KodysGrandma
New member
Ron has been in and out of hospital since July, sometimes blood sugar, sometimes heart related (not attacks).
We decided to take a week's vacation and go to the property in VA and relax Labor Day week-end. Fortunately took a friend with us.
Got just across the state line and had tire trouble. WalMart only place with the right size. They would not allow Thunder in any AC space so he spent 45 minutes on hot asphalt in mid 90 temps. Had a fan and water but it was not enough. Put cold cloths on him when we got back in van but we needed a vet ASAP. Found one just off the first exit from I-65. They got him into a cooling tub ASAP but first temp they could get was 109.4 so it was probably over 110. Vet told us he thought Thunder would not make it, but if he did there would probably be residual effects. Come 5 PM they were closing and Thunder needed 24 hours care.
Our Choices- 2 hours back to Pensacola, 2.5 to Auburn Vet School or 1.5 to Montgomery, AL. We choses Montgomery. They took him into their intensive care unit and started work on him. Said same thing the first vet did and also that the first 12 hours would be critical. At 10 PM he was still with us. In the morning he was still there. By the time we got to see him at 10 Sat. they had IVs in 2 legs, oxygen, he'd had 1 plasma. Later Sat morning he got another plasma and Sat night whole blood. He did recognize us early Sat which was a plus. Sun. he had improved and they were encouraged although not totally confident. Monday all seemed pretty good except his platelets, only 30,000. Tues platelets were up to 60,000, they could see under the scope that they were good and healthy so he got to come home. Our friend had done all the driving for us around Montgomery which was wonderful. Vet told us his heart rate had gone over 300 at one point when she injected ACE and brought it down.
He could not walk however and they had made him a sling. Medical long sleeved scrub body rolled up to meet sleeves, then the whole thing wrapped with vet wrap. Made a nice long fat and strong sling. We got him in the house.
The next day Ron went back in the hospital. Since Thunder couldn't walk and there was no one else to help me with him I cleaned up a lot of pee and poop from the tile. We ordered him a Help Em UP harness on Friday which came Mon. Has been a wonder.
He's doing pretty well- so is Ron but Thunder's hind end is still a little weak. He needs the harness on the tile but not carpet or outside on ground or concrete.
He doesn't seem as anxious to go for our walks so today I got him some Previcox to see it that will help. I suspect the heat stroke really aged him.
Lesson- if you are going to have to stop at WalMart for an emergency on the road and you have a dog susceptible to heat stroke with you find them AC before you hit WalMart. I am in an on-going disagreement with them. If I lose I will post the story Internet wide, probably Change.org. They should not be allowed to treat animals like that.
We decided to take a week's vacation and go to the property in VA and relax Labor Day week-end. Fortunately took a friend with us.
Got just across the state line and had tire trouble. WalMart only place with the right size. They would not allow Thunder in any AC space so he spent 45 minutes on hot asphalt in mid 90 temps. Had a fan and water but it was not enough. Put cold cloths on him when we got back in van but we needed a vet ASAP. Found one just off the first exit from I-65. They got him into a cooling tub ASAP but first temp they could get was 109.4 so it was probably over 110. Vet told us he thought Thunder would not make it, but if he did there would probably be residual effects. Come 5 PM they were closing and Thunder needed 24 hours care.
Our Choices- 2 hours back to Pensacola, 2.5 to Auburn Vet School or 1.5 to Montgomery, AL. We choses Montgomery. They took him into their intensive care unit and started work on him. Said same thing the first vet did and also that the first 12 hours would be critical. At 10 PM he was still with us. In the morning he was still there. By the time we got to see him at 10 Sat. they had IVs in 2 legs, oxygen, he'd had 1 plasma. Later Sat morning he got another plasma and Sat night whole blood. He did recognize us early Sat which was a plus. Sun. he had improved and they were encouraged although not totally confident. Monday all seemed pretty good except his platelets, only 30,000. Tues platelets were up to 60,000, they could see under the scope that they were good and healthy so he got to come home. Our friend had done all the driving for us around Montgomery which was wonderful. Vet told us his heart rate had gone over 300 at one point when she injected ACE and brought it down.
He could not walk however and they had made him a sling. Medical long sleeved scrub body rolled up to meet sleeves, then the whole thing wrapped with vet wrap. Made a nice long fat and strong sling. We got him in the house.
The next day Ron went back in the hospital. Since Thunder couldn't walk and there was no one else to help me with him I cleaned up a lot of pee and poop from the tile. We ordered him a Help Em UP harness on Friday which came Mon. Has been a wonder.
He's doing pretty well- so is Ron but Thunder's hind end is still a little weak. He needs the harness on the tile but not carpet or outside on ground or concrete.
He doesn't seem as anxious to go for our walks so today I got him some Previcox to see it that will help. I suspect the heat stroke really aged him.
Lesson- if you are going to have to stop at WalMart for an emergency on the road and you have a dog susceptible to heat stroke with you find them AC before you hit WalMart. I am in an on-going disagreement with them. If I lose I will post the story Internet wide, probably Change.org. They should not be allowed to treat animals like that.
