Collapsed lung

[leegreen 2,153]

Lurcher bitch ran into something whilst running through an old orchard. She now has a bladder like sound coming from her chest area when she walks. She has been short of breath since the incident, shallow panting after the slightest exertion.

Eating drinking and still pretty lively. Seems pretty good considering

I'm assuming its a collapsed lung. Any one have experience with such an injury? Pheumothorax.

I've got a good Idea what is going to happen when I take her to the vets.  

I would like the air in her chest cavity to be removed and I would like it done using local anesthetic. Do you think the vets will do it like this or will they find the most expensive way to remove that air?

[skycat 6,173]

Firstly, do not let her exert herself at all. If she has ruptured a lung, then it will take weeks to heal. My old DeerGrey ruptured a lung many years ago. And she did not break a rib, but hit the far side of a dyke at a gallop at night. The vet drew a massive amount of air from the space around her lungs, and she healed fine but it took about 3 months before I let her run at all.

As to your question: would they do the above under local anaesthetic? Quite possibly, though times have changed and vets no longer want to take any sort of risk which might allow the owner to sue them. Sad times we live in. As to the air in her chest cavity: it will eventually be absorbed, but seriously, you might want to get her checked out at the vet, that's if you value the dog at all. And I know it will cost you a second mortgage, or a year's wages, but that's the price we pay these days for medical treatment to line the pockets of big pharma and vets.

How do you define 'slightest exertion'? Getting to her feet? Walking a few steps? If that is the case get her to the vet asap.

Or you could leave her to hopefully heal by herself, though, if you do, please keep her quiet, well hydrated, small frequent meals rather than just one blow out a day and ONLY very short walks on the lead and no excitement. Hope this helps.

[skycat 6,173]

Also: there is an additional danger if the amount of air in the chest is causing pressure on the heart, which may not be immediately fatal, but unless the air is removed the heart could, eventually, fail.

[leegreen 2,153]

2 hours ago, skycat said:

Firstly, do not let her exert herself at all. If she has ruptured a lung, then it will take weeks to heal. My old DeerGrey ruptured a lung many years ago. And she did not break a rib, but hit the far side of a dyke at a gallop at night. The vet drew a massive amount of air from the space around her lungs, and she healed fine but it took about 3 months before I let her run at all.

As to your question: would they do the above under local anaesthetic? Quite possibly, though times have changed and vets no longer want to take any sort of risk which might allow the owner to sue them. Sad times we live in. As to the air in her chest cavity: it will eventually be absorbed, but seriously, you might want to get her checked out at the vet, that's if you value the dog at all. And I know it will cost you a second mortgage, or a year's wages, but that's the price we pay these days for medical treatment to line the pockets of big pharma and vets.

How do you define 'slightest exertion'? Getting to her feet? Walking a few steps? If that is the case get her to the vet asap.

Or you could leave her to hopefully heal by herself, though, if you do, please keep her quiet, well hydrated, small frequent meals rather than just one blow out a day and ONLY very short walks on the lead and no excitement. Hope this helps.

She is always lively after I let her out the kennel and walk her around my plot for toilet duties. It is then she is short panting, no stress, but it is obvious. She too hasn't broken any ribs, nor is there any signs of injury, other than her breathing and slight lameness.

Its a real shame, she is out of two good dogs and hasn't quite met the grade yet at 2 years old. I was giving her a last chance this coming season. She is pretty quick and will make a good lamping bitch. I mainly work the pack, first light and last light, this is usually bushing and cover stuff. She hasn't yet quite made the grade, as she doesn't commit to cover 100% and having mostly Bull in the mix, it's not quite right. 

I always put a great deal of time into my dogs and this bitch is no exception. Walks to heal, off lead whilst lamping, good indoors, good with other dogs, retrieves to hand, good/clean in kennels, jumps well, decent strike, everything you would expect from a two year old. 

