A woman was left fighting for breath after a horror dog attack involving a Cane Corso dog – the dog responsible for the brutal attack was put down shortly after the incident
A woman was left gasping for air after a dog bite resulted in her throat being crushed. The terrifying attack involved a Cane Corso dog, which shattered the woman’s voice box.
The breed is not restricted in Ireland and while the woman was familiar with the dog, she did not own the animal. The attack was unprovoked, and the dog was put down shortly after the incident.
She was rushed to Beaumont Hospital in north Dublin, where surgeons had to perform an operation to create an opening in her neck after her airway had completely collapsed. The intensity of the bite was so severe that it left the woman with two puncture wounds on the front of her neck, causing her throat cartilage to splinter into pieces, an injury typically associated with high-speed car accidents.
The woman also developed surgical emphysema – a frightening condition where air escapes from the windpipe and becomes trapped under the skin.
The case was outlined in the April 2026 issue of the Irish Medical Journal. Doctors characterised voice box trauma following a dog bite as a “rare but potentially life-threatening injury,” reports Dublin Live.
They also highlighted the injury was more commonly observed in children due to the woman having “stridor” – which is noisy, laboured breathing – and surgical emphysema. The team at Beaumont had to carry out an emergency tracheostomy to bypass the crushed larynx before undertaking complex reconstruction.
She needed a laryngeal stent to maintain an open airway for two weeks, along with numerous subsequent procedures. Astonishingly, the medical team reported an “optimal recovery” for the woman.
The tracheostomy was successfully decannulated, which means the tube was taken out, and she could breathe independently in a normal manner. A follow-up check (flexible nasendoscopy) verified that the woman’s vocal cords were functioning normally.
This suggested she preserved both the structural and neurological function of her voice box, and she then received specialised speech and language therapy to aid in restoring her ability to swallow and speak.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.