Santa Cruz, Galapagos
One Tuesday, during their lunch break, Dr. Daphne and Sacha were called back into the clinic as there was an emergency at the gate. And they were told the dog was in a bad state.
The team arrived at the clinic, to find a large group of people gathered around Helena, the emergency case. Helena was lying on the ground, with a lot of saliva around her mouth, shaking profusely. Dr. Daphne immediately suspected a poisoning, and brought Helena into the clinic.
Dr. Daphne gave the poor pup an injection to help relax her so that they would be able to get an IV line. Through this line, they were then able to administer the medication that Helena would need to survive. While she remained stable, Dr. Daphne and Sacha stayed with Helena through the lunch break to closely monitor her progress. She was improving well, and the team began to relax, thinking that they had moved past the most stressful situation for the day.
However, as anyone who has worked with us in Galapagos knows, you just never know what will come next.
Before the lunch break was over, Jopi was rushed into the clinic by his owners. He was covered in oil as his owners had given him oil and salt, believing that it would help with the poisoning (a common myth in Ecuador). The oil does not help at all with the poisoning – but does make it extremely difficult to place an IV line. As Jopi continued to foam at the mouth and shake, Dr. Rosa (who had just returned from her lunch break) was finally able to place an IV line and start Jopi on the medication he so desperately needed.
Both dogs stayed in the clinic for the afternoon, so the Doctors could ensure that they both had a full recovery. By 7pm, both Jopi and Helena were healthy enough to go home and the owners came to pick them up.
Poisonings require immediate and careful attention. Thankfully for Jopi and Helena, the Darwin animal Doctors were there when they needed it most. Help us be there for other animals who need help. Donate today.