Max the corgi may be confined to a wheelchair, but that didn’t stop him from somehow getting up to surf his family’s dinner table when they weren’t looking, grab some leftover barbeque bones, and swallow them.
Soon after the unintended feast, Max began to experience severe abdominal discomfort, and his family rushed him into the Angel Animal Medical Center in Boston on Tuesday, where staff veterinarian Dr. Emily Finn took over. She immediately took a series of X-rays to assess the amount of boney debris that was stuck in Max’s intestinal tract, and subsequently worked with other Angell veterinarians to remove it.
Max was treated with intravenous fluids and antibiotics, and spent 24 hours recuperating in the hospital’s Critical Care Unit. He’s expected to make a complete recovery, and was able to rejoin his family today, in time for Thanksgiving. “Max captured the attention of everyone in the hospital today with his amazing wheelchair and cheery disposition,” said Dr. Finn. “I’m very glad that his treatment was successful.”
Max, who suffers from a progressive neurological disease called degenerative myelopathy was recently fitted for his specially designed wheelchair by Eddie’s Wheels for Pets in Shelburne Falls, MA. Corgis are among the breeds that are most prone to developing the painless but debilitating condition.
Max’s story serves as a timely reminder for dog owners to keep garbage can lids secured tightly. According to the MSPCA’s Rob Halpin, “one of the top reasons that dogs find their way into the Angell emergency room on Thanksgiving day is that they’ve consumed turkey bones that were never intended for them.”
Angell Animal Medical Center has compiled a list of the top nine holiday hazards, with recommendations to help keep dogs and cats safe—and out of the emergency room—during the holidays.
Comments