Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 (edited) Rexy's Story Rexy is a lovely young bitch about 9 months old who has a very caring owner. He is a young lad called Thanindu and he loves Rexy very much. Rexy lives with Thanindu and his family near to Hiriwaduna. On the last day of Dr Manjulas recent visit, we had planned a day of field work for her, going out and about to carry out vaccinations and follow up checks on previously treated dogs. It was quite early in the morning when Thanindu came calling at the Dogstar House to tell us that Rexy was not well, she had not been eating and had been vomiting for a day. With the recent loss of Fudge, the little four month old puppy that had been staying at the Dogstar House who we lost to parvovirus, we were all aware that this needed to be taken seriously and acted upon very quickly. It is vitally important in cases of suspected parvovirus that dogs are treated immediately. Dr. Manjula put together a drip set and we went off to visit Rexy. She really was very poorly. She was very subdued and lethargic and showed no interest in the visiting Dogstar Team. Usually Rexy would bark at all visitors to the house. She was lying on a towel on the concrete of the porch and Thanindu had placed a cushion under her head. Dr Manjula put a drip set up and found a vein in Roxy's leg and saline was administered while we waited for Bandara and Aravinda who had rushed off to get emergency drugs for Rexy, to return from Kegalle. Over the period of a couple of hours, antibiotics, glucose and vitamins were administered intravenously to Rexy and she never made a sound. After Dr. Manjula had done all she could do at that time, the team continued on to carry out the planned field work.Dr. Manjula returned in the evening in order to administer another dose of the regime of drugs to Rexy, all the time concerned about any vomiting or diarrhoea that Rexy may have suffered. On Tuesday morning Dr. Manjula had to leave and the reins were passed to Dr. Parsharshini our local vet. Although she is our local vet at Dogstar, Dr. P has been working away in Colombo for several months and traveling backwards and forwards. Dr. P visited Rexy on the Tuesday morning at about 08.30 and administered the drugs regimen and then returned at 7.00pm to repeat the process. We were all very concerned about Rexy. She had several more visits from Dr. P and the Dogstar Team over the course of five days after which time Dr. P wanted us to try and administer some medicines orally. This proved to be very difficult and stressful for all of us, because after not eating or drinking for six days, Rexy was reluctant to take anything by mouth. Dr. P decided that some of the drugs could be given intramuscularly rather than in a drip and so continued to visit Rexy day and night. After seven days of intensive treatment, many needles and lots of drugs, Rexy was over the worst of parvovirus. Thank goodness! Her recovery however will be slow as she is still quite fragile but thanks to the Dogstar Team she is on the mend. Thanindu and Rexy Dogstar Volunteer Paula January 2011 Edited January 10, 2011 by Happylittlegreensquirrel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 So pleased to hear Rexy is on the road to recovery Well done Dogstar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 That's wonderful Sam, that last picture and the look on the boy's face says it all Rexy was very lucky to have access to the Dogstar team and get help when she did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smirnoff Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 That's lovely. So nice to hear a story of parvo being beaten when it's in our headlines so often and always sounds like a certain death sentence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted January 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 to be far we lose most of our parvo cases within 12 hours Rexy is somewhat of a miracle given the limited equipment and drugs the team had access to. I think its fair to say Rexy would not have survived without the treatment and I know the team were spending at least 4 hours a day at her house Thanindu is a lovely young lad who has helped us at previous clinics and I am so so so pleased that Rexy pulled through Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugapup Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 We are so pleased that Rexy pulled through. Good luck and well done to all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Great news! Thank you for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 That's a lovely story and so pleased Rexy is on the road to recovery. Her owner looks so caring, putting the pillow under her head...ahhhhh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackmagic Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Had Rexy been vaccinated against Parvo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndwoman Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) So pleased that Rexy is ok now Edited January 11, 2011 by Houndwoman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted January 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Had Rexy been vaccinated against Parvo? yes she had been previously vaccinated by Dogstar against distemper , Parvo , Hep , Lepto and Rabies in 2010 Most unvaccinated dogs that present with Parvo die within 12 hours even with supportive therapy Dogstars puppy Fudge was part way through her vaccination course when she contracted Parvo and died , we are launching a vaccination appeal called Fudges Fund next month in her memory to try and expand our puppy vaccination program Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackmagic Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 yes she had been previously vaccinated by Dogstar against distemper , Parvo , Hep , Lepto and Rabies in 2010 Most unvaccinated dogs that present with Parvo die within 12 hours even with supportive therapy Dogstars puppy Fudge was part way through her vaccination course when she contracted Parvo and died , we are launching a vaccination appeal called Fudges Fund next month in her memory to try and expand our puppy vaccination program Which must have helped her fight the disease. A good advert for vaccination. Dogstar must have made such a difference to the lives of so many dogs and people. But I am sure you see so much more still to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted January 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) Which must have helped her fight the disease. A good advert for vaccination. Dogstar must have made such a difference to the lives of so many dogs and people. But I am sure you see so much more still to do. I am sure her previous vaccinations saved her life , although very ill she was not as dire as those poor unvaccinated souls we see as she must have had some antibodies helping her We have a huge ammount more to do , like all charities our services are limited by finances and if we had more money I could have vets visiting villages every single day treating , vaccinating and doing spay neuters. The local human population has totally brought into the dogstar model and we have waiting lists for every service we offer now thats one of the reasons I am so so so keen to run the 20 day mass vaccination and sterilisation clinic ( Sirius 500 appeal ) to try and make such a larger impact on the local animal health population in one go , Edited January 12, 2011 by Happylittlegreensquirrel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trallwm farm Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 This one dog alone makes what you do worthwhile but with the huge amount of dogs treated by Dogstar it makes what you do an amazing achievement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted January 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thank you Lesley thats a lovely thing to say but I think if you look in the mirror you will find someone working very hard for animals in the UK and a making a bloody big differance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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