Louis on a life-support machine for three days after running into greenhouse
A puppy was miraculously brought back from the dead by heart massage from his owner’s mum and expert treatment from our emergency vets.
French bulldog Louis ran at full speed into the corner of a greenhouse, knocking himself out and was found motionless with his eyes rolling.
Claire Halliday’s mum, retired A&E nurse Jean, was looking after the puppy at the time and performed CPR to stimulate his heart before rushing him to her local vet in Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway.
But after receiving oxygen, the 14-week-old showed no signs of improving.
So Claire and partner Mark drove Louis 70 miles to Vets Now’s renowned pet emergency hospital in Glasgow, all the time thinking it might too late to save the puppy.
Our vets got to work on stabilising him straight away but warned Claire that his chances of survival could be as low as one in five.
Claire said: “Louis knocked himself out, having impacted the greenhouse with his chest and my mum said it was as if he had swallowed his tongue and his breathing was really laboured.
“We thought we were going to lose him because of a freak accident. This dog is like our baby. We loved him before, but we love him even more now after what he has been through.”
Louis was playing with another dog when the horrific accident happened. Claire said “he was going like a bat of hell” when he sprinted around a corner and hit the metal corner of the greenhouse.
The impact would almost certainly have killed him had not been for Jean swinging into action.
At the Vets Now hospital, Louis spent nearly three days on life support with Claire and Mark visiting each day and hoping for signs of improvement. Eventually, he was allowed home after nearly a week fighting for his life.
Claire added: “Everybody was rooting for him and praying for him and God was definitely looking after him for that period, He was just a poor wee soul.
“It was quite emotional to see how Louis was being cared for in the Vets Now hospital. He had a little cot bed with cute fleecy blankets and his little paws had heart monitors on them, a nurse was with him all the time,
“It put us at ease to see the care he was getting and the amazing facilities at the hospital. I cannot praise the staff involved in his care highly enough. Age was on his side – he kept fighting through and has been a very lucky pup.”
Vet Kerry Doolin was part of the team of experienced vets and vet nurses involved in Louis’ treatment.
She said: “Louis was really struggling to breathe when he was admitted and had to be put on a ventilator. He was on the critical list for a few days and we were really concerned about his neurological status once he did wake up.
“But, thankfully, he responded to the intensive treatment he received and kept reaching all the targets we set for him.
“His case is a great example of the Vets Now team in Glasgow working together between disciplines to save a life. Louis is such a character and obviously quite a fighter to survive this ordeal.
“He obviously means the world to Claire and Mark and it means to the world to us that he pulled through.”
Louis is Claire and Mark’s first French Bulldog and they knew from researching the breed to expect a character as they get the nickname of ‘Clown dogs’ for their antics.
Louis is no exception and is now back to ‘racing around like a lunatic’, but there is no chance of another accident with the greenhouse – that has been cordoned off to keep him away.
The Vets Now hospital in Glasgow is Scotland’s first dedicated 24/7 pet emergency service. It operates as a pet A&E department with a team of dedicated specialist, referral and emergency vets on hand to provide care.
It’s one of a nationwide network of Vets Now clinics and pet emergency hospitals across the UK that are open through the night, seven-days-a-week, and day and night on weekends and bank holidays, to treat any pet emergencies that may occur.
