Santa Cruz, Galapagos
One Saturday morning, a mother and her son brought their beloved dog, Rex, to the clinic. Two volunteers, Alex and Natalia, were the only ones in the house as, being a weekend, the rest of the team were out. The two volunteers called Dr. Daphne right away to let her know that there was a dog who needed attention.
Dr. Daphne quickly returned to the clinic to see Rex. The poor pup had been reportedly losing weight all week, but had become acutely lethargic that morning, making the family too concerned to wait for the clinic to reopen on Monday. Dr. Daphne took Rex in to get him on fluids and some medication. By that afternoon, Rex was already doing better, but was still not good enough to go home. Strangely, Rex had developed a new symptom; he had begun acting as if he were slightly blind.
Rex remained with the clinic team for a few more days. He continued to improve, but was still displaying some symptoms of having unclear vision.
When Rex’s family came to visit, the clinic team saw a wonderful sight; “When the owner came, [Rex] was so happy to see them that he almost got stuck in the gate because he was trying to climb through. The boy started playing with him. [Rex] was indeed still a bit wobbly but really wanted to play.”
After some discussion with the family, it seemed that the most likely cause was that Rex had eaten something poisonous. The family knew of a tree nearby the house which is poisonous for dogs and can apparently cause temporary blindness – a possible cause. With the most dangerous time passed, Dr. Daphne and the team decided that it would be best for Rex to be able to finish his recovery with his loving family; where he felt the most safe and in a place most familiar. The family were asked to return with Rex for a check-up in a few days, and to return immediately if he seemed to get any worse.
When Rex returned for his check-up, he was doing wonderfully. His sight was back to normal, and he had returned to the happy and healthy dog that he had always been.
Darwin Animal Doctors face many cases such as Rex. Become a monthly donor or make a one-time donation by clicking the donate button and help us continue to treat sick and injured animals around the world!