Vets Construct A "Fake Vet" So One Of Their Dog Patients Wouldn’t Feel So Alone In Intensive Care

"With the use of the ‘make-shift vet,’ it appeared that he felt someone was still with him but not too much to make him anxious or nervous."

Damjan

• Published in Animals
• June 9, 2022

Denali has been a patient at Glove Cities Veterinary Hospital since he was a puppy, so the entire staff is familiar with him. They generally look forward to seeing him for his regular checks, but the excessively curious husky recently got himself into some trouble and required their assistance.

“Denali’s mom called concerned because he wasn’t eating, which is very unlike him,” Jillian, the marketing manager at Glove Cities Veterinary Hospital, says. “He was even turning down his favorite snacks. After a physical exam, Dr. Sharpe decided to do X-rays in which she found … a rock foreign body.”

Denali had apparently eaten a rock, which did not agree with his system and made him ill and sicker. After a full day at the vet, Dr. Sharpe determined that surgery was required to remove the rock and get Denali back on his feet.

While Denali adores his veterinarian, Dr. Sharpe, he was becoming increasingly agitated by the constant presence of so many humans. He spent his whole stay at the vet in the intensive care unit, where he was continually monitored, which made him feel a little overwhelmed.

At the same time, he didn't want to be completely alone, so the team devised a brilliant scheme to provide Denali with the necessary balance. Let's take a look at what they did:

This is Denali

He swallowed a rock and had to undergo surgery to get it out

This is the stone in question, and it is not small

All through the procedure, the dog was anxious because there were too many people around

Th vet clinic staff decided to construct a fake vet to keep watch over Denali, and as soon as they put it in front of him, he was almost instantly so much calmer.

“For Denali, less is more,” Jillian said. “With the use of the ‘make-shift vet,’ it appeared that he felt someone was still with him but not too much to make him anxious or nervous …

As soon as the ‘make-shift vet’ was constructed (using an IV pole, mop, and image of his favorite veterinarian, Dr. Sharpe) he settled right down. This is before AND after surgery.

He seemed to be mesmerized by it. It stayed by him his entire stay.”

So the vets came up with a something-in-between solution:

Watch the video here:

The surgery went well, and Denali is on the road to full recovery

Denali transformed into a model patient once he had the fake vet with him. It turned out that he only needed a different type of support, which his vet pals were more than willing to provide.

He's doing much better today and hopefully won't require another vet visit for a long time. “We are so thankful to say Denali is doing well after surgery,” Jillian said.

“He is home resting with his family and staying away from rocks!”

We wish him a speedy recovery. We hope his future adventures will not include tasting rock-shaped objects.

Damjan