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Hi guys - back from our wedding in one peice, the whole shebang went well. I'll post in the "to our mate, Metho" thread when I get back from work. Until then, I have the most amazing story to tell you; basically it's what happened to my brother and I over the last 5 hours.
Rob and I slept in late today, we were rooted after a very tiring trip to Brisbane - lotsa celebrating
We originally planned to go to Lourne, a sea-side resort town, overnight for a short stay b4 I returned to work Friday. But we were just happy to be home and we decided not to go.
About mid-day, we headed down to the local shopping centre to window shop and get some groceries. My brother gives us a call in the supermarket to ask us to pick up some dog food as we'd just run out. Shortly after, we finish the shopping and return home. Paul, my bro, and the dogs had gone; we assume to the park for a run. I had time to put down the last of the groceries in the kitchen and then the phone rings...
"MARK !!! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, GET DOWN TO THE FLAT SIDE OF THE PARK,FAST "
Paul's voice sounded majorly distressed and exhausted so I knew there was serious trouble. I clarify exactly where Paul was at the HUGE local park, grab the car keys, tell Rob "Paul's in trouble !!", then shoot out of the house. 45 seconds had passed.
In 90 seconds I was at the park. I couldnt see the secion of park Paul was at from the first side street I took - U turn - speed to the next side-street, 30 seconds wasted. I get to the end of this street and see the section of park Paul had described to me.
I jump out of the car and whistle loudly.....no reply. I whistle again.....no reply. I move over to the flat section of park and see some colour 200 meters away. It was Paul.
As I run over towards Paul, I see then he is crouched over one of the dogs, his pelvis pinning the dogs hind quarters down and his chest pinning the dogs upper body down.
45 seconds after leaving the car I crouched in fron of Paul. His hands are covered in blood, his face is distorted with exertion, his voice like sand paper, parched dry from exertion.
"GET THE CAR!!" Paul pleads, Then I saw what was happening.
One of our dogs, Sarge, had a ball lodged in the back of his throat. He was unable to breathe and had already droped unconscious. For the past 15 mins, Paul had been forcing air down the dogs nose with enough pressure to get past the ball.
All of Paul's attempts to remove the ball were met with Sarge in panic - chewing Paul's finger tips. The blood on paul's hands was his own. I saw gashes and punctures, fat and muscle were protruding from the wounds and he was unable to try and dislodge the ball anymore.
All he could do was ram enough air down the Sarge's wind pipe to keep him alive.
Meanwhile - I run back to the car to get try and get it in. Sarge's condition is compounded by being unable to pant and cool himself down. After ru7nning round the park for 30 mins, he was already hot.
No luck with the car - it stays 200 meters away. I run back to Paul and we work at getting the ball out together. I have my hand down his throat trying to get a grip at the same time trying to stop him from biting me. Sarge's pupils are fixed and dilated.
I see that the ball wont dislodge by reaching in and picking it up like you would normally pick up a ball. Paul is still forcing air down Sarge's nose as I try to free his wind pipe.
I try another technique by forcing the ball forward with one hand under Sarge's throat, the ball comes forward, all airflow through the nose stops, I manage to get a finger in behind the ball and POP!! the ball comes out.
Sarge immediately starts panting but his pupils are fixed and he cant see, he has little control over his tongue and limbs. All he could do was pant.
OK, he was getting oxygen but he has also been overheating to dangerous levels for nearly 15-20 mins and the race to the animal hospital was on.....
Our other dog had wandered off earlier and as Paul is carrying Sarge to the car, Im whistling the tree's leaves down trying to get Bo to heel. But he was awol.
"You take Sarge to the vet, I'll look for Bo, we dont want to loose both dogs..." Paul directed. We tried to remember where the nearest vet was (3 min drive), but could only knew where our regular vet was, 10-15 mins away.....
