Yeesh. I think it's good that I decided to take time off when I did. Saturday was a blurry day that I can hardly recall. The clinic wasn't super busy, but there was a steady flow of clients all day. I slept terribly Friday night, as getting up to pee every hour is not conducive to restfulness. Thus, I spent most of Saturday in a foggy daze. The theme of the day was low finances, sick animals, do what you can for X amount of money, Doc. So I did.
I saw a very nice large breed dog that was sprayed with bird (or buck) shot. I'm by no means a rifleman, so I can't tell you which it was - but the poor dog was peppered with it from scrotum, prepuce, rear limbs, to abdomen. I was concerned that some of the pellets penetrated the abdomen, but the owner did not have the finances to proceed with hospitalization and monitoring. Thus, we compromised with pain medications and antibiotics. He was counseled to bring the dog back in ASAP if he exhibited vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fever, or other signs of systemic illness.
Then there was the "stray kitten." She was being taken care of by some Good Samaritans that had been feeding her. She had acutely become depressed, anorexic, and had a 105 fever. Having never had vaccines, I was worried about feline leukemia and feline AIDs. These tests were negative. I recommended further diagnostics, but the owners declined due to finances. I gave them antibiotics, pumped some SQ fluids into the kitty, and crossed my fingers. Miraculously, the owners called today to report that she is already back to normal kittenhood. Go figure.
On the heels of this followed a shepherd dog that was very lethargic and vomiting. Her abdomen was tense, and she had a fever. I was very concerned, but her owners were financially strapped and declined everything but symptomatic treatment. A shot of anti-emetic, SQ fluids, and out the door. I'm hoping she didn't/doesn't have a foreign body.
Lastly, there was the small Poodle that was mauled by another dog (unknown size/type). He suffered puncture wounds to his abdomen, neck, and chest. Remarkably, he was stable. After clipping, cleaning, and exploring the wounds, I recommended that he stay overnight for close monitoring. The owners declined and took him home. Hopefully, he is doing well.
I dragged myself home, realized my ankles were swollen to the size of elephant ankles, and laid on the couch like a sloth. My mind was so fuzzy that as I thought back over the day, I could barely recall the patients I had seen. I drifted off to sleep after dinner (around 9pm!). Thank god for my husband. He rubbed my feet, got me a heating pad for my aching hips, and looked after my general well-being. I'm a very lucky girl.
Today was my last day of work. I am now on maternity leave until Dec 7. It's hard to imagine not working for so long, but I'm looking forward to it!
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If the large majority of the pellets didn't seriously penetrate (which from your description is the case) then it was bird shot. Buck shot can, and will, kill deer (hence the name). Which doesn't mean that one or more pellets didn't penatrate into the body, but does make it less likely. Also with that kind of spread the shooter likely wasn't up close to the dog, which also makes deeper penetration unlikely. Hopefully he'll be ok!
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