Santa Cruz, Galapagos
It was a busy Wednesday morning; Dr. Marijke and Dr. Daphne were still finishing the last sterilization surgery and there were still many people outside waiting to be helped. Amongst those waiting, were two families; a father holding his baby, and his two other children each holding a puppy in their arms, with the mother of the puppies waiting beside them.
The family had come in for deparasite treatment for each of their dogs, and so as per usual procedure, Sacha was preparing the files for the patients and getting their history before one of the veterinarians was able to come out and see them. When weighting Oso, one of the puppies, Sacha noticed that the puppy didn’t really want to stand up. The pup’s temperature and gums looked normal and the family reported nothing in the history that may have caused any issue. Sacha reported the incident to the Dr. Daphne who then came out to check on the pup.
The little girl had now laid Oso down on the ground, and the pup would not stand at all. Dr. Daphne took the little pup inside, who was now breathing superficially and very lethargic. Dr. Daphne put Oso on an IV line and fed him some puppy milk to help with his lethargy. After a few hours, Oso was able to hold his own head up, but was still not able to stand.
The Doctors believed Oso to have a head injury, but the family were adamant that nothing could have caused that. While observing the young children holding the puppies, the veterinarians had noticed that they were not particularly careful in the manner in which they held them, and wondered if Oso may have been dropped at one point. However, the question still remained why Oso was not able to stand. The Doctors had tried everything – from removing the IV catheter, to supporting his weight, but the little pup would not stand.
When the family returned that afternoon, Dr. Marijke began to ask them some questions once again, trying to work out what could have happened to cause the symptoms. After a few more questions, the family told Dr. Marijke that Oso may have fallen from a motorbike.
Dr. Marijke referred the information to the rest of the team and the Doctors determined that this would explain his symptoms – poor Oso had a head injury from the fall, as well as a dislocated shoulder. The little pup would have to stay in the clinic to be monitored for the next few days.
“Oso is really sweet and cute. He doesn’t like being alone, he prefers being around people. So instead of having his spot further in the back he is now laying next to my desk and loves to lay at my feet.” reported Sacha.
Oso was given the close care and attention he needed until he was fully recovered from the incident. He was even allowed to sleep in Myra’s bed the last two nights, after being heard crying during the evening. He has now returned to his family, a happy, healthy little pup.
