When
Friday 13 Dec 2024
Where
Christmas Appeal – Help Thousands of Pets Like Teddy
Pets like Teddy need your help.
Please support our charitable work this Christmas.
Teddy is a little four-year-old Yorkshire Terrier. His favourite pastime is playing with his ball – his owners report that he is ball-obsessed!
Teddy presented to the clinic following a road traffic accident. He was limping badly on one of his hind legs and showed signs that he was finding it difficult to breathe. His breaths were shallow, and his tongue colour suggested he wasn’t taking in oxygen.
We gave Teddy pain relief and sedated him to take X-rays of both his chest and his hips to figure out what was wrong. He had broken several ribs along with his pelvis. Worryingly, we could not see a clear diaphragm and the outline of his heart was obscured. This told us that Teddy had a ruptured diaphragm, and this was why he was struggling to breathe. When the diaphragm ruptures, the organs of the abdomen such as the stomach, the liver and the intestine can move up into the chest. This prevents the lungs from expanding. We knew we had to act fast to save Teddy’s life.
Repairing a torn diaphragm can be a complex and difficult procedure. The patients are often very unstable for the anaesthetic. They need to have their breathing regulated and performed for them during the entire surgery. While operating was his only hope for survival, there was a high chance that he might not make it.
During the surgery our nurses, Michelle and Jennie, managed his anaesthetic and his breathing, keeping him alive while we repaired the very large tear in the diaphragm, which was torn completely from one side to the other. Many of his organs were already in his chest, compressing his lungs.
Teddy fought with all that he had to stay with us. The surgery was a success, we were able to repair the tear, and Teddy was able to breathe by himself again.
After surgery nursing and patient-care-assistant staff provided post-op care including pain relief. Teddy remained on oxygen to ensure he remained stable. He continued to improve day by day. Now he is back safe and sound with his loving owners.
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