A Four Legged Christmas Tale With the ending of another year Alnorthumbria Vets reflect upon some of the most memorable stories and procedures that have taken place across their practices this year. In the festive spirit, Dr Sara Sampson, vet at Alnorthumbria Vets talks about one of the most extraordinary stories this year; “With Christmas rapidly approaching it makes us reflect upon the animals we have treated over the past year. There are several who stand out but there is one whose story I would like to tell. It’s a Hollywood style ‘against all odds’ tale featuring three heroic dogs and a great veterinary team, that all rallied round to make sure one very little brave Spaniel made it to Christmas. Two months ago, as I was finishing emergency surgery there was a knock on the practice door, and for the first time I came face to face with the beautiful Cocker spaniel Maggie. She had become increasingly withdrawn and with her unusually dark brown urine her owners were worried she had a severe urinary tract infection. After a thorough exam, however, it became clear she was suffering from a life threatening condition called immune mediated haemolytic anaemia, which results in the body’s immune system attacking and destroying its own red blood cells. Maggie’s blood volume was so low we not only had to stop the immune system’s attack but we also needed to give a life-saving blood transfusion. With little time to act I raced home and collected my 7 year old Labrador, Odin, to act as a blood donor. Within 1 hour of being given the transfusion and her medication Maggie’s cheeky, affectionate character started to shine through and she became increasingly lively as our nurses sat up with her throughout the night. Although not out the woods she went from strength to strength over the next 36 hours. Sadly, although looking brighter, Maggie suddenly took a turn for the worse as her blood volume again dipped to a dangerous level. This time it was another vet’s dog, the large affable Newfoundland, Hudson, who came to the rescue and Maggie found herself having a second transfusion. With this second transfusion Maggie’s system began to fight back and her blood volume continued to increase. As each day in the hospital passed we became increasingly attached to her so were equally sad and delighted when, after eight days, she was strong enough to go home on medication. We all look forward to her monthly visits to check her blood volume and are happy to say she is back with her loving family getting ready for Christmas.” Blood donors are a vital part of the Alnorthumbria Veterinary Team and our staff have several dogs we use. However, we are always looking for more donors so if you would like your dog to be considered please give us a call. (they must be healthy, between 2 years and 8 years and over 20kg). We look forward to hearing from you – and have a very Merry Christmas!” To find out more about the work that Alnorthumbria Vets do, you can visit alnorthumbriavets.co.uk or visit @AlnorthumbriaPets on Facebook.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 20:47:55 +0000
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