- 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.
00:19Redefining 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.
00:41The ReadyVet Go team have received a call out to Tiggy.
00:46OK, we are headed over to the north side.
00:49It's a bit of a concerning case.
00:51Tiggy, who is a two-year-old Tonganese,
00:54she hasn't eaten or drunk anything for about five days.
00:59Everything that is being described to me makes me concerned that there is an obstruction.
01:04Not only has Tiggy been off her food, not passing bowel motions,
01:08and is vomiting any time something goes in,
01:11it runs along the side to report that Tiggy is becoming increasingly more lethargic
01:15and losing weight rapidly.
01:18Tiggy is being cared for by Debbie while her daughter Cheyenne is away.
01:23Debbie hasn't seen her pass a bowel motion in four days.
01:27She's off her food and has been vomiting frequently.
01:31During a celebration for Shane's husband's 40th birthday,
01:35Tiggy was seen eating a plastic ribbon from one of the party decorations.
01:40Before it could be taken out, Tiggy swallowed the ribbon.
01:44I've gotten a lot of the history from Cheyenne.
01:47OK, so, yeah.
01:48Yeah.
01:49So I really, at this point, I can't get any water in her, no food.
01:54Yeah.
01:54She's had no bowel movements.
01:56Yeah.
01:56Have you seen her straining at all in the litter box or just not going whatsoever?
02:00No, she wants to go in there.
02:01Yeah.
02:01This type of foreign body is really concerning and potentially life-threatening.
02:06It goes without saying that vomiting every time Tiggy eats, particularly for four days,
02:11is very abnormal.
02:13I've seen pets present to emergency hospitals with these symptoms after just one or two days,
02:17and they might even require emergency surgery.
02:20There is a real risk that we may be already past the point of no return here.
02:25We are on our way to Tiggy immediately.
02:26However, I already know that the plan from us will not be to stay at home.
02:32Tiggy needs to be in a hospital setting with ongoing investigations, stabilisation and potential surgery.
02:39Our job will be to get in and start stabilising and getting ready for transport.
02:43It's our role to assess, offer support and advise from there.
02:47The family are doing the right thing and getting help.
02:51And once we see Tiggy, even though we are concerned, we can have further discussions once we arrive.
02:57Arriving to Tiggy's home, the team immediately start their assessment.
03:01I can see that Tiggy is quite dehydrated, really quiet.
03:05And when I palpate her abdomen, she is pretty uncomfortable.
03:08If this ribbon is tangled in the intestines, not only can the bowel stop working,
03:12but it can actually shear that very soft tissue.
03:15If this happens, we are looking at a very serious infection.
03:19Looking at her vital signs, her temperature is low and her heart rate is slightly elevated,
03:24which can be signs of infection.
03:26When we lift up her skin, it really should recoil straight away,
03:30but a slower response indicates that Tiggy is actually dehydrated.
03:34So now that we have some more evidence, it's time to get Cheyenne and Rishan back on the phone.
03:39But let's do the medical intervention and if you don't mind, just trying to get the laxating into her as well.
03:46Yeah.
03:47And on the pain relief, obviously, and whatever else she needs, making her comfortable and well perspective.
03:55Having seen too many similar presentations that end in tragedy, they recommend further imaging,
04:01rehydration and pathology in a hospital setting.
04:05Our recommendations for this are two-pronged.
04:08We only give advice that we would want to hear as a pet owner ourselves.
04:12And we also have an obligation to advise the best way to prevent further deterioration.
04:17Without anyone in the home being able to drive and having young children there,
04:21I'm a little bit worried that Tiggy may not be able to get to hospital if she's to get worse after we leave.
04:28Despite the concerns, Cheyenne and Rishan would like to trial keeping Tiggy at home with supportive care.
04:36I completely understand why Tiggy's family are hesitant about hospitalising her straight away.
04:40Our concern is, if this is an obstruction, things can and will go downhill quickly.
04:47I'm certainly not over the moon about how Tiggy is presenting.
04:50But at the moment, there are technically options that we can try to see if things will get better at home.
