Showing posts with label xray. Show all posts
Showing posts with label xray. Show all posts

Monday, March 21, 2011

living on the edge

Today I hear is the first day of spring. Exactly a year ago I arrived in Vermont a small scared puppy. I cried a lot at night in the beginning, Petunia growled all the time when I came near her, and I almost drown in our pond!
Today I weigh 80 pounds, I snore instead of cry at night, Petunia LOVES me, and yesterday I accidentally almost drown my mom in our pond! Some advise, don't run up behind someone while they are standing by a half frozen pond and bump them..... not a good idea.
On the menu at S.A.V.E.S. this week was some pretty odd things. The first was Violet, a very (did I say very) pretty boxer. I wish we had met under different circumstances, I know she would have fallen for me. Instead Violet arrived with a strange appetite for razor blades.
Disposable Razor Blade
Violet was having a hard time keeping anything down, she wasn't eating and really felt awful. She came to S.A.V.E.S. because her veterinarian diagnosed  a foreign body in her stomach. Violet had eaten a disposable razor blade and it was stuck in her stomach. The first attempt to remove the object was performed by endoscopy. Endoscopy involves running a very small camera down into the stomach, locating the object and then retrieving it via the same equipment's "grabber" tool. Violet's razor did not want to come out in this manner.
Removing the Razor Blade
The next step was to surgically remove the blade. My dad took Violet to surgery and performed a gastrotomy. Once the stomach was located he made a small incision into her stomach wall and retrieved the razor blade.

Surgical Monitoring
It was pretty cool, I get to watch all the surgeries through the observation glass, someday I think I want to be a surgeon like my dad. My mom monitored the anesthesia with all sorts of machines that beeped and made funny sounds. Air kept filling the blood pressure cuff with a whoosh, the heart monitor showed every heartbeat on the screen, and another monitor showed how much oxygen was circulating in her bloodstream Really cool stuff. The table is even heated! Who would figure!

Violet Recovers From Surgery
After surgery Violet recovered in the recovery stall with Carm (that's what I call her but her real name is Carmelita) one of the nurses at S.A.V.E.S. She had lots of blankets and a big heating pad full of warm air. The nurses stay with the patients until they are fully recovered.

Violet My Love
Violet is home now and probably the only way I will ever get to see her again is if she decides to eat another razor. I know it sounds awful but I kind of hope she does so I can talk to her again! She was so pretty!
Appetite for Lingerie
This poor guy swallowed a bra! It also had to be removed with surgery! Think I will stick to my canned and dry food! Tata for now!

Monday, May 31, 2010

police dogs, grass, and progress


Good morning! Boy I am sooo glad it cooled off a little. Last week was brutal with temps. in the 90's some days. I got to see my first thunderstorm, it was really cool but Petunia got all nervous and paced through the house. Dad said we should start her back on Composure, a natural supplement that takes "the edge off" as he said. Petunia said it really made her feel better last year when the big booms came!

Wow Canine Awareness Day at the West Lebanon Feed and Supply was soooo much fun. I got to meet the police dogs that work for the Vermont State Police and Lebanon Police. The were racked no that was "jacked", all fit and fierce. They showed us how they catch the bad guy, sniff out drugs, find missing people!
First there was this bad guy (he was just an actor!)

Then the police dog did his thing!
First he waited patiently.......
He never took his eye off his officer, then when the bad guy started attacking the officer, he sprung to action!!!
These guys are going to be at Small Animal Veterinary Emergency Services (S.A.V.E.S.) open house on June 26th so don't miss them.
Speaking of S.A.V.E.S. the emergency hospital is scheduled to open this coming week. I must really be helping alot because my mom keeps saying "Boy Ollie, you are SOOO much help"!

We have been painting all weekend. Everyone laughs when they look at me, guess I got a little close to the freshly painted walls.

The new xray system has been installed. The doors leading into surgery and xray are automatic so that if someone is carrying a patient the doors will open all by themselves!!!
Stay tuned til next week and could you do me a favor, many people have said that they clicked on my follow info. and it didn't seem to work. Can you give it a try for me? I love making new friends and want to make sure my site is working well. Ta ta for now!