Following the lead of other veterinary bloggers I will share my thoughts on the very preventable heat stroke cases. It never fails to amaze me just how downright stupid people can be. Allowing dogs to remain in cars in the heat, or exercising them like crazy on a hot summer day.
case one - the local animal control officer brings us a young adult dog who had been left in an unattended car at the train station. The ACO broke the car window to retrieve this recumbent dog from the car. The dog presents to the ER, we begin treatment as the ACO looks for the owner. In cases like this the ACO will approve the cost of treatment, and upon finding the owner, will require that the owner pay the town back for the cost of treatment.
This case was caught early, and we successfully turned this dog around without any life threatening complications - so we were pleased. The ACO had made contact with the owners and they were en route to the hospital to see the dog. Ideally we planned to keep him overnight for observation. He had begun having some diarrhea but was otherwise looking really good.
The owners arrived and they were irate. The wife had left the dog in the car while she travelled to the city for a meeting, expecting to be back sooner than she actually did get back. She thought, naturally, that her car had been broken into so she was frantic for a while. However, the police let her know that while her car window was broken, she was not burgled and her dog was in the hospital, not running the streets (and not dead, by the way).
So husband and wife arrive and let us know in no uncertain terms that they are not paying the bill and want to take their dog home now. Oh how I wish they could have seen their precious dog when he arrived practically non-responsive and broiling hot. Fortunately the police and the ACO let them know that they were responsible for the bill and further, would likely be charged with animal cruelty for leaving the dog in the car alone in the heat. Upon hearing that the sob story came out. Wife lost her job recently, they are filing bankruptcy, and have little money, they could lose their home. However, they paid their veterinary bill, and would have to pay to have the car window replaced, but they escaped charges of animal cruelty. Had it not been for the local law enforcement playing a role in this, I am sure we would not have been paid. Another life saved with no thank-you from the pet owner.
And then there is the case of the super athlete who took his dog for a 5 mile run in the heat of the day. Another young adult male, this time a boxer. The client called to inquire about pricing for a visit, as his dog seemed out of sorts after this run. He was advised to bring the dog in - he opted to wait - not a smart decision. The dog presented to us 3 hours later recumbent, pouring diarrhea from his hind end, and petechiae developing all over his body. The owner, who always brought his dog running with him, did not believe that his dog was suffering from heat stroke (with a body temp of 106 F).
He second guessed every treatment plan - which included blood products, serial blood work and intensive nursing care. Eventually he agreed to treatment, but it was a hairy 36 hours for this dog. Fortunately everything worked out - the owner paid for the care though he was extremely displeased with the cost and let everyone know about it -twice.
I just want to scream at these people - YOU caused this! We treated it! It's YOUR fault that you have a sick animal and a veterinary bill, not MINE!
