Alex

[Nienke]

My staff called me: ‘Madam, madam, Alex is vomiting up foam!” I ran outside and called him to me, while thinking what on earth he could have eaten wrongly or maybe something stuck in his mouth?

I saw it immediately. His stomach was slightly swollen. Oh my Gawd, BLOAT! In the car and to the nearest vet. No time to waste. Total twist of the stomach is a life-threatening condition.

Barged in the vet, saying in Thai ‘my dog has bloat, need vet now’. Receive big question marks on faces. Repeat what I said, plus that bloat can cause death in 30 minutes. Vet comes. I repeat again: my dog has bloat, pointing at his more swollen stomach. She asks me if he may have eaten something toxic. I say: no, that doesn’t cause sudden swelling of only the stomach. Maybe, something else then. I repeat for the so many times: the swelling came up very suddenly. Before he didn’t have any swelling. This is bloat! An emergency! He can die within half an hour!

I looked at his gums. They have become pale. Oh shit!, I think, the vein is twisted as well, there is no or hardly any blood flow. I show the vet.

Oh, she said, It may be acute gastric dilatation, which is one of the three forms of bloat. I need to do an X-ray first to confirm this.

And the clock is ticking, while my dog’s stomach is becoming bigger and bigger. I ask her ‘why not sticking a needle through the abdominal wall right into the stomach? No, no, she said, first X-ray. I see that she has never heard of this emergency treatment which can relieve the condition temporarily, allowing time for a life-saving treatment. I see that she even doesn't really know what to do.

I start apologizing to Alex, and saying goodbye.

He died on the operation table. They hadn’t even started shaving the operation spot yet.

My dear Alex, so you were still full of life. An hour later you were no more.

Rest in Peace, my dearest best friend. In 10 days you would have become 7 years old.

Nienke

[lannarebirth]

I'm so terribly sorry and sad to hear it Neinke. Alex was lucky to have someone so thoughtful and caring as you. RIP Alex. Heartbreaking.

[miltonbentley]

Really sorry to hear that Nienke.

[Rasseru]

I am very sorry, Nienke.

[annabel]

My staff called me: 'Madam, madam, Alex is vomiting up foam!" I ran outside and called him to me, while thinking what on earth he could have eaten wrongly or maybe something stuck in his mouth?

I saw it immediately. His stomach was slightly swollen. Oh my Gawd, BLOAT! In the car and to the nearest vet. No time to waste. Total twist of the stomach is a life-threatening condition.

Barged in the vet, saying in Thai 'my dog has bloat, need vet now'. Receive big question marks on faces. Repeat what I said, plus that bloat can cause death in 30 minutes. Vet comes. I repeat again: my dog has bloat, pointing at his more swollen stomach. She asks me if he may have eaten something toxic. I say: no, that doesn't cause sudden swelling of only the stomach. Maybe, something else then. I repeat for the so many times: the swelling came up very suddenly. Before he didn't have any swelling. This is bloat! An emergency! He can die within half an hour!

I looked at his gums. They have become pale. Oh shit!, I think, the vein is twisted as well, there is no or hardly any blood flow. I show the vet.

Oh, she said, It may be acute gastric dilatation, which is one of the three forms of bloat. I need to do an X-ray first to confirm this.

And the clock is ticking, while my dog's stomach is becoming bigger and bigger. I ask her 'why not sticking a needle through the abdominal wall right into the stomach? No, no, she said, first X-ray. I see that she has never heard of this emergency treatment which can relieve the condition temporarily, allowing time for a life-saving treatment. I see that she even doesn't really know what to do.

I start apologizing to Alex, and saying goodbye.

He died on the operation table. They hadn't even started shaving the operation spot yet.

My dear Alex, so you were still full of life. An hour later you were no more.

Rest in Peace, my dearest best friend. In 10 days you would have become 7 years old.