I was outta there. With Sarge lying in the back seat we tear outta the park and head for the vet. Driving away with one hand hold Sarge's head steady so he could pan properly, I just knew which direction the 3 mins vet was but not precisely where. Then sarge lifted his head up himself to pant. With a reassuring hope, the precise location of the 3 min vet popped into my head and step on the gas.
I arrive and Sarge, covered in blood and saliver, could just raise his head a bit and pant. I rush into the vet and we're taken into a consultation room. The vet and I exchange what happened and for how long - then she proceeded to examine.
A normal dogs temperature is 38 Degs celcuis, 41 Degs is very dangerous, 43 Degs is usually fatal - Sarge is 42 degs !!!!
I pick up Sarge from the examination table, his body limp and hot, and follow the vet into the treatment surgery. The vet outlines treatment for like 60 secs and I eventually say "ok!!! just go go go!!"
I leave the surgery to let the vet do her thing and go clean up. Then I wait out front. In 15 mins time the vet calls me in. Sarge is in a cage lying on the floor. His body is covered in cool wet towels and I see a drip in his arm, the tube leading to a bag of clear fluid floating in a bucket of cold water...
It doesnt look good. But Sarge could lift his head up, I knew he could hear me, I told him to hang in there and reassured him.
With Sarge handled for the meantime, my mind shifted to Paul and Bo. Paul was clearly in shock, badly hyperventilated and his hands were in need of immediate attention. So the vet tells me they will mobile us in 60 mins with a progress report, with that I shoot out the door, into the car and race back home.
Arriving there, I hear Bo's bark (thank god)he's safe, Rob comes out looking shocky her self. She told me that Paul flew inside looking like a horror movie stand in, said the vet's phone number is back in the car, nothing else. He grabs the cordless phone and runs back to the car. Next thing Paul drove off leaving Rob in a mortified mystery.
I tell Rob what has happened, chocking back the emotion. I was worried sick that Paul, in his condition has sped off to a car to a vet that I didn't go to. I was worried that he'd smash himself up.
I ring ahead to the 15 min vet and leave a message for Paul that Sarge is at the other vet and how to get there. Rob and I write big messages for the front and back door of the same thing then hop in the car and head back up to the vets (45mins after I drop him off).
Pulling into the Vet car park, we see Paul's car. "Thank fuck for that.", I say. We go inside, Rob waits in the foyer while an assistant takes me to Paul who had just arrived there a few secs b4 hand. His hands are a mess, he looked very distressed and pale but he had his senses and wanted only to see Sarge and get updated.
Sarge was still unchanged. Panting, no pupil response and very little motor control. He was able to lift his head and prick his ears. Blood was flowing, mixed with saliver from his mouth as he panted. All we could do was wait and see how the anti inflamatory medication worked.
We then had to get Paul to a doctor. He wases himself up as best he can and the vet provides some assistance. We go out to the car park with instructions from the vet that we should ring in another 90 mins. Paul and Rob get into our car, I drive off in Paul's. At the end of the street Rob toots her horn at me.
"Go home first" she yells. Confused, I indicate ok and drive home. Rob pulls up the driveway and I go up to the car. I see Paul, head back, holding his hands and just weeping - he broke down. There we sat in the garage crying together what seemed like an eternity. Sarge, who is like a child to us, his life hanging by a thread.....
Eventually we collected ourselves enough to grab Paul's wallet, change his shirt and clean his hands again. Then I took him to the doctors.
A while later, after Paul and I had returned home from the doctor, the vet calls.
"Sarge has stabilised but is still in a serious condition."
Basically, his brain was still inflamed, he was loosing protien via the bowels and throwing up blood. He was stable enough to stay at the vets overnight, however there was risk of organ failure - small risk but still there. We were given the choice of leaving Sarge at that vet overnight, but all staff went home after 8pm. Or we could transfer Sarge to a 24 hour monitored hospital.
