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From near death to recovery: Saving Gus after a serious road traffic accident

A kitten left close to death after being hit by a car was saved after a nighttime dash to one of our emergency Vets Now clinics.

Owner Vikki Dawson returned to her Hemel Hempstead home to find one-year-old Gus in a horrific, bloody state after the shocking accident which was filmed by a neighbour’s camera.

His face had been terribly injured, and Vikki feared he wouldn’t survive. But a dash to our Vets Now clinic in Hemel Hempstead, and then a series of reconstructive surgeries, saved his life.

Now, despite being minus an eye and without some hearing, Gus has made a remarkable recovery and is back to his mischievous self although he’s definitely used up several of his nine lives.

The little kitten had unwittingly been left out in the garden when Vikki, who has three other cats, and her family went to the cinema.

Close-up of Gus the one-eyed cat wearing a herringbone bow tie, with Christmas lights in the background.
Just months after his accident, Gus finds comfort and safety at home

“I heard a horrible miaowing noise coming from the bins when we got back that evening and I thought he’d maybe got stuck inside one,” said Vikki, who works in inclusion in a secondary school.

“But when we looked, we found him hiding and absolutely covered in blood. He was such a mess we thought he might have been attacked by a fox, but we later saw the footage from someone’s camera.

“He’d run out into a car, and we could see he’d smashed his face into it and actually flattened it in.

“The bottom of his chin was hanging off; his eye was all bloodied and it was just horrible. The kids were crying, and it was so upsetting.

“We knew it was really bad, and we got him into the cat carrier and took him straight to Vets Now.”

See Gus’s condition before surgery (graphic image warning)
Gus the cat receiving emergency treatment, with bloodied face and paw after an accident
The first step in a long journey. Gus's injuries were critical, but hope was not lost.

Our Hemel Hempstead clinic is one of more than 60 UK clinics and hospitals we have open for pet emergency treatment when vet surgeries are closed for the evening.

Gus was rushed straight through to the emergency room for assessment and urgent treatment.

“We could see immediately that there was de-gloving under the jaw, which is when the top layers of skin and tissue are torn away,” said vet Daniella Parsons Di-fonzo.

“There was a lot of swelling, and we were concerned he may have damaged the jaw itself. He couldn’t breathe through his nose, and he was in real state.

“We gave him immediate pain relief, put him on fluids and oxygen and stabilised him while we worked out the best course of action.

“There were other things we could have moved to, but decided more extensive work immediately may be best. He was such a sweet boy despite all his injuries, and we just wanted to help him pull through, but it was critical.”

The team spent all night and into the next morning ringing every possible vet centre that could do the follow-up surgery and treatment, before finally managing to find one.

Gus subsequently had numerous surgeries at Davies in Hitchin and, although he lost an eye, an ear canal and had to have his mouth wired shut and be fed through a tube for six weeks, he’s come through it all.

“He’s got a bit of a wonky jaw, but he looks amazing considering the state he was in,” said Vikki. “His sight and hearing loss are on opposite sides, and he seems to get on fine playing with our other cats.

“He’s a little nervous and we make sure he’s definitely a house cat now.

“All the vets were marvellous but Vikki and the Vets Now team were incredible. They were so quick doing everything we’re sure they saved his life. We’re so grateful.”