Case Study: The Dog Impaled By a Tree Branch

When you work at a VEG ER for pets, you never know what kind of case is going to walk in. In this case, Hughie, a one-year-old cocker spaniel, was rushed into VEG Clifton—with a tree branch measuring approximately three feet long protruding through his leg—roots and all! This was one of the most amazing cases to come into VEG Clifton. It would take experienced veterinary skill and a little unexpected assistance to help this pup.

AN EXTREME VET CASE NEEDS THE BEST ER FOR PETS

A hunting dog by nature, Hughie was in the woods at the time of the accident. From the force of impact, we can guess the following: the eager dog, happy and hunting, was most likely sprinting through the woods and over branches. But one landing did not go as planned and the cocker spaniel landed square on a large tree branch. His left hind leg was impaled by the branch, which traveled all the way through his leg. One of the dog’s owners, along with her sister who is an ICU nurse, drove 40 minutes to get to our Clifton, NJ animal hospital. There was only minimal blood oozing from the impaled area because the branch was still firmly planted into his hind leg.

A WISE CHOICE FOR EMERGENCY VETERINARY CARE

Hughie’s owner purposely chose VEG to handle this incredulous case because she had heard great things about our vet ER hospital. She was not disappointed. On arrival, the spaniel was conscious but in shock from his injury. VEG’s highly skilled emergency vet staff kicked into action. Veterinary ER doctors, Susan Rothstein and Anne Mcalister immediately helped the owner and went to work stabilizing the injured dog. Says Dr. Rothstein, “I just took a breath and realized I had to treat the shock first. Then I could attend to his leg.” The canine patient was given a fluid bolus, an intravenous fluid used to treat shock. Initial treatment also included administering:

• Broad spectrum antibiotics
• A general anesthetic
• An analgesic to control pain
• A mild sedative to help relax the dog
• Anti-nausea meds in case the meds upset Hughie’s stomach

The ER vets also performed diagnostic testing, including x-rays, to ensure no other areas were injured. They found his blood pressure was surprisingly good, despite the trauma.

ANOTHER PROBLEM FACES THE VET TEAM

There was a tactical issue that needed to be resolved: how to get this massive tree branch out of the way! Maneuvering around it to help Hughie was awkward and near impossible. Dr. Rothstein and Dr. Mcalister quickly realized that they needed to cut away at the majority of the branch to relieve the pressure on the dog’s leg and to be able to extract it safely. Explains Dr. Rothstein, “The problem was, we had to debulk the sheer size of it, but we obviously didn’t have big branch cutting tools in an animal ER.” Cut to VEG Nurse Nicole Greco, whose family operates an electrical business. She called her electrician brother, and within minutes, he was at VEG with a cutting tool large enough to cut through the branch. It was all hands on deck at VEG. Dr. Rothstein notes that, “It was truly a team effort. VEG Clifton is a teaching hospital and everyone jumped in to help this poor dog.”

ER-TRAINED VETS DISCUSS THE HIGH-RISK PROCEDURE

Dr. Rothstein palpated Hughie’s leg and found it had a good pulse, which was a good sign. His eyes were open, yet he was calm from the sedative. But this was still a tricky procedure. Hughie had both parents and his aunt at VEG now and the ER vet discussed possible outcomes with them. The vet staff had no idea if the branch had hit an artery. It was explained to the dog’s owners that when the vet staff extracts the tree branch, there was a chance their pet could bleed out. If Hughie survived, but they found that the tree branch had splintered, he could require additional surgeries to remove the broken pieces. There was no way of knowing exactly what they were facing until they extracted the branch and looked inside. At VEG, we’ve found that it’s important to discuss all scenarios with pet parents. Being up front and open are baked into VEG’s core values. Customers are involved in their pet’s care plan, and Hughie’s owners understood the risks and prepared themselves.

REMOVING THE TREE BRANCH FROM THE HUNTING DOG’S LEG

Hughie was prepped for surgery, given a sedative, a gas anesthesia was administered, and he was intubated. The extraction was either going to go smoothly or rapid blood loss could prove fatal. With a veterinarian intern on one side, holding Hughie’s leg, and the ER vet on the other side, they began to slowly remove the branch. Hughe’s owners held their breath as inch by inch, the branch was pulled out of their beloved dog’s leg. When the full branch was removed, there was hardly any blood and a lot of relief! Thankfully, everyone’s worst fear did not materialize. There was oozing blood, but it wasn’t gushing. This signaled that the branch did not hit a blood vessel. Lucky dog! The vet team worked efficiently to close the wound. They flushed the area with an 18-gauge catheter and debrided the skin tissue. This is a procedure where any dead or damaged tissue is removed to help the healing process. Next, they placed a Penrose drain on the inside and outside of the spaniel’s leg, which would help Hughie avoid an abscess. The team closed up the leg muscle with sutures. You can’t keep a good dog down and Hughie literally walks that walk. Dr. Rothstein confirms that when he woke up from anesthesia, this amazing pup “walked out, bearing weight on that leg!”

AFTER-SURGERY CARE AT VEG’s ER FOR PETS

Hughie was monitored after his procedure. He received the following care:

• His liver and kidney values were checked
• He was given anti inflammatory medication
• He was placed on a two-week regimen of antibiotics

The cocker spaniel came back to VEG twice to have his surgical drains checked and subsequently removed. His gait was good; he was walking without a problem.

VEG VETERINARY HOSPITALS ARE OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY

Dr. Rothstein is proud of the way everyone responded to this dog’s emergency, and how the electrician’s contribution was invaluable: “It wasn’t just our VEGgies that were heroic helpers; it was a civilian too.” We all hope that this was a once-in-a-lifetime situation for Hughie, but it’s great to know that the experienced, 24-hour veterinarian staff at VEG is ready for any emergency. At any of our VEG hospital locations, top-rated veterinarians are always on staff to handle emergencies and urgent care for animals and exotics. We keep owners and their pets together the entire time, even if your pet is hospitalized. And like Hughie’s parents, owners are encouraged to be as involved in their pet’s care as they want to be.