We at VBB central typically share the heartbreaking cases where a beloved pet suffers due to owner misbehavior, poor choices, etc. Here's one where everything worked out, courtesy of one of our readers and her personal pet:
One Saturday afternoon I got a call from an rDVM that he was sending a 10 week old Boxer with white gums and a hematoma on his head over to my e-clinic. When he got to us he was indeed white and had a couple of spots of bruising. I questioned the client and after she made a phone call we found out the puppy had been in a room with rat bait the day before. I worked up an estimate for hospitalization, blood work, supportive care and a transfusion of plasma as well as packed RBC's (my e-clinic does not stock whole blood). The total came out to around $1500. The client was devastated and told me she couldn't afford treatment.
I happened to have brought my 5 year old standard Aussie to work with me that day to have him shaved down for the summer by our groomer. So after pondering what I could do about the bill (I'm just an associate, I don't set prices and can't make much in the way of executive decisions), I offered her an alternative. I said if she could pay for hospitalization, a few medications, and the transfusion set I would bleed my own dog to donate blood for her. She spent the next hour calling friends and family to help with the bill (it came to around $600) while we sedated my dog and collected 400mls of blood from him.
Boomer the boxer did smashing. He went home the next day acting like a normal bouncy puppy with 6 weeks worth of vitamin K. I told the 8 year old little girl that hugged him at pick up that she better take good care of him because he now had a little piece of my aussie in him.
such a great story I love those stories when everything works out as it should, thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt is heartwarming to hear a great story like this. Thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteVirtually ever vet I know has used their dog or cat as a blood donor. And many of the vet techs as well. Many clinics do not have in house donors or blood banks. The pets of the staff and veterinarians become the unsung heros of vet med. While we cannot always type or cross match the blood, in an emergency it will usually work.
ReplyDeleteSo cheers to all of the animals that help us do our jobs!
This is so nice to read!! I am a vet myself and my German Sheperd is a blood donor since he's been old enough. I love the idea of helping so much and he loves the idea of tons of treats after lying on the table for ten minutes :-))
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