04:56If she is to vomit with an anti-nausea medication on board, or it gets even weaker,
05:01she might need to go into hospital for supportive care or even potentially surgery overnight,
05:06when it could be even more difficult to get Tiggy transported in.
05:09And for Tiggy, our main recommendation is for her to go into hospital for management and further investigation.
05:15Option two would be to trial her at home.
05:17And if any deterioration occurs, we want to ensure that they get into hospital thereafter.
05:23We've ensured that the family are aware of what the escalation points are,
05:26and it's important that we are doing as much as we can.
05:29With the plan to trial at home medications and intervention going ahead,
05:33the team put together a plan to maximise Tiggy's outcome.
05:38If there isn't any damage from the ribbon,
05:39and it's that presence of the ribbon that has caused a significant amount of constipation,
05:44then rehydrating, giving pain relief, and getting some laxatives on board might just do the trick.
05:49Tiggy is given fluids under the skin to help with dehydration.
05:53Over the next few hours, this will absorb slowly and help to rehydrate Tiggy.
05:59We're hoping that some good rehydration will get some fluid back into the bowels
06:04and soften up any hardened poo in there.
06:07The slower our guts move just means that there is more time for the bowel to draw out more water there.
06:13The more we draw out water, the harder the stool becomes and the more difficult it becomes to pass.
06:18I have to say, as a human nurse as well, I do love the poo talks.
06:24So do I, Nick. So do I.
06:27If there is pain associated with Tiggy wanting to push,
06:31I'm hoping the pain relief will give her that opportunity to go.
06:34And lastly, the laxatives that Cheyenne has ordered will help to move everything along.
06:38If we don't have the ribbon in a rough spot,
06:40then we can hopefully get over this hurdle without Tiggy needing to go into hospital.
06:45The plan from here is simple.
06:46If Tiggy is to deteriorate, she must go to the hospital.
06:50For now, they wait and hope that Tiggy can finally do that poo that we desire so very much.
07:05The family of eight-year-old Spoodle Spritz have called with concerns of an infection in his foot.
07:12Usually full of energy, Spritz's family report that he has become flat and lethargic
07:18and feel that they have left the sore foot for too long.
07:22An infection, no matter how small, can make us feel pretty unwell.
07:26Canines don't typically wear shoes, which means they're constantly exposed to dirt and bacteria.
07:32Even the smallest of cuts or wounds can be the perfect set-up for an infection to take hold.
07:38The most concerning part about this request is Spritz's family reporting that he's looking pretty flat.
07:45The main priority is finding out if this is associated with pain
07:49or are we looking at something a little bit more serious where an infection might be entering the bloodstream?
07:55When an infection gets enough momentum and spreads, the body can become septic,
08:00and if left untreated, this is life-threatening.
08:03When the immune system is overwhelmed or goes into overdrive,
08:07it can affect blood pressure, organ function, and make the pet extremely unwell.
08:12So it's best that we prioritise this and decipher quickly.
08:15If this is an infection, if it's localised or systemic,
08:19we should know pretty quickly whether this is something that we should be truly concerned about.
08:23With the concerns highlighted, the team do in fact find out very quickly
08:28if there is reason for concern.
08:30It's nice when we turn up and don't know who the exact patient is.
08:34Seeing Spritz bright and engaged is definitely a good sign,
08:38but Spritz's family know him best,
08:40so we need to find out why they think he's different,
08:43why he is lethargic, and why he's off of his food.
08:46At first glance, it looks like there is a simple abrasion or irritation, but then...
08:52I kind of wonder if he doesn't have, like, an interdigital cyst,
08:56or even maybe I think there's a grass seed that's here.
08:59So you see that little bit that's just barely sticking out.
09:03I might grab some forceps, and I'm just gonna see what we retrieve.
09:08Grass seeds can be really menacing.
09:10They have this sharp, barbed edge that lets them burrow their way under the skin.
09:14If this was left for too long, they can actually travel further into the body,
09:18causing infections or even abscesses that require surgery.
09:22It seems that Spritz is locked out here,
09:24and we can see that the grass seed is actually visible.
