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When the call went out seeking assistance for a puppy requiring special care, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga mechanical engineering faculty member Trevor Elliott and recent graduate Connor Mackey were “all in.”
Several weeks ago, Elliott—a UC Foundation associate professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science—received an unusual request from Chattanooga’s Humane Educational Society (HES).
Niblet, a 2.5-pound Chihuahua puppy, had arrived at the shelter and quickly captured the hearts of the staff with his tiny size and energetic spirit. However, it soon became clear that the dog had a unique medical condition requiring special attention: a soft spot on the top of his head—about one and a half centimeters in diameter—indicating that his skull had not fully fused.
The soft spot and lack of fusion in the skull are usually associated with hydrocephalus, “which is water on the brain,” HES Director of Veterinary Services Sarah Callahan explained. The condition can make even the simplest household accidents potentially life-threatening, as “it makes him very susceptible to any kind of injury. Simple things falling around the house could hurt him.”
Read more at https://blog.utc.edu/news/2024/07/tiny-helmet-big-hope-engineering-compassion-for-a-chihuahua-in-need/