Nienke

Hi Nienke

I am sitting here crying with you and you know I mean it ...I know exactly what you are feeling rite now ......There is noting worse than losing a pet when you yourself know what is wrong and what could save it but can't do it without the help of a Vet and to fall upon Vets that don't have the knowledge and capabilties is even more devastating. But you are a pro in your field cause honestly if this would of happened to one of my dogs I wouldn't of had a clue as to what was happening and it probably would have died without even getting to the vet cause I've never heard about this before and wouldn't know how to deal with the situation other than probably call you.... and probably when far too late ....anyway I am still sitting here crying with you ....

Lots of Hugs...Annabel

[Jamesjimmy]

SORRY to here about your loss..... R.I.P,,,,,, better to find a new vet....

[Carib]

Sorry to hear this Nienke.

[Ulysses G.]

I teared up a little myself and I am a guy!

[bluejays]

Khun Nienke,

Terribley sorry to hear that Khun Nienke, been at yr place but can't recall yr Alex, can I see some pix. & rest in peace Alex my heart is crying for u.

[Nienke]

Thank you all for your kind words.

Alex has been put to rest.

He was the last dog of my old pack.

Nienke

p.s. bluejays: Alex was probably in my house when you dropped by. He is the GSD in my avatar with the head a little tilted.

[Contractor]

Very sorry to hear your story.

Alex had the luck, at least, to have a loving and caring owner. Any animal could not ask for more.

Take care

[Nienke]

Thank you, Contractor.

When an animal is in his (or her) final stages and the decision is made to have him taken out of his suffering, I'm always there with them whether it's my own pet, a customer's pet or a stray. It doesn't matter to me. I'm there with them, petting them, talking quietly to them. I also talk silently to them. Not out loud, 'They' may 'think' I lost my sanity. I tell the animal what I think is going to happen: they will first see a beautiful bright light, that leads through a tunnel. At the end of the tunnel is the rainbow bridge. They will go over the bridge and at the end are the greenfields where all the others are waiting for him or her, definitely my animals. The greenfields is a place where there is only happiness, where they can run and play and where there is no pain or sorrow.

Whether this is true or not, I don't know. What I do know is that the animal quiets down. Will lie there on the table quietly. Sometimes I see fear in their eyes when the needle goes in. I keep on talking and talking and talking and petting. Then they look me in the eyes and I see that they trust. Then they go, in peace, and that is all that counts.

I couldn't do my talk with Alex. It went all too fast, and I was not allowed to stay with him in the operation room. He died alone in great agony and pain, and that really hurts.

[eek]

Im reaIIy sorry Nienke. A Iot of thoughts going through my head about what happened. The circumstances were so unfair, but you did aII you couId. As someone mentioned before, AIex had a Ioving owner and a good Iife, thats what shouId be remembered.

I aIways reaIIy struggIe with what to say at times Iike this, but my thoughts are with you. Take care.

[Flatouthruthefog]

Im reaIIy sorry Nienke. A Iot of thoughts going through my head about what happened. The circumstances were so unfair, but you did aII you couId. As someone mentioned before, AIex had a Ioving owner and a good Iife, thats what shouId be remembered.

I aIways reaIIy struggIe with what to say at times Iike this, but my thoughts are with you. Take care.

My sympathies, of course.

But how can we (and animals we care for) benefit from this sad saga?

I am sure you cannot name the vet concerned for legal reasons and tv by-laws. Shame, but there it is. Have to catch you at a certain popular wine bar sometime for that advice.

Can you specify vets around here who would have served you, and more vitally the dog, better?

[Nienke]

When there are those shit times, they really can hit hard. I'm definitely in the bloody middle of it. Now, even my computer went to the docter. Hope the computerdocter is better than the human and animal docters, that I've met lately.

Here's a routedescription: when coming out of my soi turn left and left again on the 121. At Louie intersection, another left. At the Bo Sang intersection turn right. You can't miss it (although it's advisable you do) on your left.

The vet I normally go to, Dr. Nook's, the small animal hospital are all too far for an emergency like this.

Bloat isn't that uncommon, and a vet should know how to handle an emergency case like that.

I even studied about it when doing my course for managing a small animal boarding kennel. During the practical term at a dog and cat rescue house in Holland, I recognized the bloat symptoms in a dog there. The care-takers, owner and vet were quick and efficient and the dog's life was saved. But then that dog had not a total twist of the stomach, but half.