A great vet and a great nurse...

[Richard Crowe]

We rescued Mitzi, a year old Maltese-Poodle, from a Los Angeles area shelter and noticed that she was having respiratory problems...

We assumed that it was kennel cough, so we isolated her and used a humidifier and began a regimen of antibiotics. Although kennel cough is viral in origin, antibiotics are usually prescribed to prevent any secondary bacterial infection. The humidifier also generally helps the dog breath.

However, Mitzi did not improve so we visited our vet who took an X-ray which indicated that this little girl had a rupture in her diaphragm allowing her intestines to press against her lungs preventing normal breathing. Our vet recommended surgery for the next morning.  Dr. Pearson of Pearson's Animal Hospital in San Marcos, CA, is wonderful and gives us great care at a remarkably low price for our rescues.

She charged six hundred dollars for the surgery which would have cost between two and three thousand dollars anywhere else.

Mitzi came through her surgery but needed her chest aspirated every two hours to remove any fluid build-up.  Our vet doesn't have 24-hour care so Judy called several 24-hour vets who quoted prices of between one and two thousand dollars for the night's care. Judy is a retired registered nurse with operating and recovery room experience.  Our vet taught Judy how to aspirate Mitzi.  We picked up Mitzi at the vet's closing time and Judy cared for Mitzi.  

We brought Mitzi back to the vet at 6:45 this morning.  She will stay with the vet all day and we will take her home tonight and bring her back to the vet tomorrow morning.  If there is no fluid by tomorrow, they will remove the catheter.

However, when the vet saw Mitzi this morning, she smiled and said, "I think that we have saved her!"  This is a combination of a great vet and a dedicated nurse...

[Camilla and Darwin]

Great story Richard, this is wonderful.

[Bonnie and Kona]

What a heartwarming story! Thank you for sharing. We need to hear about such caring vets more often. 

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

You guys are amazing, along with your vet. Thank you!

[Kyoko]

Wonderful and touching story.... Thank you for all you do....

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks for another great save, Richard, and please give your wife a big hug of gratitude from her friends here on DK. 

[cheryl & oliver]

that is so great, So glad that Mitzi is going to have a great life ahead of her.  Being a retired nurse, I am sure that Mitzi was in the best hands she could have been in with Judy taking care of her.  I took care of Oliver's open leg infection, the vet showed me what to do, and I did it, draining, cleaning and bandaging.  Of course what your Judy did is much more involved, so hats off to her, and to you and your very special vet..

[Gail and Bailey]

You guys are THE BEST!!!

[Pat and Traveler]

Wow, Richard!  You are angels!  Mitzi is one lucky little girl.

[Leslie and Halas]

Aww, what a sweet story.  Mitzi's going to have a great life now!