A young puppy set to be euthanised because of a birth defect has been given a second chance at life by the vet who was asked to put her to sleep.

The golden retriever, called Jadzia, was just a week old when she was taken to Isle of Man vet Lukasz Kuberka to be put to sleep due to kidney and bladder problems.

However, Lukasz couldn’t bring himself to carry out the procedure and, instead, decided to work with the expert team at Kentdale Referrals, a Linnaeus-owned animal hospital in Cumbria, to ensure Jadzia would not only survive, but thrive.

Lukasz, who owns the Medicor Veterinary Practice in St. Johns, explained: ‘Jadzia was born in April and I knew she had a challenging path ahead when she came into my veterinary practice at only one-week old.

‘She was incontinent and, after examining her, I suspected she had an ectopic ureter, a congenital condition that would require surgery.

‘The breeder who had brought her to me had decided to put her to sleep due to the suspected condition.

‘However, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew her condition, though genetic, was treatable. I fully understood the risks and potential complications involved, but I was determined to give her a chance.

‘My immediate reaction was that I can't put her down and instead I will adopt her and repair her.’

The breeder agreed to look after Jadzia until she reached eight weeks old and, during that time, Lukasz sought advice from Kentdale’s Jan Beranek, a specialist in small animal surgery.

Lukasz then took two-month-old Jadzia to Kentdale’s Milnthorpe hospital for an all-important CT scan which revealed the full extent of the puppy’s problems were even more severe than first thought.

Jan said: ‘We carried out a CT scan and urography, a procedure where a contrast dye is injected into a vein to help us better examine the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.

‘Unfortunately, the kidney was so badly affected that it was no longer viable and needed to be removed. We then carried out the necessary abdominal surgery to correct the birth defect anomaly.’

The whole surgical repair lasted four hours, including the CT scan, but Jadzia came through and recovered incredibly quickly.

Lukasz said: ‘By the next morning, we were back in the island and Jadzia was already showing her playful side.

‘The first thing she did when I took her out of the car was to chase after the chickens! Her appetite had also returned to normal within hours, a testament to her resilience and strength.’

As a vet, Lukasz was especially appreciative of the expert work carried out by the team at Kentdale.

He said: ‘I can't say enough good things about the team at Kentdale Referrals. From my very first email, the staff were fantastic. We felt warmly welcomed at the hospital, and the vets were friendly, informative, and supportive.’