Cheeky, a Springer Spaniel puppy first arrived at our Rye surgery just over 24 hours after his new owners had picked him up from the breeders. Weighing just over a kilogram he was supposedly 8 weeks old but was suspected to be much younger.
Although he hadn’t been part of his new family for long they already fallen head over heels.The veterinary surgeon’s examination did not bring good news. Cheeky was subdued, underweight, suffering from both internal and external parasites and had severe diarrhoea. Cheeky was in need of urgent and extensive veterinary care. The veterinary team at Rye rose to the challenge and began the intensive treatment required to save this precious little life.
Cheeky’s needs were vast - intravenous fluids to correct hydration, antibiotics to prevent infection setting in, pain relief, nutritional aid to gain strength to name just a few. Attention, affection and love were needed and never in short supply for this little cutie. A naso-oesphageal feeding tube was required to ensure that we could meet Cheeky’s daily nutritional requirements.
After an intense 13 days Cheeky was on the road to recovery, gaining weight and beginning to play like a proper puppy – in to everything. His owners and all the veterinary team involved in Cheeky’s care were thrilled and he continues to do very well. Remember, when purchasing a puppy to always ensure that if things go wrong you have the veterinary surgery telephone number handy and consider immediate insurance to cover the cost of any treatment required.