09:29Let's go try and grab...
09:31Yeah, it's a piece of grass seed.
09:33Oh, boy!
09:34Little grass seeds, like, they just burrow.
09:36We've had dogs that will get them in their paws.
09:38I've even had them travel up under their skin, up to their elbow,
09:41and various places, so...
09:43With the seed removed, the team flushed the wound
09:46with a diluted antiseptic solution
09:49to clear out any remaining debris and bacteria.
09:52To get prepared, Nick needs to clean the area
09:55and clip some fur from around the foot.
09:57One of the biggest concerns was from one of Spritz's sisters
10:01asking me if the hair was going to grow back or not.
10:05And she was extremely relieved to know that it would.
10:09Grass seeds are incredibly common,
10:11but they're one of those things that look harmless until they get stuck.
10:14Even though pets are pretty good at grooming,
10:16it only takes one wrong step for a grass seed wound to start.
10:20We've got to get it clean.
10:22There might be some nasties in there.
10:24That's OK.
10:26Nah, he doesn't like it.
10:28It's the best thing for it,
10:29because otherwise it's going to get really painful.
10:31Making sure we get a good clean is really important.
10:34Even a tiny piece of leftover debris
10:37could turn into a much bigger issue later.
10:39It's a fairly simple process.
10:42Spritz will have a course of antibiotics to prevent infection
10:44and pain relief to keep him comfortable while his paw heals.
10:48Spritz is now the proud owner
10:50of a high-fashion, bed-approved neckpiece accessory,
10:53which he needs to keep on for the next few days
10:56to avoid this turning into a buffet of bacteria.
10:59It is.
11:00Yeah.
11:01Yeah.
11:02Yeah.
11:02You might be really quick.
11:03You have to.
11:04Relieved and with medications and accessories in hand,
11:08Spritz is on his way to feeling less sorry for himself
11:12thanks to Tammy's early action.
11:15He's going to be just fine.
11:17Yes, we were initially worried hearing the call come through,
11:19but this is how diligent pet owners respond.
11:22When we pick up on these things early,
11:24it can be very easily resolved.
11:25We did lose a little bit of Spritz's trust,
11:29so we're leaving him with a decent treat
11:31to help earn me my puppy points back.
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11:55It's 10pm in Melbourne's West,
12:02and the ReadyVetGo team is responding
12:04to an urgent call from owner, Gail.
12:08Matilda, a 17-year-old Jack Russell Cross,
12:11has had a severe episode of coughing today,
12:14is lethargic, and now has stopped eating.
12:17We had a bit of a chat about how she's been presenting otherwise,
12:21and she said that she's a little bit off,
12:23a little bit lethargic, but otherwise getting up.
12:27But she took a little while to sort of perk up today.
12:33Gail was quite worried about her.
12:35She couldn't actually get into the veterinary clinic today
12:38because she's got her own health concerns,
12:41and so we're going in to make sure
12:43that Matilda's feeling well
12:45and see if we can relieve some of those symptoms.
12:49Matilda's owner, Gail, has had her for 17 years.
12:53But recently, Gail's had her own health struggles
12:56and is unable to drive to a vet hospital.
12:59Getting the history from Gail,
13:00it's apparent that Matilda has been coughing for a couple of weeks.
13:04It's been gradually escalating,
13:05but tonight it's much worse.
13:07At her age, that's a big concern,
13:10particularly if there's been a big change to her behaviour.
13:13And with no appetite for two days,
13:15Matilda is telling us that something isn't right.
13:18There are very few dogs
13:20that go off of their food without good reason.
13:22We come across cases like this
13:24where there are so many problems in a pet's history
13:26that we just don't know where to start.
13:29It leaves the door wide open
13:30for what could be causing Matilda's illness.
13:32So it's time for us to start digging towards a diagnosis.
13:36One rule of thumb that we go by
13:38is that if the family are concerned,
13:40then that is reason enough for us to be concerned.
13:43We may do this every day,
13:45but no one knows Matilda better than Gail does.
13:48So if she says that there's something wrong,
13:51then we go with that until proven otherwise.
