- 4 weeks ago
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00:00This program is brought to you by Open Paddock, a more open pet food company.
00:04Welcome to ReadyVet Go, the vet paramedics.
00:08Australia's veterinary paramedic service responding to critical pets at home,
00:13bringing pre-hospital care and emergency transport to pets and owners in crisis.
00:18Redefining the standard of care and bridging the gap between home and hospital,
00:23combining emergency vet medicine with the human ambulance,
00:27taking you where cameras have never been before,
00:31into the complexity and the fight for survival.
00:34This is ReadyVet Go, the vet paramedics.
00:41Though New Year's Eve fireworks are a celebration for many,
00:45for pets they can be terrifying and dangerous.
00:50For four and a half year old saint, local fireworks have prompted a scared dash outside,
00:55which has left him frightened and with painful injuries.
01:00There's never a time when a pet suffering from an injury or illness is okay,
01:04but when they're caused by people's actions who completely disregard the effect that this has for surrounding pets,
01:11it's extremely frustrating.
01:13Saints owner Kirsty has called in the ReadyVet Go team
01:17after noticing blood on the ground and a significant change in saints' usual demeanour.
01:23As humans, we have the luxury of being able to differentiate this sound
01:27and associating it with something that isn't harmful.
01:31If more people could empathise with this perspective,
01:35we would reduce these types of injuries and worse.
01:38After looking into it further,
01:40Kirsty has noticed that there's a piece of saint's paw pad on the concrete outside.
01:44She describes that Saint is usually a lively and social boy,
01:48but is now extremely reserved.
01:51What's more concerning is that he has reacted to Kirsty's daughter
01:53when she tried to check his paws.
01:55Saints' defensive behaviour has made Kirsty reluctant to try to move him
02:00and get him into the emergency hospital.
02:02Saints' behaviour tells us immediately how much pain he's in.
02:06He's not just limping, he's really avoiding movement.
02:09That tells us this isn't just a sore foot, he's really struggling.
02:13Considering that Kirsty has actually found a piece of his paw pad outside,
02:18it's the same as us losing a layer of skin
02:21and then having to put the pressure of their body weight onto it.
02:25It's exposed and raw and it's incredibly painful.
02:29Getting a chance to look at his paws proves to be risky,
02:32even for the experienced team.
02:35So, for safety, they apply a soft muzzle.
02:38Saints' reactivity is not a reflection on him or his owners.
02:44If I were in that much pain and someone came along to make it worse,
02:47I can imagine my response isn't going to be a good one.
02:50How we approach this could actually impact future associations
02:54with pain, vets and even his family.
02:56I really want the opportunity to clean that pad
02:59and apply some steroid ointment on there.
03:02In order to help Saint, his pain needs to be under control.
03:06We can accomplish, you hold on to him, Nick.
03:08We just have to give him some time with that pain relief
03:11and see how much he will let us assess.
03:13We know he needs treatment, but forcing it is not going to help.
03:18If he panics, we're right back to where we started.
03:21So, we need to slow everything down.
03:25Give him time to relax and work at his pace.
03:28We would like to get at least one application of ointment onto his paws
03:31to start soothing the damage.
03:33The ReadyVetGo team await for the pain relief to take effect
03:37in order to be able to assess the extent of the injury.
03:41But despite giving it some time,
03:43it's clear that Saint's pain is too severe.
03:46Good boy.
03:47Oh, we know. We know, buddy.
03:48Good boy. Good boy. Good boy.
03:55OK.
03:56I think this is not going to be very successful.
03:59Ideally, we'd love to get it bandaged,
04:02but with how Saint is at the moment,
04:04it would require heavy sedation with monitoring.
04:07Otherwise, this is going to be very distressing for him.
04:10Opting to reduce the stress of persisting with treatment,
04:13the team abort the mission and look for another strategy.
04:18Good boy.
04:20Positive.
04:22Yeah, are you whacking your tail now?
04:24Did you win?
04:27No.
04:28Our alternative method to managing this
04:31essentially means there's a higher risk of ongoing pain and infection.
04:35We always have to run the options by the family
04:37and get consent for things like heavy sedation and any intervention.
