An Australian pet owner has issued a stern warning to other animal lovers after a small mistake landed his dog in hospital on life support.
Jim’s four-year-old Irish terrier, Lenny, slipped out of his collar and was hit by a car, leaving him with broken ribs and life-threatening internal bleeding.
He said the “scary” experience was an “expensive” lesson in making sure you are always in control of your pet and that from now on he will invest in a harness to walk Lenny.
Jim, from Sydney, was walking Lenny around the block one morning when he saw a cat and managed to take off his collar to chase it.
He was trying to catch the dog who was running back and forth across the road before “crashing” into the side of a moving car.
Jim’s four-year-old Irish terrier, Lenny, slipped off his neck and was hit by a car, leaving him with broken ribs and life-threatening internal bleeding (file image)
Lenny seemed fine at first and was able to walk home, but Jim took him to the vet when he noticed he wouldn’t calm down and was panting.
Veterinarians were shocked to discover that Lenny’s lungs were full of blood and rushed him to the SASH trauma center.
Specialists discovered that Lenny had broken ribs, was badly bruised and was bleeding from his stomach.
He was put on life support immediately and Jim feared he would lose his furry friend.
Lenny remained on life support for three days and was fortunately able to return home after a week in the hospital.
Jim said the “scary” experience was an “expensive” lesson in making sure he is always in control of his pet and that from now on he will invest in a harness to walk Lenny (file image)
Jim remained tight-lipped about how much Lenny’s treatment cost, but said he now never takes Lenny out for a walk without a secure harness.
SASH emergency and critical care specialist Dr Iain Keir said pet owners should take their animals to the vet immediately if they are involved in a car accident.
“Lenny’s injuries didn’t seem that bad at first. The main problem was internal bleeding that became evident within minutes of arriving,” he said. yahoo news.
Dr Iain said stories like Lenny’s are not uncommon – the hospital sees up to five patients who have been in car accidents each week.
‘My strong recommendation to all pet owners, if they find themselves in this unfortunate situation, is to seek veterinary care as soon as possible to ensure that these injuries are not life-threatening. “What we know about trauma is that the sooner we can start treating the injuries, the better the results will be,” he said.