We decided to do so, but we had to transfer him in the car. Rob and I jumped in the car and headed over to the vet. Rob had not seen Sarge yet and was quite upset. When we walked in the surgery, sarge was sitting up panting. Tongue limp and swollen, eyes slightly bulging and pupils fixed and he was still blind, his brain was still very swollen. However he was able to track his eyes and he definately responded to our voices. Sarge was alive and kicking. Rob spent the entire time giving Sarge a constant flow of reassurance with her voice and her hand on his face.
The vet told us Sarge started growling at em when trying to examine him, but thats his normal behaviour. This was a good sign cause it meant the majority of his personality and memory was intact. Normally in a passive/friendly dog this would mean permanent damage to the cerebellum - the personality.
The vet wrote us out a referral and in short time we were off to the hospital, 10 mins away. Rob nursed Sarge in the back seat while I drive smoothly along.
As I'm carrying Sarge into the hospital, Rob and I notice Sarge is looking around. I could see a flicker of movement in his pupils. My hope soars at that point.
Sarge was taken immediately into surgery for further treatment. Then we wait 20 mins for a vet to come out and update us. I watch them work from outside the building in the carpark through a window.
Soon one of the surgeons makes their way out to the waiting room. She gives us a reassuring look and ushers us into a consultation room. The prognosis was....
Sarge has stabilised more. The pressure in his brain has relieved and vision has returned. We were waiting for this news because fixed pupils can eith be 1) permanent brain damage 2) pressure on the optic nerve. It was B
Sarge was still passing protien ( in poop)and vomiting blood. So his organs were not functioning properly and he has ulcers in the stomach. But the main thing was that his brain had bounced back.
We'll know in about 9 hours if he on the mend. 24 hours after that we'll know if he's going to make it and how completely he'll do it.
My Bro saved his life. He endured a shit wad of pain and exertion to keep Sarge alive for 15 mins until he managed to call me on the mobile and we eventually cleared his wind pipe together. We got him to the vet 25 mins after the incident while his temperature suared to that fatal level of 43 Degs. But we got the job done it seems, JUST in the nick of time. Thank FUCK Rob and I didnt end up going to Lorne. We know very few ppl to call in the area we live.
I wub my Bro, I wub my dog, I wub my wife and I wubbed telling you guys about this story about life in the balance....
Rob and I slept in late today, we were rooted after a very tiring trip to Brisbane - lotsa celebrating
We originally planned to go to Lourne, a sea-side resort town, overnight for a short stay b4 I returned to work Friday. But we were just happy to be home and we decided not to go. About mid-day, we headed down to the local shopping centre to window shop and get some groceries. My brother gives us a call in the supermarket to ask us to pick up some dog food as we'd just run out. Shortly after, we finish the shopping and return home. Paul, my bro, and the dogs had gone; we assume to the park for a run. I had time to put down the last of the groceries in the kitchen and then the phone rings...
"MARK !!! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, GET DOWN TO THE FLAT SIDE OF THE PARK,FAST "
Paul's voice sounded majorly distressed and exhausted so I knew there was serious trouble. I clarify exactly where Paul was at the HUGE local park, grab the car keys, tell Rob "Paul's in trouble !!", then shoot out of the house. 45 seconds had passed.
In 90 seconds I was at the park. I couldnt see the secion of park Paul was at from the first side street I took - U turn - speed to the next side-street, 30 seconds wasted. I get to the end of this street and see the section of park Paul had described to me.
I jump out of the car and whistle loudly.....no reply. I whistle again.....no reply. I move over to the flat section of park and see some colour 200 meters away. It was Paul.
As I run over towards Paul, I see then he is crouched over one of the dogs, his pelvis pinning the dogs hind quarters down and his chest pinning the dogs upper body down.
45 seconds after leaving the car I crouched in fron of Paul. His hands are covered in blood, his face is distorted with exertion, his voice like sand paper, parched dry from exertion.
"GET THE CAR!!" Paul pleads, Then I saw what was happening.
One of our dogs, Sarge, had a ball lodged in the back of his throat. He was unable to breathe and had already droped unconscious. For the past 15 mins, Paul had been forcing air down the dogs nose with enough pressure to get past the ball.
