Kiwi wasn’t feeling well. Ordinarily a happy young dog with a healthy appetite, she wasn’t hungry. Then her temperature spiked to 106, and she was fighting for her life. Thanks to Kitu’s Fund, Kiwi got a second chance at life and received the veterinary care she needed.
Kiwi doesn’t feel well
Two weeks ago Thursday, Sanctuary staff member Caleb reported that Kiwi was off her food and listless, which was out of character for the happy, fun-loving pooch. Operations Manager Laura Finley set her up in the facility’s clinic for observation and took her temperature: it was slightly above normal but not alarming. Her symptoms were consistent with toad licking, which isn’t typically life-threatening. By Saturday, Kiwi still wasn’t eating, so Laura set up a cot and monitored her through the night. On Sunday night, Kiwi’s temp hit 106.
Laura started Kiwi on amoxicillin and took steps to bring down the fever. She administered 500 ccs of cold subcutaneous fluids and, with Karen Topping’s help, spent hours periodically bathing the pup’s feet in ice water. By Monday morning, Kiwi was at 102.3, almost normal. She appeared to have weathered the storm. But by noon, her temp was back up to 104.
Kiwi receives urgent life-saving veterinary care
At Ashland Animal Medical Hospital (AMH) x-rays revealed that Kiwi’s left thoracic cavity was full of fluid. AMH recommended taking her to Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center (SOVSC), where they had the diagnostic equipment and 24-hour veterinary care she required. Using a large needle, SOVSC medical staff retrieved a liter of fluid and some volume of air from her chest. Kiwi was in trouble.
Was it cancer? A foreign object? They couldn’t tell. Fluid obscured the lung in the x-rays and CT scan.
At 11 pm on Monday night, Laura gave SOVSC permission to insert a chest tube to deal with fluid build up. Kiwi remained in delicate condition at the specialty center for several days.
Then on Thursday night, her temp came down and she was hungry. The vet removed the chest tube and switched to oral antibiotics, but kept our girl under observation for another night before sending her home on Friday. It wasn’t cancer. The most likely explanation is that Kiwi aspirated a foxtail or seed that then tore through her lung and caused an infection.
Kiwi comes home
When I visited earlier this week, I found a happy, comfortable Kiwi in the clinic’s airconditioned “suite.” Laura and I even took her out to the play yard. Her weight loss, shaved coat, and the small circular pink chest tube scar, spoke to her recent ordeal. But Kiwi was in high spirits, her energy barely dampened by the experience.
Today, although she remains on antibiotics, our loveable pup is off the codeine and nausea medicine. In a week she’ll go back for more x-rays. It was a freak accident, and our hope is that her body will deal with the foreign object on its own. She still has at least six weeks of recovery ahead of her. Kiwi isn’t out of the woods yet, but we’re cautiously optimistic.
Kitu’s Fund saves lives like Kiwi’s
Rescue Ranch will always do everything it can to give a dog a chance at life, but it isn’t cheap. The intense, life-saving veterinary care that Kiwi received came at a cost of $9,000. It was worth every cent, but she’s just one of many medical cases. Our special campaign has ended, but you can still give to Kitu’s Fund.
