- 4 weeks ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00This program is brought to you by Open Paddock, a more open pet food company.
00:05Welcome to ReadyVetGo, the vet paramedics, Australia's veterinary paramedic service
00:11responding to critical pets at home, bringing pre-hospital care and emergency transport
00:16to pets and owners in crisis.
00:19Redefining the standard of care and bridging the gap between home and hospital, combining
00:24emergency vet medicine with the human ambulance, taking you where cameras have never been before.
00:31Into the complexity and the fight for survival, this is ReadyVetGo, the vet paramedics.
00:42We're headed to our next case, which is a dog named Legion.
00:46He is about 14 years old.
00:49He's a male-needed staffie.
00:50Legion has been vomiting since last night and has become quite flat and lethargic today.
00:56Christine's witnessed Legion being off balance and very reserved.
01:00She's really worried about how he's presenting.
01:03He's not eating.
01:04He's looking really weak after each vomiting episode.
01:07The most concerning part is that Christine has described that his vomit looks like feces.
01:13Hearing that Christine has described Legion's vomit to look like feces makes the red flag shoot
01:18up all at once. If Legion is genuinely vomiting feces, then we could automatically suspect a
01:24serious blockage in the gut.
01:26Talking to Christine on the phone, I can tell that she's really worried.
01:29To the point where she's actually talking about this potentially being an end of life situation.
01:34If this is a bowel obstruction or internal bleeding, we may be looking at making some hard choices.
01:40Nearly an hour away and with no other way for Christine to get Legion into hospital sooner,
01:46the team are hoping that they can get there in time for Legion.
01:50This is a long drive when you think a pet is really unwell.
01:54When they're in the ambulance, we've got everything here that we need.
01:58The most stressful part is actually getting to them in time.
02:02Despite this, the team use the travel time to plan how they will intervene if Legion is critically ill.
02:08Arriving at the destination, the team are greeted at the door by Christine, along with Legion.
02:15I've got to say, seeing Legion run up to us and greet us like that is not what I was expecting.
02:20Seeing him like that almost rules out some of our biggest concerns.
02:24So a handful of times vomited last night and then this morning as well.
02:28Three times.
02:28Yeah.
02:29Yeah.
02:29It just wouldn't get comfortable.
02:31Yeah, I saw that spot.
02:32And then this morning, he's had no sleep.
02:39We've actually seen Christine before a few months ago with her girl, Lucy, and my goodness, is she a character.
02:45How would we describe Christine?
02:47Very matter of fact, cuts to the chase, and a wonderful, loving pet owner.
02:53She's one of a kind, our Christine.
02:54Breathing an internal sigh of relief to see Legion up and about, the team get to commencing the examination.
03:01Before the assessment is completed, Christine, still on high alert, asks the hard question to the team.
03:09Yeah, well.
03:10Boy.
03:10Do you think he has to be put down?
03:12No.
03:12No, no, no, no.
03:13Well, I wouldn't jump to that conclusion right now.
03:16No.
03:16Straight away, we had to reassure her, no, Legion is not going anywhere today.
03:22But given her last encounter with us, her worry makes sense.
03:27It's hard not to jump to the worst case scenario when you've been through this before.
03:31Christine is still mourning her girl, Lucy, who presented in a similar state with us just a few months ago.
03:37His vitals so far look quite good.
03:38We just need to check his temperature.
03:41So his belly is pretty comfortable.
03:43He feels...
03:44You're all right?
03:44His temperature is normal.
03:45It's 38, which is normal for dogs.
03:48His heart rate's normal.
03:49I don't hear any murmurs in his heart.
03:51So sometimes when dogs are getting weak or they're collapsing, we want to make sure that
03:55they don't have...
03:56Well, we don't want to hear a heart issue like a murmur or an arrhythmia if their heart's
04:01beating out of sync.
04:03I'll flex on his hips and his shoulders and his joints and make sure that he's not got any
04:06pain that could make him weak.
04:09And you didn't see any blood in the vomit at all?
04:12Okay.
04:12And no, like, it kind of looks like coffee grounds, no, like, dirt-looking material.
04:17No, just these biscuits.
04:19Yeah.
04:20Okay.
04:21Focusing on the fact that he's had the vomiting and the wobbliness, right now he looks stable,
04:26he looks happy.
04:27And I'm really, really pleased to say that.
04:30What we would say is if he's not getting better with treatment at home, we can always just
04:35trial him at home.
04:36And if he's still feeling sick, fall back on option B, where we get him into a clinic or
04:41get him into a hospital for x-rays and bloods.
04:44That's where we'll start with every health issue.