All of Paul's attempts to remove the ball were met with Sarge in panic - chewing Paul's finger tips. The blood on paul's hands was his own. I saw gashes and punctures, fat and muscle were protruding from the wounds and he was unable to try and dislodge the ball anymore.
All he could do was ram enough air down the Sarge's wind pipe to keep him alive.
Meanwhile - I run back to the car to get try and get it in. Sarge's condition is compounded by being unable to pant and cool himself down. After ru7nning round the park for 30 mins, he was already hot.
No luck with the car - it stays 200 meters away. I run back to Paul and we work at getting the ball out together. I have my hand down his throat trying to get a grip at the same time trying to stop him from biting me. Sarge's pupils are fixed and dilated.
I see that the ball wont dislodge by reaching in and picking it up like you would normally pick up a ball. Paul is still forcing air down Sarge's nose as I try to free his wind pipe.
I try another technique by forcing the ball forward with one hand under Sarge's throat, the ball comes forward, all airflow through the nose stops, I manage to get a finger in behind the ball and POP!! the ball comes out.
Sarge immediately starts panting but his pupils are fixed and he cant see, he has little control over his tongue and limbs. All he could do was pant.
OK, he was getting oxygen but he has also been overheating to dangerous levels for nearly 15-20 mins and the race to the animal hospital was on.....
Our other dog had wandered off earlier and as Paul is carrying Sarge to the car, Im whistling the tree's leaves down trying to get Bo to heel. But he was awol.
"You take Sarge to the vet, I'll look for Bo, we dont want to loose both dogs..." Paul directed. We tried to remember where the nearest vet was (3 min drive), but could only knew where our regular vet was, 10-15 mins away.....
I was outta there. With Sarge lying in the back seat we tear outta the park and head for the vet. Driving away with one hand hold Sarge's head steady so he could pan properly, I just knew which direction the 3 mins vet was but not precisely where. Then sarge lifted his head up himself to pant. With a reassuring hope, the precise location of the 3 min vet popped into my head and step on the gas.
I arrive and Sarge, covered in blood and saliver, could just raise his head a bit and pant. I rush into the vet and we're taken into a consultation room. The vet and I exchange what happened and for how long - then she proceeded to examine.
A normal dogs temperature is 38 Degs celcuis, 41 Degs is very dangerous, 43 Degs is usually fatal - Sarge is 42 degs !!!!
I pick up Sarge from the examination table, his body limp and hot, and follow the vet into the treatment surgery. The vet outlines treatment for like 60 secs and I eventually say "ok!!! just go go go!!"
I leave the surgery to let the vet do her thing and go clean up. Then I wait out front. In 15 mins time the vet calls me in. Sarge is in a cage lying on the floor. His body is covered in cool wet towels and I see a drip in his arm, the tube leading to a bag of clear fluid floating in a bucket of cold water...
It doesnt look good. But Sarge could lift his head up, I knew he could hear me, I told him to hang in there and reassured him.
With Sarge handled for the meantime, my mind shifted to Paul and Bo. Paul was clearly in shock, badly hyperventilated and his hands were in need of immediate attention. So the vet tells me they will mobile us in 60 mins with a progress report, with that I shoot out the door, into the car and race back home.
Arriving there, I hear Bo's bark (thank god)he's safe, Rob comes out looking shocky her self. She told me that Paul flew inside looking like a horror movie stand in, said the vet's phone number is back in the car, nothing else. He grabs the cordless phone and runs back to the car. Next thing Paul drove off leaving Rob in a mortified mystery.
I tell Rob what has happened, chocking back the emotion. I was worried sick that Paul, in his condition has sped off to a car to a vet that I didn't go to. I was worried that he'd smash himself up.
I ring ahead to the 15 min vet and leave a message for Paul that Sarge is at the other vet and how to get there. Rob and I write big messages for the front and back door of the same thing then hop in the car and head back up to the vets (45mins after I drop him off).
