Somewhat OT - Gina, my old Poodle foster

[Rescuemomma]

I'm so upset I'm still just shaking. I took Gina, Benjamin, Sara, and Aiyana out for a late night walk before we turned in for the night. Out of nowhere a stray dog attacked us, and grabbed Gina before I knew what was happening. Grabbed her by the groin/back legs and shock the crap out of her. Her groin is so torn apart it's like hamburger. I immediately called my vet, who advised me to flush it out really good, start her on some pain meds and antibiotics that thankfully he makes sure I always have on hand for emergencies like this, and to give her some sub q fluids. He said really even at the ER that's about all they'd do other then possibly putting her on an an IV, which with a bad heart, he said sub q fluids would probably be better for her. I'm so upset, in all my years in dogs I've never witnessed such a attack! It was horrifying, at first I was sure he'd killed her, I just grabbed her and ran in the house with the other dogs and called animal control before I started to attend to her.....My vet said he'd be there at 7:00 am to meet us, if I can keep her comfortable and get her through the night she's going to need emergency surgery to close up the gaping holes in her groin. I can't believe that dog did so much damage to her so quickly and am just shaking at the thought - If it'd grabbed Benjamin they'd been no hope, if it'd grabbed Sara it would have broken a leg at the least, and likely killed her, if it'd grabbed Aiyana with all her other medical problems she almost certainly wouldn't have survived, and old Gina with her bad heart, mammary cancer, and early stage kidney disease isn't the best surgical patient, but we don't have a choice. Please keep little Gina in your prayers, I'll be up with her all night hoping and praying she makes it through - She seems pretty stable for now, I've got her temp back in normal ranges and staying there, she doesn't seem to shocky now that I've given the pain meds and sub q fluids, I think she's as stable as she can be until surgery can be preformed to clean up and repair some of the damage done tomorrow.

[kjc]

Oh no! This is horrible! Prayers sent for your baby.... This is exactly why I will only walk mine one at a time anymore...

[Rescuemomma]

Originally Posted by kjc

Oh no! This is horrible! Prayers sent for your baby.... This is exactly why I will only walk mine one at a time anymore...

It wouldn't have mattered in this situation. No matter how many dogs I'd been walking - that dog would have attacked. I think it went for Gina because she's the oldest and weakest member of my pack - It must have sensed that I actually think it's good for dogs to be a part of a pack, I've walked several dogs of similar ages and speeds together, and actually in alot of cases it discourages stray dogs when they see a pack - But not this dog I've had to chase off strays on a walk before, but I've never had one charge out of nowhere and grab one of my babies like that!

[zowiandnikasmom]

oh my goodness how horrifying. i'm so sorry this has happened!!! sending lots of prayers for sweet little gina (and you.) i hope her surgery this morning is a success and she recovers quickly! she will surely be in my thoughts!

[Yorkiemom1]

When I USED to walk my babies out in public, I carried an axe handle....to be used to beat of an attacking stray.....your poor Gina....I hope that dog was not rabid.....your poor baby....I hope she can survive surgery if they absolutely MUST put her under .....maybe a little bit of Propofol, titrated to just sedate her enough to repair the damage?

[lynzy420]

Shes a little survivor, I'm sure your vet knows what hes doing and she will be fine, good thing you were there to rescue her right away! I don't believe carrying a weapon to beat another dog is the solution, maybe some pepper spray. Good luck and I'm sorry this happened to you and your poor baby.

[rubymoon2072]

im so sorry i hope she made it through the night ok and is a bit better this morning. so freakn scary. ill keep you both in my thoughts.

[Rescuemomma]

She's still hanging in. This definatly not a quicky thing that could be handled by Propoflow - she's probably got an hour or two of surgery ahead of her . I'm sure they'll Newark fully irregate and there's several big open wounds and alot of damage to underlying tissue - it's pretty horrific! She's breathing much better now, her temp is still holding steady, she's remained stable all night - she's a tough customer! Anxious to see what vet says after he sees how bad this is, that dog really just tore her to bits!

[lynzy420]

Originally Posted by Rescuemomma

She's still hanging in. This definatly not a quicky thing that could be handled by Propoflow - she's probably got an hour or two of surgery ahead of her . I'm sure they'll Newark fully irregate and there's several big open wounds and alot of damage to underlying tissue - it's pretty horrific! She's breathing much better now, her temp is still holding steady, she's remained stable all night - she's a tough customer! Anxious to see what vet says after he sees how bad this is, that dog really just tore her to bits!

Shes a tough little cookie and your a great caretaker. Remember to take care of you too, eat drink lots of fluids, rest when you can. Please let us know how things go. Good Luck and I will keep you both in my thoughts today.

[ladyjane]

These injuries can be catastrophic. She sounds like she should be on IV antibiotics and monitored 24/7 by a vet. Don't you have an Emergency CLinic there? I am shocked that she had to sit all night like that.
Infections from these attacks are very, very common and difficult to treat. Not something that can be done at home normally.
We had one in our group that was kept at home and by the time we got her she ended up in intensive care for weeks...
I hope your vet can help her.

[Rescuemomma]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

These injuries can be catastrophic. She sounds like she should be on IV antibiotics and monitored 24/7 by a vet. Don't you have an Emergency CLinic there? I am shocked that she had to sit all night like that.
Infections from these attacks are very, very common and difficult to treat. Not something that can be done at home normally.
We had one in our group that was kept at home and by the time we got her she ended up in intensive care for weeks...
I hope your vet can help her.

Keep in mind I'm a vet tech - I would never advise most people to do what I did with Gina last night. I do have injectable antibiotics and pain meds on hand for emergencies like this and access to things very few people would because of my job. My vet told me exactly what to do. Yes, we have emergency care here but the ER would have done exactly what I did last night. Unless it's an absolute critical emergency they don't do any surgery until the next morning, and then generally they release the dog for you to take to your regular vet for surgery. They just stabilize it and give it pain meds and antibiotics.

I want to make sure again people understand this is NOT an injury that should have been attempted to be cared for at home unless you have both the medical training, knowledge, and proper medications to handle it!

[Rescuemomma]

Originally Posted by lynzy420

Shes a tough little cookie and your a great caretaker. Remember to take care of you too, eat drink lots of fluids, rest when you can. Please let us know how things go. Good Luck and I will keep you both in my thoughts today.

Thank you for your concern! I'm making sure I care for myself - this is so hard when it's a dog I care about! I see stuff like this as a vet tech all the time - but it's so much more horrifying first hand when it's a dog you love!

[ladyjane]

Thoughts and prayers for Gina.

[tjdmom]

How awful! I hope she is ok and i hope that dog is found too so that it doesn't happen to any other puppies!

[Rescuemomma]

Just left her at the vet. Not looking good. Worried the damage is to severe . There's alot of tissue damage which I knew, but also very concerned it may have shredded bowel it bit so hard and shook her so bad . They won't know for awhile, they're trying to stabilize her little better and then will take her to surgery, even then worried she won't come through surgery . Very touch and go with her right now, I'm just sick to my stomach. Even if she survives worried nerve damage and other soft tissue damage may be extensive, and cause long term problems. Vet said there's nothing more that could have been done last night - no vet would have taken her to surgery the way she is now even, they'll keep her on pain meds for the next few hours and then sedate her to fully access the extent of the damage. If they think there's a chance she'll survive this, they'll immediately take her to surgery.