Obviously I am gutted about her performance so far and now I am thinking that I am not going to be able to give her one more chance. What I don't want to have to do is spend a shed load of money sorting out a dog if it is going to another home and possibly a pet home. If the vet is going to be a dick about it, she has got 1 more chance when my friends son, who is a vet, comes home from holiday next week. Other wise she will be PTS sadly.

[Daniel cain 45,130]

Your dog, Your choice , what you do with it pal...You do what you thinks right by her

I bred a litter of terriers 10 yrs back,and with the circumstances at the time, I ended up keeping the runt,she was a tiny little thing,no bother in kennels , around stock etc was an ideal little dog..only problem was she showed no interest in going to ground at all..rat all day/night long tbf... I had her out, tied up at digs etc,no different to any other dogs,her siblings all started and could  be relied upon to get a job done...mates told me to knock it on the head,but I honestly Liked this little bitch Twist,so kept her,took her everywhere we went...then one day out of nowhere at 4 yrs old...we had run a fox in and she actually strained on the chain to have a sniff...So  collared her up and away she went into the darkness...gave her 20 mins to settle and got down to her...doing the business like a pro...we dug her another 2 times that day,and over the next 2 seasons she turned into a reliable little foxing bitch..glad I gave her the chance...I dont have many regrets, but I do honestly regret not taking something from her before gifting her away ...for her to die to ground a few month's later...

[The one 8,467]

My son was taking the lurchers out he let them run up a small hill and over the top time he got to the top my bitch was laying flat out , she was always the clown , nut job trying to trip her sister up turns out she had ran straight into her sister my son carried her home over her shoulders and she was wheezing couldn't get a breath   took her to the vet and she had a collapsed lung they drained a pint and a half of air out one side and a pint out the other then wanted to keep her in . Only to get a phone call the next morning your dog cant walk we want to put her down a swear word and a off later she's only two i will be straight up , got there then they said we don't usually let people into the recovery kennels  we walked in with her sister and she got up wobbly and stood with her sister . I said i will take her home they said you cant shes been given morphine and needs monitored , I said no wonder she wouldn't stand you got her drugged off her face .I picked her up the next morning and although i had a towel under her hips when i opened the car boot to put her in the crazy bitch jumped in . Three weeks of being in a crate and walking out for the toilet with a towel under her hips  massaging her letting her paddle in water she could be walked on a lead with no support . A month after her accident as agreed i took her back to the vet and the vet kept looking behind me and i asked what's up what you doing her reply reading this i am looking for putting a dog to sleep is there another dog i said shes a merel check her markings you dont get two merles exactly the same , she said i would never have believed it . My bitches are now 8 the merels still crazy . Then the vet asked do you have insurance how you going to pay for this its nearly £1400 i said you take cash ?. they charged my £35 to feed here fcuk knows what steak ? but she never ate anything . The problem was my vets turned into a animal hospital and they use all the newly qualified vets to staff it you never see the same vet twice .

Its up to you mate its your dog only you know if you want to pay it hopefully you got a good vet  who knows what there doing 

[leegreen 2,153]

The problem I have is the same, big corporate vets is my local and everyone I have seen in the last 8 years since the practice was sold to them, is a newbie straight out of Uni. 

I only really go to the vets for a second opinion and quite often they get it wrong. I have been refunded twice for consultation fees, that's in 5 visits in 8 years. My trust in my local vets is minimal.

This is my dilemma, should I wait until my proper vet comes back from holiday, but by then the collapsed lung could get fibrotic and suffer permanent damage. Or go see the students down the road and end up teaching them something 

[leegreen 2,153]

So £60 later and I'm none the wiser.  Spoke to the head vet told her what checks I had done and she just about repeated what I had told her.

I asked if an Xray would give a better answer, she then asked me if I wanted an Xray, WTF.

Bitch seems ok, eating well, wants to run and play with the busher pups. What more can I do? Certainly don't want to run her, well I do, but......

Focking working dogs eh 

 

 

 

[j j m 6,536]

our local vets has been bought out by a big company now prices have went sky high