04:47And it's something that, you know, if we try on medications at home today and then that
04:52fails, then getting him into his regular vet might be a bit easier.
04:56It's closer.
04:57It's often a cheaper option.
05:00And they also know his history as well.
05:01And now with the exam officially over, the treatment options at home are put into place.
05:07Gastrobacteria is such an easy one to transmit.
05:11It's warmer weather at the moment and more people out and about.
05:14So these guys can pick up the bug through the most simple of nose-to-nose contact or sharing
05:19the same public water bowl.
05:20We'll give him an injection that goes under the skin, kind of like he would get a vaccine.
05:25But we give him the injection under the skin that will help stop him feeling nauseous and
05:29vomiting for the next 20 years.
05:30So don't give him his chink food, just give him biscuits.
05:33Just the biscuits.
05:34And the other thing you can do is even like a bland diet.
05:36No adult beverages, no fatty meals, you know.
05:39Yeah.
05:40Yeah.
05:40The biggest role you have is to not be manipulated by him.
05:44Yeah.
05:44Which is...
05:44Yeah.
05:46Yeah.
05:47Looking to treat Legion at home, Christine is extremely grateful for a different outcome
05:53than what she first expected.
05:55Legion gets to recover at home and although he still needs some treatment, this is a good
06:00reminder that not every urgent call ends in tragedy.
06:04Catching this early makes a huge difference.
06:07It means shorter recovery times, less complications and keeps them out of hospital.
06:12Gastro can turn into a life-threatening condition.
06:15We're really glad that Christine called us today and we're really glad that she called
06:19us as early as she did.
06:21At one point we just looked at her and said, look, whatever you're doing to get these dogs
06:25to these ages, you need to write a book about it.
06:28Lucy made it to 14, Legion's 15 and still causing chaos.
06:33Clearly, Christine's doing something right.
06:3513-year-old Katara has been sneezing relentlessly for a few months.
06:48With multiple visits to the vets, steroids helped at first, but now the symptoms are returning
06:55and they are stronger than before.
06:57With all conservative options exhausted, Katara is booked in for a CT rhinoscopy to find out
07:04what's causing her discomfort and symptoms.
07:07The team from Insight Mobile Veterinary Diagnostics is stepping in with a mobile CT scan and rhinoscopy.
07:14A new concept in the veterinary world, the mobile CT scanner allows a more affordable and convenient
07:22option for CT imaging.
07:25Small animal medicine specialist Dr. Clint Udelman is on site with Insight, see what I did
07:31there, at Southern Animal Health to investigate Katara's concerning presentation.
07:37Liam's monitoring and recording Katara's vital functions on his monitoring chart there.
07:43So now that our patient's all happy, we're going to get Sam to start running the CT component.
07:51So part of our team here today is Liam.
07:54Liam's one of our expert CT nurses and he'll be monitoring her vitals during the anaesthesia.
07:59And then we've also got Sam, one of our CT vets, who will be managing the software and running the CT.
08:05Even in healthy pets, there's a small risk during sedation for this procedure, which is why
08:11these investigations are conducted with a highly skilled team that are prepared for anything.
08:16How's her anaesthesia going, Liam?
08:18Yeah, it's going pretty good.
08:19Nice and stable?
08:20Nice and stable.
08:21She's on one and a bit, percent?
08:23Yeah, just moved her up with one more breath.
08:26That's very inclusive.
08:28With the scan underway, the team is looking for changes in Katara's nasal passages,
08:34inflammation, infection, or even a mass obstructing airflow.
08:39When we do the scan, we would normally quite often use contrast with the scans.
08:45And contrast is just to highlight things like tumours or inflammation or abscesses.
08:50So contrast will flow through the blood vessels and that will show up very bright when it's
08:55hit with radiation.
08:56And that allows us to see where the blood's flowing and tumours have a highly vasculated
09:02contrast enhancement, we call it, because they take more blood, so they will show up nice
09:07and bright.
09:08So the CT on Katara has fortunately revealed nothing sinister.
09:12It looks suggestive of like a chronic inflammatory condition in her nasal cavity.
09:17So we can see on both the left and the right side quite a bit of kind of fluid accumulation
09:23and material, predominantly on the bottom aspect of her nose.
09:29A lot of the nasal turbinates, the bone scrolls in the nose, look pretty healthy and intact.
09:35But to be sure, a rhinoscopy is needed.
09:38This allows the team to visually examine the nasal passages and flush out any blockages.
09:43We're going to feed up a very fine scope, a rigid rhinoscope, to have a really close look
09:49inside her nasal cavity.
09:50And then inside that scope, we can also feed in a biopsy forcep and get a sample of her
09:56tissue to work out exactly what's going on inside of her nose.
