Staffordshire terrier is rushed to vet with face so swollen she’s mistaken for another breed

Dog owners have been warned to watch their pets in the yard after a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who was taken to the vet with a face so swollen they mistook her for a Shar Pei returned to her normal size after treatment.

Mya was rushed to an animal hospital after her face dramatically blew up to nearly twice its size due to a reaction from a stray gas seed.

The veterinary staff were scratching their heads when it came to identifying Mya after the extreme swelling made her look like a completely different breed.

The seven-year-old dog had lost her characteristic Staffy snout and had a plump face with deep wrinkles more like a Shar Pei.

The poor pooch suffered from low thyroid levels and an abscess caused by the grass canopies – which are sharp hairs that grow from grasses and pasture plants.

Mya’s face was so swollen she looked like a different race, bewildering vets

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier was mistaken for a Shar Pei when she was treated by vets for an abscess

Veterinarians at Southfields Veterinary Specialists treated Mya with thyroid hormone supplementation before removing the awning once she felt better.

She is now back home with her owner after making a full recovery at Linnaeus Animal Hospital in Basildon, Essex.

Mya’s owner Karine Foster, from Essex, said she first noticed something was wrong when Mya stopped eating and drinking.

She said, ‘Mya became very unwell, very quickly. She was lethargic and had stopped eating and drinking.

Tests at Southfields confirmed that Mya had thyroid problems and that a grass canopy caused the abscess.

The good news is that Mya is back to her old self after surgery to remove the grass canopy and medication to treat her low thyroid levels.

“Southfields have been great from the very first visit and we got regular updates from them during and after her procedure.”

Vets said they were stunned when they first examined Mya and thought she was a Shar Pei.

Her extreme facial swelling was caused by mixedema with a thyroid condition and was amplified by the abscess caused by the grass canopy.

Aldara Eiras-Diaz, consultant internist, and Raquel del Solar, internist assistant, both took care of Mya.

Aldara said, “It’s hard to remember such an extreme case of swelling as Mya’s.

Fortunately, after diagnosing the problem, veterinarians were able to save her distinctive bar muzzle

Mya suffered from a low thyroid and an abscess caused by a sunscreen, but has made a full recovery

‘When she came to Southfields she had swelling of the face and extremities, as well as swelling in the lower part of the neck.

Her underactive thyroid caused a condition called mixedema, which causes swelling of the skin and underlying tissues.

Mya was quickly started on thyroid hormone supplementation, which worked incredibly well and significantly reduced the swelling in her face and legs.

“The grass canopy was then removed when she felt better.

“It’s great to see Mya feel and look like a Staffordshire bull terrier again.”