Katie Strickland, 4, was a bloodied mess after she was attacked by a family friend's Rhodesian Ridgeback - cross last week.
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| Katie Strickland, 4, has bounced back after suffering horrific head injuries from a dog attack. Picture: Tim Carrafa |
Katie is now singing and dancing her way around the ward after a 7 1/2-hour operation by plastic surgeon Sian Fairbank and her team.
"The scalp had been shredded at multiple levels," Dr Fairbank said.
They worked through the night, taking four vein grafts from her arms and using sutures finer than a human hair to reconnect the blood supply.
Dr Fairbank said Katie had been amazing. "It's a very distressing episode, but the family have dealt with it really well," she said.
Dr Fairbank said doctors were still monitoring Katie to ensure the area did not become infected.
Intensive care flight paramedic Mike Wells said he feared the worst when he arrived at Katie's home in Pakenham.
"The poor little girl was covered in blood, she had a very severe injury going from her scalp all the way down the back of the neck," Mr Wells said. "I was telling her she was going to be OK and the ambulance would be here soon."
Katie's mum, Sharon Morrison, said she could not believe how well her daughter had bounced back.
Ms Morrison credits her recovery to the treatment and the 24-hour vigil they have kept, along with Katie's father, Matthew Strickland, and his partner, Jo, at her bedside.
"She's a rough-and-tumble kid, but she's also very girly, so she's been dressing up - she's back to her spunky self," she said.
Ms Morrison said no one saw the attack coming.
"For some reason the dog jumped the fence and just grabbed her," she said.
She remembers her bloodied daughter was silent when she was brought inside and her head was wrapped in a clean towel.
"She's a really tough kid," Ms Morrison said.
The family have two dogs and was looking after the ridgeback-cross for a friend. They dog has since been destroyed.
"He was always really affectionate and quite quiet," Ms Morrison said.
"On the flip side, it has attacked my child. If any dog does that it has to be put down, no questions asked."
(News Limited - Feb 2, 2012)
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