04:41But sedation comes with a risk.
04:43With the options put forward,
04:45owner Kirstie decides to attempt the less invasive choice
04:49and avoid a heavy sedation for Saint.
04:51If we can get some anti-inflammatories on board
04:54and antibiotics to prevent infection,
04:56along with keeping him inside as much as possible,
04:59I'm confident we will be able to get around this.
05:02As long as we're able to come back
05:03and check up on the pause in a few days' time.
05:05This case is a great example
05:07of how pain can change a dog's behaviour.
05:11Saint is usually a really friendly and trusting boy,
05:14but the level of discomfort he was in made him defensive.
05:18With Saint having to stay inside without bandages,
05:21there is a risk of some bleeding.
05:23Although it's not life-threatening,
05:25it will certainly be a pain for both Saint and Kirstie.
05:29Blood stains can be tricky to clean,
05:31but Nature's Miracle Advanced Stain and Odour Eliminator
05:34are specifically designed to break down organic stains
05:37like blood, urine and faeces.
05:40It helps remove stains without leaving behind a strong scent,
05:43which is important when you've got pets and children at home.
05:46The Advanced Stain and Odour Eliminator
05:49is safe to use on different surfaces
05:51like floors, carpets and even furniture.
05:53Having a reliable cleaner like this on hand
05:56means you can focus on helping your pet heal
05:59without having the added stress of worrying about the cleaner.
06:09The Ready, Vet, Go! paramedic team
06:12have been called to the inner suburbs of Melbourne.
06:1516-year-old Tigger is extremely unwell
06:18and it's reported that she has collapsed.
06:20Kelly, Tigger's owner, is being assisted by her friend, Randolph.
06:25Kelly is deaf, which makes escalating veterinary care
06:28in an emergency like this much more complex.
06:32The Human Emergency Services call centres
06:34have a fabulous system for people with communication barriers.
06:38We unfortunately don't have this yet in the vet world.
06:40Being called to a collapsed 16-year-old dog
06:43on a 39-degree day
06:44doesn't necessarily narrow things down
06:46as to what may be the cause
06:48but it gives us some ideas
06:50about what could be contributing factors
06:52to the presentation
06:53so that when we arrive
06:55we can put our assessment right into place.
06:57In saying this,
06:58it's also reported that Tigger hasn't been eating for days.
07:01If she has had a stomach bug for a few days
07:04and isn't taking in hydration
07:05then gets hit with this heat,
07:07it's enough to push things over the edge
07:09in a major way.
07:11Unaware of the full extent of Tigger's presentation
07:13the team arrive to the address
07:15however, they are having trouble
07:17finding the right apartment.
07:20We follow all of the details provided.
07:23We knock on the right apartment number
07:24and the door opens
07:25only to find that this isn't the right place.
07:29We already have serious concerns about Tigger.
07:31Minutes, sometimes even seconds
07:33can mean the difference
07:34between being able to intervene in time
07:37and getting there just too late.
07:38And now having the wrong apartment
07:40in this building
07:41is only adding to the time
07:42that I'm not sure Tigger has.
07:44I double check all of the information given
07:46and everything is right
07:48and we just don't know what's going on.
07:51I'm trying to contact Randolph
07:52and I get no answer.
07:54The street address is divided
07:56into two apartment complexes.
08:00It is an emergency situation.
08:02Yes, it does.
08:04Yeah.
08:05Finally getting back in contact with Randolph,
08:08they are taken in quickly to assess Tigger.
08:11We look at how the patient responds
08:13or doesn't respond to us when walking in.
08:16Two strangers with a bunch of equipment
08:18and a camera crew
08:19and Tigger barely flinches.
08:22It's not the be-all and end-all of an assessment
08:24but Nick and I both know
08:26before even putting hands on Tigger
08:27that we are not in a good way.
08:29But although Tigger's presentation is dire,
08:33it's important that composure is maintained.
08:35Just see where she's sitting at
08:36and then we can have a conversation after that.
08:40Rest and reassurance in any medical event
08:42is a pivotal management skill that we apply.