Pulling into the Vet car park, we see Paul's car. "Thank fuck for that.", I say. We go inside, Rob waits in the foyer while an assistant takes me to Paul who had just arrived there a few secs b4 hand. His hands are a mess, he looked very distressed and pale but he had his senses and wanted only to see Sarge and get updated.
Sarge was still unchanged. Panting, no pupil response and very little motor control. He was able to lift his head and prick his ears. Blood was flowing, mixed with saliver from his mouth as he panted. All we could do was wait and see how the anti inflamatory medication worked.
We then had to get Paul to a doctor. He wases himself up as best he can and the vet provides some assistance. We go out to the car park with instructions from the vet that we should ring in another 90 mins. Paul and Rob get into our car, I drive off in Paul's. At the end of the street Rob toots her horn at me.
"Go home first" she yells. Confused, I indicate ok and drive home. Rob pulls up the driveway and I go up to the car. I see Paul, head back, holding his hands and just weeping - he broke down. There we sat in the garage crying together what seemed like an eternity. Sarge, who is like a child to us, his life hanging by a thread.....
Eventually we collected ourselves enough to grab Paul's wallet, change his shirt and clean his hands again. Then I took him to the doctors.
A while later, after Paul and I had returned home from the doctor, the vet calls.
"Sarge has stabilised but is still in a serious condition."
Basically, his brain was still inflamed, he was loosing protien via the bowels and throwing up blood. He was stable enough to stay at the vets overnight, however there was risk of organ failure - small risk but still there. We were given the choice of leaving Sarge at that vet overnight, but all staff went home after 8pm. Or we could transfer Sarge to a 24 hour monitored hospital.
We decided to do so, but we had to transfer him in the car. Rob and I jumped in the car and headed over to the vet. Rob had not seen Sarge yet and was quite upset. When we walked in the surgery, sarge was sitting up panting. Tongue limp and swollen, eyes slightly bulging and pupils fixed and he was still blind, his brain was still very swollen. However he was able to track his eyes and he definately responded to our voices. Sarge was alive and kicking. Rob spent the entire time giving Sarge a constant flow of reassurance with her voice and her hand on his face.
The vet told us Sarge started growling at em when trying to examine him, but thats his normal behaviour. This was a good sign cause it meant the majority of his personality and memory was intact. Normally in a passive/friendly dog this would mean permanent damage to the cerebellum - the personality.
The vet wrote us out a referral and in short time we were off to the hospital, 10 mins away. Rob nursed Sarge in the back seat while I drive smoothly along.
As I'm carrying Sarge into the hospital, Rob and I notice Sarge is looking around. I could see a flicker of movement in his pupils. My hope soars at that point.
Sarge was taken immediately into surgery for further treatment. Then we wait 20 mins for a vet to come out and update us. I watch them work from outside the building in the carpark through a window.
Soon one of the surgeons makes their way out to the waiting room. She gives us a reassuring look and ushers us into a consultation room. The prognosis was....
Sarge has stabilised more. The pressure in his brain has relieved and vision has returned. We were waiting for this news because fixed pupils can eith be 1) permanent brain damage 2) pressure on the optic nerve. It was B
Sarge was still passing protien ( in poop)and vomiting blood. So his organs were not functioning properly and he has ulcers in the stomach. But the main thing was that his brain had bounced back.
We'll know in about 9 hours if he on the mend. 24 hours after that we'll know if he's going to make it and how completely he'll do it.
My Bro saved his life. He endured a shit wad of pain and exertion to keep Sarge alive for 15 mins until he managed to call me on the mobile and we eventually cleared his wind pipe together. We got him to the vet 25 mins after the incident while his temperature suared to that fatal level of 43 Degs. But we got the job done it seems, JUST in the nick of time. Thank FUCK Rob and I didnt end up going to Lorne. We know very few ppl to call in the area we live.
I wub my Bro, I wub my dog, I wub my wife and I wubbed telling you guys about this story about life in the balance....
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