13:54A basic vital signs assessment
13:56is the best way to start getting a baseline with Matilda.
13:59She's a little anxious,
14:01so we do have to take it a bit slow with her,
14:03but when I listen to her heart,
14:04I can hear a loud murmur.
14:06It's not the worst I've heard,
14:08but it still makes me concerned.
14:10If Matilda is dealing with heart disease,
14:12it could certainly be the cause
14:13of the presentation that we're seeing.
14:15It is a really common thing that we hear
14:17in older small breed dogs,
14:20Jack Russells, Malteses, Chihuahuas, you name it.
14:24It's pretty common for us to hear heart murmurs develop
14:27as they age over time.
14:30I think it would be good as well
14:30to get a pulse ox on her.
14:32And her breathing rate is normal.
14:34I just want to make sure
14:34that her oxygen levels are OK.
14:37But alongside the heart murmur,
14:39the team finally get to see the reason,
14:42while Gail is so concerned.
14:45What we also like to do
14:46is just have a feel around their windpipe,
14:48their trachea.
14:49Yeah, you can almost sort of induce it to happen.
14:54Good girl.
14:54It's just shaking all the way down.
15:01Yeah.
15:02Once we start getting little pieces of information like this,
15:05it's time to start chasing the rabbit down the rabbit hole.
15:08What Paul's found is a good prompt
15:11to get Matilda into the van
15:12and see if we can get some more answers with our ultrasound.
15:16Hearing the cough,
15:17it certainly is something to be concerned about,
15:19and I'm not surprised that it's been causing
15:21a lot of distress for Gail,
15:22and especially for Matilda.
15:23What we do have to be mindful of now
15:26is the balance of getting more answers
15:28without increasing Matilda's stress
15:30to a point where her coughing gets worse.
15:33Because if this is a cardiac issue,
15:35we really need her to be as relaxed as she can be.
15:38These coughing episodes can be really tiring,
15:41particularly for an old girl like Matilda.
15:44We want to give Gail some more answers
15:46about what's happening,
15:47and most importantly,
15:48bring some relief to Matilda.
15:50Thankfully, we've got all the medication on hand
15:53that can help Matilda's anxiety.
15:55But I really want to get an idea
15:57of what's going on with Matilda's heart and lungs.
15:59With Matilda having built trust with the team,
16:02they cautiously move her into the van for the ultrasound.
16:06Matilda is being an extremely brave girl,
16:09which is really helpful
16:10because it means that we're able to get
16:12some decent images from this ultrasound.
16:14Too bad we just want her trust and then she...
16:16Unfortunately, what I'm seeing on the ultrasound
16:19is something that does bring concern,
16:22and we need to bring this back to Gail.
16:24From there, we can start to get the plan together
16:26about what to do next for Matilda.
16:28The beelines on the ultrasound indicate
16:31that there is something on the lungs
16:32that shouldn't be there.
16:33It could be anything from fluid,
16:35from a heart issue,
16:36or even things like cancer.
16:38This is certainly not the news
16:40that we wanted to deliver to Gail.
16:41Having already gone through a tough time
16:44and with no way of getting Matilda to hospital,
16:47the ReadyVetGo team step in
16:49to make the critical transport to hospital much easier.
16:53We know that Gail wants to find out
16:54exactly what's going on with Matilda.
16:57If this is a cardiac concern,
16:59then there is treatment that can be provided
17:01to help manage this as best as possible.
17:03So we want to be able to help out as much as we can.
17:06I know you've been having a bit of a hard time of late,
17:08so, you know, if we can help you out
17:10in any way in this, you know,
17:12bit of a shitty time, to say the least.
17:15So thankfully, we set aside some funds
17:18for situations like this,
17:19and this is helped out
17:21by a wonderful donor to our service.
17:23This donation is made to us regularly
17:25in the memory of her beautiful pet, Chelsea.
17:28Thanks to Chelsea and her mum, Tanya,
17:30we're now able to help Gail get Matilda into hospital
17:33to further investigate what exactly is going on.
