Cali has given me several sleepless nights. She’s still in intensive care; but she is out of the woods. She’s only a baby at eight weeks old.
She presented on Friday evening after a very unfortunate accident. Being a mischievous and curious and silly puppy; she climbed into a mop bucket with bleach water, and she panicked, and flailed around. Her owners kindly gave me permission to tell her story; so please don’t leave any judging comments below. They were absolutely devastated, and they have been crying non stop.
When she presented, her temperature was only 32 degrees, and she was having a delayed drowning crisis. Her lungs were full of fluid and damaged; and her oxygenation was dangerously compromised.
My amazing team swung into action. We dropped everything. We got as much water out as we could; placed an iv line; started warming her; administered intravenous emergency drugs; and started supportive therapy. She was hypothermic, and in shock. Everybody helped.. Mariana, Avril, Katie and our students.
I placed a nasal oxygen cannula to give her life support, and I watched her around the clock. I just wasn’t going to let her die.
Her oxygenation was very bad just after midnight at only 52 percent. I did physio, and used drugs to help her; along with fluid support and monitoring her using SpO2 measurements and ECG. She also had acupuncture; which is very powerful and can take immediate effects on the cardiovascular system. I threw the book at her. We’ll do anything if we think a patient willl survive; but the odds were stacked against her.
Her radiograph was bad. She had non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema; and possible pulmonitis and pleurisy from the chemical irritant.
At 4am her oxygen saturation started to improve to 82 percent; and she started to recover.
She was eating by the morning, and she has continued to show slow improvements. She’s still on oxygen support; but she’s making good progress. Her lungs are damaged, but I’m hopeful that she’ll make a full recovery. She’ll be monitored and undergo treatment for a number of weeks; but she is making excellent progress.
She has been the best girl, and she has stolen our hearts!