08:45If we were to come in and act hysterical
08:47and start throwing equipment around
08:49and emptying the contents of the bag on the floor,
08:52we're setting up a recipe for chaos.
08:54Keeping families as calm as possible
08:56allows us to get the information
08:58that we need to help Tigger.
09:00Pets are more likely to be as calm as well.
09:03We don't want Tigger to be worked up
09:05and increase her heart rate
09:07and her breathing rate in this condition.
09:08Our initial assessment goes from head to toe.
09:11As we start getting each piece of information,
09:14I'm becoming less convinced
09:15this is a problem caused by
09:17an environmental factor like heat.
09:19Her temperature is normal
09:20but she is down and barely responsive.
09:23And when we look at her gums,
09:25I really don't like what I'm seeing.
09:26Our worry at this point is that
09:28this is something that is even more sinister
09:30than a heat stroke.
09:32She's not presenting as a typical heat stroke
09:34and the numbers aren't either.
09:36I'm communicating with Kelly via notes
09:38app on my phone
09:40and Kelly lets me know
09:41that leading up to this event,
09:43Tigger has been drinking
09:44an excessive amount of water.
09:46Often when we get a history
09:47of a collapsed older dog
09:49whose family reports
09:51they've been drinking a lot,
09:52it does make us concerned
09:53that they might be losing fluid
09:55or blood from somewhere in their body
09:57and that drinking is them
09:58trying to make up for that loss of fluid.
10:00With gums that are pale
10:01and her heart racing,
10:03this is a sign that Tigger could be in shock.
10:06With pale gums,
10:07we know that oxygen delivery is not good.
10:10Taking the blood pressure,
10:11I'm expecting it to be low,
10:13but it's quite the opposite
10:14and even though Tigger isn't responsive,
10:17she's probably stressed
10:18and in pain from whatever is going on.
10:21If her heart rate stays this high
10:23with a high blood pressure,
10:24she could be at risk of a stroke
10:25and if there is a bleed,
10:27then that pressure could only be made worse.
10:29While still exploring the underlying cause,
10:32the goal in this moment
10:34is to stabilise Tigger
10:35to prevent any further progression
10:37of the illness
10:38and to maximise Tigger's comfort.
10:41In the stabilisation process,
10:43we want to find out
10:43if there are any reversible causes.
10:46We test Tigger's blood sugar
10:47and it's normal.
10:49If it were low,
10:50it could have explained
10:50why she was so unresponsive.
10:53We've got the oxygen machine on
10:54and finally getting a reading
10:56and it's really low.
10:58Sitting at about 89%,
10:59this could be another reason
11:01why the heart is compensating
11:02with such a high heart rate.
11:04By getting pain relief on board,
11:06we hope that we can reduce
11:07the heart rate and blood pressure
11:09to start meeting that oxygen demand.
11:11We start administering that straight away.
11:13Things just aren't adding up here
11:14and everything is pointing
11:16to a loss of internal volume somewhere.
11:18When I physically feel Tigger's abdomen,
11:20something's just not right there.
11:25There's a firm structure
11:27and it makes me concerned
11:28that we need to go looking further
11:30and start discussing
11:31some really serious options for Tigger.
11:33Paul begins to prepare
11:35for an abdominal ultrasound,
11:37hoping to find some answers
11:38for Tigger and her family.
11:40Whether it's good or bad,
11:42we need answers soon.
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12:0216-year-old Tigger has collapsed at home.
12:14The ReadyVetGo team
12:15has begun stabilisation,
12:17but her pale gums,
12:19racing heart,
12:20and dangerously low oxygen levels
12:22point to something serious.
12:25Having felt an abnormality
12:26in her abdomen,
12:28an ultrasound is prepared
12:29to get a better look at this
12:31and see if the cause
12:32of Tigger's presentation
12:33can be found.
12:35Tigger's presentation
12:36isn't exactly adding up here,
12:38but with Paul feeling this mass,
12:40the ultrasound is something
12:42that will point us
12:42in the right direction
12:43about how bad this might be.
12:45As I'm looking around
12:47with this ultrasound,
12:48I'm expecting to see
12:49some free fluid in her abdomen,
12:51but it's just not there.
