve also had people dropping off food and blankets and puppy pads,” Ms Doyle said.

“Everybody has been so kind. It’s been amazing.

“Who knew that a little dog with no butthole could capture so many people.”

Tooshie, who weighs just 900g, on Thursday had a revision surgery to fix his anal passageway as he was still having toilet troubles after his first procedure.

Ms Doyle said Tooshie would need lifelong care going forward.