17:37Confirming the plan to get Matilda into hospital,
17:39the team began to call local animal hospitals
17:42to see who is able to accept
17:44Matilda's admission for investigation.
17:47But the hospitals closest to Matilda and Gail
17:49are currently on bypass,
17:52meaning that they do not have the capacity
17:54to take Matilda tonight.
17:56Calling around tonight,
17:57it seems to be a night for pet emergencies.
18:00We know we need to get Matilda into hospital,
18:02but right now we are having some real difficulties.
18:06Just going to call one more.
18:0917-year-old Matilda has owner Gail
18:20concerned after having episodes of increased coughing
18:23and being off her food.
18:26After hearing a heart murmur,
18:28Paul and Nick are now concerned
18:30that Matilda's presentation
18:31could be related to an underlying cardiac issue.
18:35Whilst the on-site ultrasound machine
18:38is used to detect abnormalities,
18:40further imaging is required
18:42for a specific diagnosis
18:44of what is going on in Matilda's lungs.
18:47This requires an overnight admission into hospital.
18:50An ambulance service
18:51always needs to think ahead to the end goal.
18:54Getting Matilda into any hospital
18:56just isn't good enough.
18:58Knowing that there could be
18:59a really serious underlying problem here,
19:01we want Matilda in a specialist hospital.
19:05There's no point in transferring her somewhere
19:07where those answers can't be obtained.
19:09Just going to call one more.
19:12Exhausting all of the hospitals closest to Gail,
19:15the team contact Animal Emergency Services
19:18in Hawthorne East,
19:19a hospital that is 45 minutes from Gail's home
19:22in Werribee.
19:23Animal Emergency Services
19:25is a fantastic emergency hospital
19:27that also have medical specialists on board.
19:30We refer to this team a lot.
19:32And based on everything happening tonight,
19:34with more local hospitals being at capacity,
19:36we are more than happy to refer to the team there
19:38for Matilda's ongoing care,
19:40even though it's just that little bit further away.
19:43Thanks, mate. Cheers.
19:44Have a good night. Bye.
19:46And with Gail and Matilda saying goodbye for the night,
19:49Matilda is settled in for her journey into hospital.
19:52Even though Matilda hasn't had her dinner yet,
19:54she still has the potential to vomit
19:56if she gets too worked up
19:58or if she gets some motion sickness.
20:01That would be a really bad situation.
20:04So we want to give her some medication
20:06that turns off the vomiting sensors in the brain
20:08and prevents the risk of this happening.
20:11If Matilda were to aspirate on the best of days,
20:14that has the potential to be catastrophic,
20:16let alone in the state that she's in now,
20:19where she's already working hard
20:20and is really tired
20:21from the persistent coughing she's been experiencing.
20:24It's a little bit of a heartbreaking moment
20:26watching Gail say goodbye for the night.
20:29Gail is really fretting about Matilda
20:30and we also can't explain to little Matilda
20:32why she's coming with these two strange people
20:35and not staying at home with her mum.
20:37But it's in her best interest
20:38and hopefully in 24 hours,
20:41she'll be back home with Gail
20:42with some answers and also a plan to help feel better.
20:45As the team are about to head on their way
20:47to animal emergency services,
20:49Matilda's anxiety starts to present itself
20:52a little earlier than expected.
20:54As we start to get ready to leave,
20:56I can see that Matilda's increasing her respiratory rate.
21:00She's starting to pace
21:01and she appears really anxious.
21:03I'm glad that if it were going to happen,
21:05that it would be sooner rather than later.
21:07The complexity with this will be
21:09in finding a balance of keeping Matilda calm enough
21:12that her respiratory rate
21:13and her heart rate don't increase
21:14and not making her so calm
21:16that she isn't able to be assessed at the hospital.
21:18OK, now they are ready to go.
21:22With the transport happening late at night,
21:25the traffic should be smooth sailing from here.
21:27Traffic is a nightmare
21:29at all times of the day, apparently.
21:31If it's not peak hour traffic at 4pm,
21:34it's roadworks at 10pm.