10:00The rhinoscopy procedure comes with its own risks.
10:03If fluid were to leak from the nasal cavity and into the lungs, Katara could aspirate.
10:09To prevent this, the back of Katara's throat is packed with gauze to soak up any fluid.
10:15And because sneezing could also cause damage, local anaesthetic is used to keep Katara still
10:21and pain-free.
10:23But this isn't just about diagnosis.
10:26Flushing the nasal passages provides instant relief, helping Katara breathe easier immediately.
10:33Oh, God, that would be nice.
10:35With a clearer picture of Katara's condition, her treatment can now be tailored to ensure
10:41long-term relief.
10:42So we've taken the sample from Katara.
10:45She's recovered really well from her CT scan and anaesthesia.
10:48She's sitting up in her cage.
10:50And now we're going to submit her samples off to the lab and have results in a couple
10:54of days, hopefully to confirm what we suspect, which is all good news, just an inflammatory,
10:58chronic airway condition.
10:59Are you looking for natural goodness in your dog's diet?
11:04Open Paddock Dog Food is here for you.
11:06Their recipes are free from artificial colours, flavours and fillers, focusing on what truly
11:12matters, real nutrition.
11:14Nourish your dog the right way with Open Paddock and watch them flourish with energy and joy.
11:18Paul and Nick are on their way to 12-year-old Siberian husky Achilles, reporting that he
11:32is having extreme difficulty mobilising after jumping out of their car, the owners have grave
11:38concerns for his well-being.
11:40There's a real benefit for everyone involved when we're able to bring in an emergency team
11:45into the home for a pre-hospital assessment, especially for Achilles.
11:49When a dog isn't walking at all, we know that there is a good reason and there is likely
11:56a lot of pain associated with that.
11:58We need to get in there and assess what's going on and see if we can start getting some answers.
12:04Achilles has somehow moved himself down the side of the house in an extremely narrow pathway.
12:09He's in a lot of pain, so moving him without exacerbating that pain is going to be logistically
12:14quite difficult.
12:15On arrival, Nick and Paul rush to Achilles.
12:19However, they are faced with an extremely complex situation.
12:24Having a pet at home who is injured and unable to move is a really stressful situation.
12:29Add into the mix a larger and older dog that isn't able to tell you where the pain is or
12:34what they're feeling, and it just continues to get more complex.
12:37Good.
12:39Can we give him some...
12:41Ah, it's nice.
12:42No, it's okay.
12:42That's okay.
12:44That's all right.
12:44We're just going to get some pain relief first, guys.
12:46Yeah.
12:47Based on what the family are describing, this is the worst event he's ever had.
12:51So you can imagine that if you were feeling that awful, and on top of that, two strangers
12:56come in and start lifting you and moving you without telling you what they're doing and
13:00why, it only creates a recipe for disaster, particularly for Achilles.
13:05While the team wait for the pain to decrease, they begin planning on how to get Achilles
13:21out safely.
13:22It's also important for people to understand that if someone came up to me and started
13:26causing me pain without any explanation, or I perceive them as a threat, I'm likely going
13:32to be reactive to.
13:33So in saying that, we aren't expecting to be able to meet all of Achilles' expectations.
13:39So to keep him honest, we're going to put a muzzle on him as a last safety measure for
13:45us and for him.
13:47Getting out from the side of the house is just the first of obstacles for Achilles and
13:52his family.
13:53Please tell, he's not going to need support in this front of us.
13:55Two of the main components of pre-hospital care is logistics and resourcefulness.
14:01If we were to go in and start crowding Achilles in the state that he's in and have him become
14:05fearful, that's going to be a really awful experience, not only for him, but for us as
14:10well.
14:11We need to plan very carefully on how to extricate him from that area as comfortably as possible,
14:17both physically and psychologically.
14:19When I was finally able to start the assessment, I could tell straight away that something
14:23was very wrong with Achilles.
14:25He's obviously very hesitant to move, and when he does, he is just not showing any appropriate
14:30placement of his limbs.
14:32The big concern here is that he has a weakness in all four legs, and on top of that, he was
14:37in significant cervical spinal pain, meaning something was affecting his neck or his spinal
14:42cord.
14:43Achilles isn't just weak.
14:46His muscles have visibly wasted away, and he continues to react defensively when being
14:52handled.
14:53Each of these possibilities have one thing in common.
14:56They all put Achilles at risk of getting worse.
15:00Without investigation, the cause of his deterioration will be unknown, and there is a real risk that
15:06he could deteriorate further.
15:08I think it's probably more than just an orthopaedic or a bony thing.
