esupi
Warren Veteran
I've just collected Mango from the crematorium, and although I'm still heartbroken, I'm feeling a little more clear-headed now. I'm not looking for more ammunition to beat myself (or the vet!) up with, but would really like to understand more about what happened to him, what treatment he had, what could have been done differently etc - my biggest mistake was not getting him to the vets sooner, but given how quickly it all happened, I could easily come home from work to find somebun in a similar state and would really like to learn from this.
So - I took Mango to the vets at about 10.30 pm. At this point his stomach was hard and very swollen. I asked later (after he died) if he had been in shock by this point and the vet said no (she didn't take his temperature while I was there though). The vet diagnosed bloat, and gave me the option of leaving him there or bringing him home. She said if I left him there they would put him on a drip, which obviously I couldn't do at home, although he would be split from Tulip that way. She said even if I brought him home I should split them, as it would be the only way to monitor his output. So - I opted to leave him there.
At this point I understood he would receive painkillers and something for gut motility. I asked if he would be x-rayed for a blockage, and the vet said it was unlikely a blockage, and that they would monitor him initially and just try to get his gut moving again. I guess this is my first question - can bloat occur without a blockage? Is it even possible to recover without surgery? Is it normal not to x-ray straight away? If not how long do you give it before you do? She did say he had quite bad bloat, but didn't seem overly concerned. I asked about the prognosis and she said 'they don't always make it, but we've just had one go home today after making a full recovery'. From what I've read since, is it right that bloat is very difficult to treat, and often fatal?
I couldn't sleep, and rang the vet at 4.30 am for an update. The vet came to the phone and said his bloat never reduced, but a short while ago he had nibbled some greens, which they saw as a good sign. Then just before I had called he had had a fit and died. Presumably this is a result of pressure on his heart? Why would he have eaten at all if he wasn't feeling better?
They had tried to resuscitate him without success, which doesn't surprise me given the state I left him in - I can only imagine the stress and pain his poor little body was under
This is what's listed on the bill: Catheter, 'giving set supreme' (presumably related to drip?), metacam, baytril (for the abscess she found at examination I think), emeprid (twice - gut motility?), adrenaline (not sure what for...).
It's obviously too late for Mango, but I really would like to know if I should have done something differently, or pushed for something else, so that I will be better prepared should it happen again. I've tried to read up about it, but not getting a very clear picture - confusion between bloat and stasis is everywhere - are they the same thing? I had always thought not. Mango had the odd bout of stasis, and so does Truffle, but I've never seen their stomachs like that before!
Any advice/tips/knowledge much appreciated - sorry for the long post.
So - I took Mango to the vets at about 10.30 pm. At this point his stomach was hard and very swollen. I asked later (after he died) if he had been in shock by this point and the vet said no (she didn't take his temperature while I was there though). The vet diagnosed bloat, and gave me the option of leaving him there or bringing him home. She said if I left him there they would put him on a drip, which obviously I couldn't do at home, although he would be split from Tulip that way. She said even if I brought him home I should split them, as it would be the only way to monitor his output. So - I opted to leave him there.
At this point I understood he would receive painkillers and something for gut motility. I asked if he would be x-rayed for a blockage, and the vet said it was unlikely a blockage, and that they would monitor him initially and just try to get his gut moving again. I guess this is my first question - can bloat occur without a blockage? Is it even possible to recover without surgery? Is it normal not to x-ray straight away? If not how long do you give it before you do? She did say he had quite bad bloat, but didn't seem overly concerned. I asked about the prognosis and she said 'they don't always make it, but we've just had one go home today after making a full recovery'. From what I've read since, is it right that bloat is very difficult to treat, and often fatal?
I couldn't sleep, and rang the vet at 4.30 am for an update. The vet came to the phone and said his bloat never reduced, but a short while ago he had nibbled some greens, which they saw as a good sign. Then just before I had called he had had a fit and died. Presumably this is a result of pressure on his heart? Why would he have eaten at all if he wasn't feeling better?
They had tried to resuscitate him without success, which doesn't surprise me given the state I left him in - I can only imagine the stress and pain his poor little body was under
This is what's listed on the bill: Catheter, 'giving set supreme' (presumably related to drip?), metacam, baytril (for the abscess she found at examination I think), emeprid (twice - gut motility?), adrenaline (not sure what for...).
It's obviously too late for Mango, but I really would like to know if I should have done something differently, or pushed for something else, so that I will be better prepared should it happen again. I've tried to read up about it, but not getting a very clear picture - confusion between bloat and stasis is everywhere - are they the same thing? I had always thought not. Mango had the odd bout of stasis, and so does Truffle, but I've never seen their stomachs like that before!
Any advice/tips/knowledge much appreciated - sorry for the long post.
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