Dog battling life-threating condition undergoes emergency treatment at Scottish animal hospital
A dog who was battling a life-threatening condition is back on all paws after emergency treatment at one of Scotland’s leading veterinary hospitals.
Two-year-old whippet, Luna, had been taken back and forth to her local vets after owner Amy Anderson noticed she was quiet and not eating or drinking.
It was after her heart rate plummeted to less than 30 beats per minute and vets could not determine the problem that she was referred to the renowned Linnaeus-owned Veterinary Specialists Scotland (VSS) in Livingston.
VSS emergency and critical care specialist Tobias Grave diagnosed Luna with rare Addison’s disease – a deficiency of essential hormones made by the adrenal glands.
Owner Amy said: “Luna had stopped eating and drinking and we were at the point where we had to syringe feed her to try and keep her alive.
“Her vet had considered Addison’s but results weren’t conclusive and Luna wasn’t responding to treatment, so we were offered a referral for further investigations.
“We were referred to VSS but Luna was so sick we weren’t sure she would make it. We knew we had to give it a shot though as she was only two years old.”
The whippet spent two nights at VSS, where vet Tobias repeated blood tests which once again did not conclusively point to the disease.
However, scans found Luna’s adrenal glands were smaller than they should be, which likely contributed to her condition, so Tobias decided on a treatment plan for the pup.
Amy added: “On the first night, we received an update from Tobias to talk about the treatment and results and we were given some hope.
“The next day she improved even further and just continued to get better.
“Tobias was great at keeping us informed and explaining Luna’s condition. Now, she’s back to her old self and we have a plan how to go forward and manage her condition.”
Vet Tobias said further treatment would mean visits to Luna’s local vet to check blood levels and monitor her ongoing therapy. In future, she may also need a monthly injection and daily steroids.
He said: “It’s great to hear Luna is feeling much better and back to her old, happy self now she is on the right treatment for the disease.
“Luna was an absolute pleasure to treat and work with and now her long-term care will be overseen by her local vet closer to home.”
VSS is a specialist-led multidisciplinary referral hospital offering services in cardiology, dermatology, emergency and critical care, internal medicine (feline and canine), neurology, orthopaedics, and soft tissue surgery, supported by specialists in diagnostic imaging and anaesthesia and analgesia.
For more information about VSS and the services it offers, visit www.vetscotland.co.uk or search for Veterinary Specialists Scotland on social media.
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