21:36Unfortunately, we just have to sit tight in it.
21:38But we're lucky enough
21:40that we have everything set up in the ambulance
21:42so that anything Matilda needs
21:43is right at our fingertips.
21:45Finally arriving at AES,
21:48Matilda is handed over to the vet team
21:50from Animal Emergency Services.
21:53And with Matilda comfortable in the hospital,
21:56she'll undergo testing over the next 24 hours
21:58to see if the underlying problem
22:00can be found and treated.
22:02We have transferred many of our own clients to AES
22:05and know how dedicated they are to detail.
22:07So it's nice to be able to walk away
22:09knowing that Matilda is in extremely good care.
22:12At this point, I was getting rid of it.
22:15At this point, I was getting rid of it.
22:17At this point, I was getting rid of it.
22:18Touching base with Cheyenne today,
22:20we find out there is unfortunately no luck
22:22with Tiggy's appetite or bowel movements.
22:24It still has me worried.
22:26But we found out that Tiggy went through something
22:28similar like this before
22:29and was able to get through it.
22:31We are hoping that this is still the same situation.
22:34She still remains really quiet and off of her food,
22:37but there was no vomiting overnight.
22:39At this point, I was getting really worried.
22:43We were hoping to hear that there would be some improvement by now,
22:46but the fact that she still isn't eating
22:48has us a bit on edge.
22:50And then finally...
22:51Oh, wait, wait, wait, let me say it.
22:54Then, finally, there's a breakthrough.
22:56Two days after the team arrived, Tiggy finally passed a big poo.
23:02And with it, the plastic streamer and a furball.
23:05Relieved is an understatement.
23:07It's the best possible outcome.
23:10But it's not a risk we would recommend.
23:12We've received a phone call from Gayle today
23:15and she has let us know that Matilda is doing well
23:18and is ready to come home.
23:20Whilst it's lovely to hear this,
23:22it is unfortunately not all good news.
23:25The results from the chest X-ray show a few concerning things
23:29and it actually confirmed both of my suspicions.
23:32This being that there's some heart disease
23:34as well as a very sinister problem in her lungs.
23:37Considering Matilda's age,
23:38it's understandable that Gayle is opting
23:41for palliation of Matilda's condition.
23:43So she has decided to get Matilda home on some medication
23:47to keep her comfortable
23:48and also to manage her heart disease.
23:51While adjusting to the diagnosis will take time,
23:54Gayle is focused on cherishing every moment
23:57with her beloved companion.
23:59Under the care of her regular vet,
24:02Matilda will be kept as comfortable as possible.
24:04When the time comes,
24:06Gayle plans to say goodbye on her own terms,
24:10ensuring Matilda's final moments are peaceful
24:12and filled with love.
24:36We're here at Mel's house.
24:39Mel is one of the foster carers
24:40for the All for Paws dog rescue program.
24:43We know that it can be really stressful
24:44when a new foster comes in,
24:45so we've got some goodies to hopefully help out.
24:48Some Whimseys products for a treat
24:50and also, of course,
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25:18Next time on Ready Vet Go.
25:25New Year's Eve fireworks set off a cascade of events
25:28that leave four-and-a-half-year-old Saint
25:30with painful injuries at home.
25:33The team provide critical transport for Alfie,
25:36who is recovering from a snake bite.
25:39And 16-year-old Tigger's life
25:40hangs in the balance after collapsing at home.
25:44Attention all pet lovers.
25:46Want to win a premium Open Paddock dog food and snacks pack?
25:49It's easy.
25:50Just head over to openpaddockpet.com.au.
25:53Enter your details,
25:54and you can be the lucky winner of delicious
25:56and nutritious Open Paddock for your four-legged friend.
25:59Each week, we will give five lucky viewers
26:01the chance to win a $250 Open Paddock food and snack pack
26:05for your pet.
26:06Their formulas are crafted as a complete and balanced main meal
26:09to ensure your dog is getting all the nutrients needed
26:12for a lifetime of adventures.
26:13Visit us now and enter for your chance
26:16to keep your dog healthy and happy all year long.
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