X-rays that were done on arrival showed no sign of damage in the neck and thorax regions.
Lucky was anaesthetized for an emergency surgery that was comprised of two parts, fixing the tears in the abdominal wall first, followed by checking for damage to internal organs. In cases like this we often worry about spleen rupture that can cause massive bleeding, intestinal rupture that can contaminate the abdomen with fecal matter and damage to the liver, kidneys, etc. Near the end of the first part of surgery, Lucky started showing signs of shock – his blood pressure dropped, his body temperature got low and his mucous membranes were turning blue (indicating lack of oxygenation of the tissues) – and his life was in danger. We immediately treated him with steroids and a special IV solution that raises the blood pressure. After a short while, when Lucky was stable again, we continued with part 2 of the surgery and checked his internal organs. We were happy to see that his internal organs were all intact.
During the next several days Lucky was hospitalized at our clinic and had received IV fluids, antibiotics and pain killers. He had spent the nights at Dr. David's home in intensive care, where he was also on IV fluids and injections round the clock.
Two days after his surgery Lucky took a turn for the worse. He would not eat, he was apathetic and his body temperature got even lower. Blood tests that were done at the clinic showed that he had a very high WBC (white blood cell) count which indicated an inflammation, very low protein (Albumin) levels and some damage to his liver. A decrease in blood protein is dangerous, therefore a unit of plasma was ordered from the veterinary hospital at Hakfar Hayarok. An ultrasound exam showed that Lucky had some free fluid in his abdomen and observing it under the microscope showed that it contained a large quantity of WBCs but no bacteriae. This image is typical of a non infectious peritonitis.
By the next day Lucky showed some improvement. His body temperature rose and he seemed a bit more alert but still would not eat. At this stage we involved Dr. Orna Eden, our holistic veterinarian, who also treated him with a complementary medicine treatment called homeotoxycology.
During the weekend, while staying at Dr. David's home, Lucky kept on getting better. He ate a bit, was a little more active, seemed to be interested in street cats and even barked at them.
On Sunday, almost a week after he was attacked, Lucky was discharged home. During the next several days after he was discharged Lucky's mood got better as did his appetite and his blood tests showed great improvement.
At the time of writing this post, about a month after the attack, Lucky is in great physical shape but his owner says that he is quieter than he was before due to the trauma that he's had.
One thing is for sure – Lucky definitely lived up to his name!