12:53Unfortunately,
12:54it's not long before
12:56a prominent abnormality
12:57presents itself on the ultrasound.
12:59Looking at Tigger's spleen,
13:01I'm able to see
13:02some really noticeable changes
13:03to that organ,
13:04and it explains a lot
13:06of what we're seeing.
13:07There is an area
13:08that looks very abnormal,
13:09so she's got what looks like
13:11a mass of some sort.
13:15Yeah.
13:16So I think that on her spleen,
13:18this is the organ
13:20in her flat part of her belly,
13:22may have cancer.
13:25So her lungs are here,
13:27and the spleen is down here
13:29in her lower belly.
13:31The spleen is near her liver
13:35in her abdomen.
13:38If Tigger were a human,
13:40we know that we would be
13:41putting her straight in an ambulance
13:42and heading into hospital.
13:44But there are so many more
13:46considerations when it comes to pets.
13:48Tigger's recent history,
13:49combined with her current presentation
13:51and what we've been able to find,
13:54are starting to make sense.
13:55But this is not a good picture
13:56for Tigger or for her owner, Kelly.
13:59Getting her into hospital
14:00is going to be very involved
14:02and could potentially end up
14:03with an outcome that's not ideal.
14:06What we know for certain
14:07is that staying at home
14:08is not an option.
14:10It would likely be fatal
14:11without surgical intervention.
14:13Our job isn't to influence a decision,
14:16but it's to purely support
14:17the decision-making process
14:19with as much information as possible.
14:21We're left with the decision
14:23of whether Kelly wants to get
14:24Tigger into hospital
14:25or if Tigger is
14:27at an end-of-life stage
14:28where Kelly decides
14:29not to pursue treatment.
14:31Humane euthanasia
14:32in that situation
14:33may be the best option.
14:34This cancer might spread
14:36to other areas of her gut
14:37and stop her from eating.
14:38The only way to help diagnose
14:40and fix the problem
14:41would be with something like surgery,
14:42going into her belly
14:43to find the mass.
14:46I think this problem
14:47would be fatal
14:48if it's not treated.
14:49And then I think that
14:50if we weren't going to treat her,
14:52then I think putting her to sleep,
14:53euthanising her,
14:54would be the most fair decision.
14:56Unfortunately,
14:58and I'm very sorry.
15:00We never want to put
15:01any pressure on families
15:02to make such a hard decision
15:04with us being there in the room.
15:06It's really important
15:08that they have some time
15:09to discuss this event,
15:10which is really traumatic.
15:12It may not be a good outcome
15:14to get Tigger into hospital,
15:15but it would allow time
15:16for them to be able
15:17to process this situation
15:18a little bit better.
15:21I'm very sorry.
15:23I'm so, so sorry.
15:24Yeah.
15:27And I just want you
15:28to feel like,
15:30is that,
15:30I want you,
15:32yeah.
15:35Yeah.
15:40With the support
15:42of the ReadyVetGo team,
15:43Tigger was provided
15:44with additional pain relief
15:46and with Kelly by her side,
15:48she received the medication
15:49that let her pass away peacefully.
15:54All right, Nick.
16:01Tell me,
16:03what are we heading to?
16:04All right.
16:05All right.
16:06A call comes in
16:07from the Veterinary Referral Hospital
16:09in Dandenong.
16:11A four-and-a-half-year-old
16:12grudel named Alfie
16:13is recovering from a snake bite.
16:15These types of transports
16:17are one of our favourites.
16:19We get to come in
16:20after the crisis
16:21and make sure
16:21that all the hard work
16:22and effort
16:23of the hospitals
16:23and clinics continue.
16:25Alfie had already been
16:26in hospital for a few days
16:27and is recovering so well
16:29that he can now graduate
16:30from the Specialist Hospital
16:32and be monitored
16:33by the Gippsland Veterinary Hospital
16:35for the rest of his recovery.
16:37Having received
16:37anti-venom
16:38and stabilisation
16:39by the Veterinary Referral Hospital,
16:42Alfie is on strict orders
16:44to reduce as much mobility
16:46as possible.
