Pete the vet - Seve gets his second wind

SEVE was a twelve-year-old Boxer, who was an adored family pet. Over a ten-day period, he became sleepier than usual. He did not want to go for his normal walks. He no longer jumped up to greet people. He just wanted to stay in his bed and sleep. At the same time, he lost interest in food, he vomited once and he began to drink more than normal. It became increasingly obvious that there was something seriously wrong with him. When I examined Seve, the cause of the problem was not obvious. Further investigations were necessary. Blood samples were analysed, urine and faeces samples were scrutinised, and X-rays of his chest and abdomen were studied. The tests ruled out many of the common serious conditions of older dogs, but we could still not pinpoint what was ailing him. Meanwhile, Seve continued to be dull and lethargic. He continued to drink a lot. He suffered more episodes of vomiting. The next stage of investigations would become more complicated. Specialists could be recruited to carry out ultrasound examinations of his whole body. Further blood tests could be carried out to obtain a different perspective on other aspects of his internal organs. The cost of the investigations would begin to become increasingly prohibitive. His family adored him, but Seve was twelve-and-a-half, and he had enjoyed 'a good innings.' There was no guarantee that the expensive tests would be able to produce a clear diagnosis, and even if the diagnosis was made, we could not promise that we could cure him. It was a difficult situation. Seve was given symptomatic treatment, with intra-venous fluids, antibiotics and other drugs in an attempt to help his general condition. To complicate matters, Seve now developed some other baffling physical signs. His eyes became red and sore, and they seemed to have a bulging appearance. What on earth could cause his unusual combination of symptoms? We had devised a list of possible causes but none of them stood out as being highly likely, and it was impossible to go further without getting into the complicated and expensive diagnostics. Was Seve simply at the end of his natural life? How long should his owner fight on? We decided to go back to the beginning again, and review the entire situation from the start. Repeated blood tests still showed only minor changes. Another X-ray of his abdomen still did not show anything startling. But wait a minute â€â€ there was a gas pocket on the abdominal X-ray that was absolutely identical to a gas pocket on the earlier X-ray. That was strange. Gas pockets in intestines should come and go, like the bubbles children blow into the air. Another X-ray was taken. The same gas pocket was still there. There had to be a physical cause for this long-lasting gas pocket. Seve was anaesthetised and an operation allowed a close physical examination of the interior of his abdomen. The cause of his problem was now obvious. A tiny rubber bouncy-ball had been causing a partial obstruction of his upper small intestine just beyond the exit to his stomach. On X-rays, the ball had the same consistency as gas. This was the mysterious 'long-lasting gas pocket.' Nobody in his house knows where the ball came from, so there are aspects of Seve's mysterious condition that have still not been solved. The rubber ball was surgically removed, and after a few days in intensive care, Seve went home. He is still wearing a plastic collar to stop him from licking his wound, but he is now well on the road to a full recovery. As the saying goes, 'there's life in the old dog yet.' Visit Pete's website at www.petethevet.com.