Vets save dogs rescued from house fire
Holly Kernot, Vet Times

Vets save dogs rescued from house fire

Staff at Seadown Veterinary Services Hythe Veterinary Hospital in The New Forest swung into action when bichon frise Buddy and cross-breed Daisy were rushed in after an electric fire broke out in their owner’s home.

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Vets save dogs rescued from house fire

Buddy and Daisy were brought back from the brink of death thanks to the clinical skills of the team at Seadown Veterinary Services in Hampshire.

Holly Kernot February 13, 2019

Daisy receiving emergency oxygen after being rushed to Seadown Veterinary Services Hythe Veterinary Hospital.

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Two dogs that survived a house fire are on the road to recovery after receiving life-saving veterinary treatment.

Buddy receiving emergency care.

Staff at Seadown Veterinary Services Hythe Veterinary Hospital in The New Forest swung into action when bichon frise Buddy and cross-breed Daisy were rushed in after an electric fire broke out in their owner’s home.

‘Unresponsive’

Vet Sophi Dolbear said: “Daisy was unresponsive when she was carried in. Buddy was slightly more alert, but both were in a bad way. The whole team of vets and nurses quickly set to work providing oxygen via face mask and assessing injuries.

“The carbon monoxide exposure from the fire causes the gums to go a very dark brick red, so oxygen supplementation is the most important treatment initially to reverse this. Thankfully, neither dog had any thermal burns to their skin, nor ulcers to their eyes. We then worked to wash the soot off them.”

While Buddy responded well to treatment, staff remained concerned about Daisy, whose lungs had been severely affected by the smoke inhalation.

She was given bronchodilators to help open the airway as much as possible. While Buddy held his own and was discharged a few days later, Daisy required continual oxygen supplementation for three days. She was kept in for a longer period of time so staff could continue to monitor her and administer antibiotics.

Dr Dolbear added: “We’ve had a few check-up visits since and were relieved Buddy was back to his normal cheeky self in no time. Daisy took some time to recover and relished being hand-fed for a few weeks.

“Her respiratory fitness was severely affected and they may well have problems in the future, but are both doing very well so far. The team are thrilled the Porter family have their dogs back alive and well after what must have been an incredibly stressful time.”

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