15:12I think he's probably got some sort of a nerve issue as well.
15:15First and foremost, our recommendation would be that Achilles is an hospital, but we completely
15:20understand and we support the goals of Achilles' family.
15:24Putting an anti-inflammatory or a steroid on board without knowing the underlying cause could
15:28put him at significant organ dysfunction and a serious risk.
15:32We know that there are a few things this could be, and quite honestly, none of them are great.
15:37It doesn't mean that there's no chance, but it does mean that this medically will be quite
15:41involved.
15:42A sedated CT scan, potential surgery, recovery, it's a lot for an old boy.
15:48Dr. Paul and Nick have outlined the three options to the family.
15:53To keep Achilles at home, which is not recommended considering his presentation.
15:58Getting him into hospital or the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye to Achilles.
16:04I can see that this is such a difficult conversation for this family as it is with most people.
16:11It's really important for us to monitor these conversations and read between the lines.
16:16I can really see that Maria needs time to process this.
16:20Our advice is always that if someone in the conversation has a question mark over their
16:25head when it comes to euthanasia, that the conversation continues until all options are considered and processed.
16:32Paul and Maria come back to us and let us know that they want to keep Achilles at home.
16:37Usually, this is something that we would strongly advise against.
16:41However, I'm confident that regardless, we can find a way to at least keep Achilles comfortable
16:46with pain relief and to see if any of this may change his ability to mobilise.
16:51We never want you to make a decision with a what if in your mind when it's obviously such
16:57a permanent decision.
17:00I think what we generally say is we never want to come in here and say you need to make
17:04a decision right here, right now.
17:06Get the time to let our children know.
17:08Absolutely.
17:09All they know is him.
17:10He's older than our children.
17:11Yeah, I know.
17:12Yeah.
17:13So all they know is seeing him around.
17:14So if we went and did it today, it'd just be a bad shock factor.
17:19Absolutely.
17:20And I think, I just want to see if he gets up a little bit and moves around.
17:25Yep.
17:26Because he obviously did it by himself before.
17:29Usually, this is something that we would strongly advise against.
17:33However, I'm confident that regardless, we can find a way to at least keep Achilles comfortable
17:38with pain relief and to see if any of this may change his ability to mobilise.
17:43Giving Achilles an opportunity to have potentially any improvement might help the owners come to
17:48a decision when that time comes.
17:50We can keep him comfortable and leave them with some advice.
17:53And if they need us, they can always call us back.
17:56This option also gives them the opportunity to talk more as a family, which is the time
18:01we think that they really need.
18:03We don't want someone waking up tomorrow with any regret on something that they cannot reverse.
18:08For now, Achilles will stay in the comfort of his home and allow time for the family to
18:14continue conversations about the next steps with him.
18:20All right, we're just on our way back to see Achilles, who hasn't done very well overnight.
18:3124 hours after leaving Achilles at home with his family, the team receives a call with an
18:37update from them.
18:38With the family coming to terms with the hardest decision a pet owner can make, Nick and Dr.
18:44Paul prepare to return to support them through Achilles' final moments.
18:48When we left Achilles, we knew his prognosis was poor.
18:52And the only real hope we had was that some time and pain relief might at least help to
18:58see if there was any improvement.
18:59This is never easy.
19:01But for Maria and Paul, they had already been having these hard conversations over the last
19:0624 hours.
19:07They needed to know that they were doing the right thing.
19:10Maria and Paul have told us that Achilles hasn't moved at all since we left.
19:14He wasn't improving and the state that he's in is not something that they want to continue
19:19for him.
19:20They feel like now is the time to say goodbye.
19:23Arriving at the home, the team takes time to sit with Maria and Paul, talking through the
19:29process and ensuring that Achilles' last moments would be as peaceful as possible.
19:35I'm just going to get some pain relief on board for him to start off with, mainly because
19:40I want him to get relaxed and not be stressed with us having to just get his IV catheter placed.
19:45So we'll give him a bit of pain medication, let him calm down, and then we'll probably use
19:50one of his legs to put in a cannula.
19:52That's really the only setup we need to do.
19:54So that's the first thing we'll do for him.
19:56Let's do this little injection here, okay?
20:03Achilles is still extremely uncomfortable.
20:07So for safety, a gentle muzzle is applied whilst the pain relief is being administered.
20:14It's really temporary though.
20:17Good boy.
20:21We just can't get bitten, that's all?
20:25The term euthanasia is a Latin word, literally meaning the good death.
20:30We don't have the luxury of being able to explain things to animals the way that we would understand them.
20:35Being able to provide humane euthanasia for our patients means helping them avoid pain and suffering.