16:47When pets are lucky enough
16:48to get to this stage of recovery,
16:50there is still a period of time
16:52where residual toxins
16:53in the system
16:54can be circulated
16:55from muscle breakdown
16:56caused by the venom.
16:58Movement circulates the venom
17:00and can be detrimental
17:01to Alfie's vital organs.
17:03To reduce this,
17:05the medical team
17:05don't want Alfie to walk at all,
17:07not even to get to the ambulance.
17:09Alfie is sedated
17:10from an earlier procedure
17:12to drain 700 ml
17:13of urine.
17:15A temporary catheter
17:16was placed
17:16after he struggled
17:17to go on his own.
17:19Surviving a snake bite
17:20doesn't mean that Alfie
17:21has come out unscathed.
17:23Anti-venom was administered
17:24very quickly,
17:25but the venom in his body
17:26had already started
17:27causing some damage.
17:29Brown snake venom
17:29acts on our nerves
17:31and muscles
17:31and can cause some paralysis.
17:33So to ensure
17:34that Alfie doesn't get blocked,
17:36a urinary catheter
17:37was put in place
17:37to prevent any complications.
17:39We're really glad
17:40that Alfie has made it
17:41past the initial hump,
17:42but it doesn't mean
17:43that he's out of the woods
17:44just yet.
17:45With over an hour
17:46of travel,
17:48Alfie has the potential
17:49to get really anxious
17:50or maybe even too excited
17:52and that can be dangerous
17:53for him.
17:54Keeping some sedation
17:55front and centre
17:56is definitely something
17:57he'll need for this trip,
17:59particularly with the risk
18:00that any other excitement
18:02could bring that catheter
18:03straight out.
18:04Aware of the complications
18:05that could arise
18:07and with a newborn baby
18:08at home,
18:09Alfie's owners
18:10want to ensure
18:11that the road
18:12to recovery,
18:13and we mean that literally,
18:15is as smooth as possible.
18:17We only want
18:18the extra sedation
18:19to be used
18:19if absolutely necessary.
18:21So we're getting him
18:22to the van
18:22and we'll monitor him closely.
18:24Carried out
18:24to the ambulance,
18:26Alfie is settled in
18:27for the ride back
18:28to his local vet hospital.
18:30Despite Alfie having improved
18:32over the last few days,
18:33he's under strict instructions
18:35to have reduced mobility
18:36so that toxins
18:37from his muscle breakdown
18:38don't damage his vital organs.
18:41Alfie's family
18:42have already said
18:43that a big reason
18:43that they didn't want
18:44to do this transfer themselves
18:46was because Alfie
18:47is just not a good traveller.
18:49So this one
18:51makes me a little bit nervous.
18:53It's really important
18:54that Alfie stays calm
18:55and still in this transport
18:56back to his regular vet hospital.
18:59A lot of movement
18:59can cause those toxins
19:00to circulate
19:01but also he has
19:02a urinary catheter in
19:03while his bladder muscles
19:04are still recovering.
19:06If he moves around too much,
19:07he quite literally
19:08could rip that out
19:09and, well, yeah,
19:11I don't even really need
19:12to say why that's not great.
19:14Having travelled
19:14extremely well for the trip,
19:1715 minutes out
19:18from the destination,
19:19Alfie begins to stir.
19:21I notice that Alfie
19:22is giving out a whimper
19:23every now and then
19:24and it starts to increase.
19:26It seems that sedation
19:27and strong pain medications
19:29aren't strong enough
19:30to take out a dog's ability
19:32to smell a familiar environment.
19:35It's almost as if he knew
19:36exactly where we were heading.
19:37Quite literally,
19:38I see the sign
19:39that we were entering
19:40the Gippsland area
19:41and almost right on cue,
19:43that's when he starts
19:45to get worked up.
19:46It's cute,
19:47but not cute enough.
19:48We would have liked
19:49to have avoided sedation,
19:50but if the benefit
19:51outweighs the risk,
19:52then we need to go with that.
19:54And it is just enough
19:56to get Alfie through
19:57the rest of the trip
19:58and safely back
19:59to West Gippsland Vet Care
20:00where he'll remain
20:02under supervision
20:03and monitoring
20:03for the next few days
20:05until he can toilet himself
20:07once again.
