“I’m absolutely certain he would have died if it wasn’t for Vets Now,” said Karen, 61.
Arthur is usually a super-active dog who enjoys four-mile daily walks, but he was a little under the weather earlier this winter. When he became even more poorly, Karen took him to her local daytime vet.
He was given medication, but his condition got drastically worse as the day wore on.
“I’m a retired nurse and I could see just how bad his breathing was getting and his face was very swollen,” said Karen.
“It was really terrible to see. My husband David and I don’t regard him as a pet, we regard him as family.
“As it was now out of hours, we called Vets Now who told us to bring him straight in. It was nearly midnight by the time we got there and I think we were in shock that he’d got so poorly so quickly.
“The vet was in surgery, but she came to the door to look and knew she had to deal with Arthur as soon as possible because he was in such a bad way.”
Arthur’s owners rushed him to Vets Now as his breathing was getting worse and his face was swollen.
Arthur's abscess ordeal
Arthur’s owners rushed him to Vets Now as his breathing was getting worse and his face was swollen.
Our clinic in Hull is part of a nationwide network, all open through the night, seven days a week, and day and night at weekends and bank holidays.
Oxygen was administered and a full examination carried out, and while an abscess was suspected, the priority was to stabilise Arthur and deal with his laboured breathing.
Pugs and other flat-faced breeds often suffer from severe breathing difficulties when they’re unwell, due to their shorter muzzle bones and narrowed nostrils.
“Arthur was panting and his face was swollen, particularly on the left side, with his nostril closed as a result,” said emergency vet Susana Jauregui.
“We discussed the options with his owner and she agreed with our recommendation to prescribe steroids.
“This didn’t come without risks but it was the right decision as the swelling quickly started to subside and his breathing improved.”
The following morning, after receiving intensive one-to-one overnight care, Arthur was stable enough to be transferred back to his daytime vet.
Scans later confirmed there was an abscess on his head and he underwent surgery to remove it.
Thankfully, he was soon on the road to recovery and Karen heaped praise on our team in Hull for their diligent work in keeping Arthur alive until he was well enough for his operation.
“The Vets Now team were absolutely brilliant,” said Karen. “They didn’t sugar coat things and they told me Arthur’s condition was potentially life-threatening. But they were so calm and professional.
“I was shedding a few tears, but they were so kind and reassuring I felt we couldn’t be in better hands.
“They said they weren’t sure exactly what was going on but the first thing they were going to do was save his life and that’s what they did.”
Karen added: “Following his operation, he quickly got back to his old self, even wanting out for long walks on the most miserable of mornings.
“We’re just so grateful that Vets Now were there for us when we needed them most. Knowing that they were waiting for us was such a comfort.”
All of Vets Now’s out-of-hours pet emergency clinics have a vet and vet nurse on-site at all times.
Pug’s dramatic midnight mercy dash ends in relief for owners
A midnight dash to Vets Now saved the life of three-year-old pug Arthur who was struggling to breathe due to an abscess on his head.