20:41And I just don't know if I could do this job without being able to provide that option to the pets that we care for.
20:46This is about caring for Achilles in a different way.
20:50To relieve him of that physical pain is the hardest decision we will ever make as pet owners.
20:56This isn't about medicine or the hospital anymore, this is about Achilles' family providing a dignified passing
21:04and the relieving from pain and discomfort that just isn't going to get better.
21:09We're just going to let the pain relief take effect, let him get relaxed.
21:12So he'll probably get really sleepy, but that's just some pain control.
21:16And then we'll come back and use probably one of his front or back legs
21:20and just put the cannula in next and then we'll be set up.
21:23One might feel tickle a little bit, so we'll see how he knows, but...
21:29It's kind of like a little sheet, huh?
21:33I'd shear the sheet.
21:35When I was a kid, we had huskies growing up.
21:38Pet grief is and can be just as difficult and as prolonged as any other loss.
21:43Whilst it's important to properly grieve, however long that process takes,
21:48we always need to remember the pet's legacy.
21:51Sometimes before these moments, we love to talk about their pets outside of their illness.
21:56We want to know who Achilles was in his prime.
21:59Maria and Paul bring out this beautiful book that Achilles featured in a few years back
22:04and he's in a bow tie, he's just loving life in this picture
22:08and it is a real privilege to be led into this side of not only Achilles but his entire family.
22:15Their home felt different when we left. It always feels different.
22:19But there is also relief. Relief that Achilles was no longer in pain.
22:24That he was at peace and that his passing wasn't something that happened as a result of duress.
22:30As Achilles passes peacefully, the family say their final goodbye.
22:35A pet who has shared their lives for 12 years, now at rest.
22:40The procedure went smoothly with no complications
22:44and just a few days later, Katara is back home, breathing easier than she has in months.
22:51Advanced diagnostics like these give pets a chance at a better quality of life
22:56without the need for long hospital stays.
22:59One week later, Nick follows up with Legion at home
23:03and we are happy to say that he is back to his normal self.
23:08If you've ever had gastro, you know that it takes a while to bounce back to your normal self.
23:12The same goes with dogs. After coming off a bland diet for his gastro,
23:17it's important for Legion to have easily digestible, nutritious food
23:21that's going to support his energy levels.
23:23Open Paddock offers a range of ethically sourced, Australian-made pet foods
23:28that can provide the fuel your dog needs for an active lifestyle.
23:31Open Paddock's balanced recipes support muscle development and energy levels,
23:36ensuring that they have the energy for their daily exercise.
23:40Their meaty toppers, for instance, are designed to entice picky eaters
23:44and provide additional nutrients, which is beneficial for their overall health.
23:48Keep their spirit young and thriving with Open Paddock
23:51and your active dog will thank you.
23:54We're back again to see our wonderful Evie Jones, who's also a foster carer for all footballs.
24:11We're here to give her some nutritious food for the dogs.
24:14We'll also be giving her some products for just the everyday things,
24:17like providing some comfort for these ageing pets in indestructible beds.
24:20Evie, as a foster carer, how many beds have you gone through in your life?
24:24Oh, so many.
24:26Not human beds, but dog beds, yeah.
24:28So many dog beds.
24:30Like, they just chew through them all the time, like, you know,
24:33especially if they're puppies or younger or a bit anxious, they can chew.
24:37Absolutely.
24:38Well, this is the chew-proof bed.
24:41Are you sure?
24:42We are.
24:43This is made out of aircraft-quality aluminium.
24:46So the way that it's designed is that this frame holds onto the canvas so tight
24:51that it's unable to actually...
24:52The dogs are unable to get the material into their mouth.
24:55And this is basically unbreakable.
24:59Yep.
25:00Ow.
25:01Next time on Ready Vet Go.
25:08A family concerned for their eight-year-old Spoodle as he has become lethargic at home.
25:14Birthday party celebrations turn sombre for three-year-old ragdoll Tiggy.
25:19And senior girl Matilda requires investigation for some concerning presentations.
25:25Attention all pet lovers.
25:27Want to win a premium open paddock dog food and snacks pack?
25:30It's easy.
25:31Just head over to openpaddockpet.com.au.
25:34Enter your details and you can be the lucky winner of delicious and nutritious open paddock
25:39for your four-legged friend.
25:40Each week we will give five lucky viewers the chance to win a $250 open paddock food and snack pack for your pet.
25:47Their formulas are crafted as a complete and balanced main meal to ensure your dog is getting all the nutrients needed for a lifetime of adventures.
25:55Visit us now and enter for your chance to keep your dog healthy and happy all year long.
Comments