Ted

Little Westie Ted managed to get himself into a whole lot of trouble when he decided it would be a good idea to eat some shingle!

He was brought in to see vet Gerard who admitted him for x-rays to see exactly how much he had eaten and how far along it had got! Ted was vomiting up little pieces of stone at this point and was understandably feeling very sorry for himself.

The x-rays showed that Ted had an obstruction and so he went into surgery to have the shingle removed from his stomach and intestines.

Here is his x-ray. You can clearly see the stones in his stomach and intestines!

The surgeon was unable to remove every last piece of shingle as it was present right through the gastrointestinal system, so after the procedure Ted was regularly x-rayed to ensure that it was all passing through properly.

Intravenous fluids and painkillers along with antibiotics and drugs to help his gut motility were all administered and Ted’s intensive nursing continued after the surgery both here and at PETS emergency clinic overnight.

Initially after his surgery Ted did very well, but all of a sudden two days later he looked uncomfortable and was reluctant to walk outside. He was definitely not his normal chirpy self. He was reassessed by vet Glenn who re-xrayed and was concerned that some of the remaining shingle had not moved through his gut. There was only one option, to open him up again and make sure that he had not blocked up again.

When Glenn had a look he was very concerned to see that Ted had developed a peritonitis. This is where the abdomen has become very inflamed and extraordinarily painful. In this case from a slight leaking of the contents of Ted’s intestine, either from damage that the shingle had caused or from the original surgery wound.

This was a far more serious situation now. Glenn checked and secured the previous surgery sutures and performed an abdominal lavage, flushing with sterile saline all through the abdomen to clean and lubricate everything. He was also able to move some of the remaining shingle a bit further through the intestines.

Another few days in the hospital, and going over to PETS overnight was required while Ted recovered from his second major surgery in a week!

He was supported with fluids and a menagerie of drugs and also very regular blood tests and monitoring and slowly he started to improve. His owners were coming in to visit and we started sending him home for the day but having him back twice to check his temperature and demeanour which Ted was very happy about!

Eventually he was fit enough to stay at home!

We are glad to report that Ted has made a full recovery and he was the natural choice for the Braveheart winner this month. He remained friendly and tolerant through everything he went through, something which few dogs manage and he still comes through the front door with a wagging tail to greet us!

Congratulations Ted! Sandhole’s Braveheart for July

Read more Braveheart stories