Three weeks ago my 110 pound dog began to suffer the symptoms of GDV (bloat), a true veterinary emergency that befalls deep chested breeds. GDV happens when the stomach contents become bouyant and the stomach essentially ""flips"", cutting off circulation and putting the dog into shock as his vital organs are put in immediate jeopardy. The only remedy is immediate surgical intervention, and the dog has very little time to live. It was midnight on a Friday night and we called TLC in a panic. The vet tech recognized the symptoms and told us to rush to TLC West Hollywood, where she and Dr. Mark Hiebert, TLC's chief of surgery and emergency medicine were waiting. Dr. Hiebert evaluated his bloated abdomen and told us that he was already in shock and in literally less than 5 minutes confirmed the torsion by xray. He IMMEDIATELY began to start iv fluids while our boy's kidney function was checked as safe for anesthesia, and he began to decompress the stomach...within MINUTES. We went back into the surgical area to say what we feared might be one last goodnight to our dog and they began surgery.
Pros: Well trained vets and a high tech facility open 24 hours
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