20:08Alfie is in
20:09for the long haul.
20:11I don't envy his family
20:12needing to keep him
20:13confined for the next few weeks,
20:15but they are committed
20:16to ensure that he is
20:17back to his normal self
20:19as soon as possible.
20:20One of the hardest parts
20:21is pets don't have
20:22an idea of time.
20:23So with him being confined,
20:25you also can't explain
20:26how long it's for
20:27or why it needs to be done.
20:29But the alternative
20:30isn't something
20:30we can explain to him either.
20:32It's all in his best interest
20:34and hopefully it's all
20:35going to be a distant memory
20:36very soon.
20:38One week later,
20:39Nick returns to check up
20:41on Saint's recovery.
20:42It was great to see Saint
20:44as his normal self again.
20:46Kirstie has said
20:46that he was up and walking
20:48the next day.
20:49What's more important
20:50is that he was really happy
20:51to come and greet me today
20:52despite the pain
20:53that he was in
20:54when we saw him.
20:55It's a good sign
20:56that he hasn't associated me
20:57with that traumatic feeling
20:58and that he will continue
21:00to be his normal self.
21:01Just going to have
21:02a quick look at his paws
21:03if he lets me.
21:04Oh, that looks awesome.
21:06That's great.
21:07An injury with
21:08ongoing wound healing,
21:09just like Saint's,
21:10requires good protein intake
21:12for proper healing.
21:13It helps build new tissue
21:15and speeds of repair,
21:16particularly in areas
21:17like the paw pads,
21:18which receive all
21:19of the pet's weight.
21:20Open Paddock's
21:21higher welfare chicken kibble
21:23has 31.8% crude protein,
21:26giving Saint the amino acids
21:28needed for collagen production,
21:30which helps strengthen
21:31and repair his damaged paw pads.
21:33It's important
21:34that when Saint eats,
21:35he's taking his anti-inflammatories
21:37and antibiotics.
21:38A palatable,
21:39high-protein diet
21:40will help ensure
21:41he's getting both the nutrition
21:42and the medication he needs.
21:44It's a simple way
21:45to support healing
21:46from the inside out
21:47and help him get back
21:48to his normal, active self.
21:49that's a natural
21:50massive sense.
21:51And that's a classic
22:09Truth.
22:10We just arrived outside the home of one of the very important fosterers as part of the
22:17All for Paws dog rescue program.
22:20She's someone that many of you at home might be familiar with.
22:22You might have seen her watching others on TV and now she's part of our TV program.
22:26We're here to see Evie Jones to make sure she's got some nutritious products for the
22:29foster dogs.
22:30We're also going to be bringing in an Excel therapy mat to help manage any sort of pain
22:33or anxiety any of these older dogs are feeling.
22:35As a veterinarian, I've witnessed how Excel animal therapy can truly transform the lives
22:40of my patients.
22:42This therapy system uses advanced cycloid vibration therapy to help pets heal more quickly,
22:47ease pain and feel comfortable.
22:50I wholeheartedly recommend the Excel therapy system to pet owners who are looking for a
22:55safe, non-invasive way to bring relief to their furry friends.
23:02Next time on Ready Vet Go, the clock is ticking as Paul and Nick race against time to transport
23:09Pebble's six-year-old bull terrier, Peggy, has become lethargic after several days of vomiting
23:16and diarrhoea.
23:17And when Toby's breathing takes a sudden turn for the worse after a recent heart failure
23:22diagnosis, his family is faced with an impossible decision.
23:26Attention all pet lovers, want to win a premium open paddock dog food and snacks pack?
23:32It's easy.
23:33Just head over to openpaddockpet.com.au.
23:36Into your details and you can be the lucky winner of delicious and nutritious open paddock
23:41for your four-legged friend.
23:42Each week we will give five lucky viewers the chance to win a $250 open paddock food and
23:47snack pack for your pet.
23:49Their formulas are crafted as a complete and balanced main meal to ensure your dog is getting
23:54all the nutrients needed for a lifetime of adventures.
23:57Visit us now and enter for your chance to keep your dog healthy and happy all year long.
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