Beagles are supposed to be a healthy breed but Bertie is bucking the trend.
3.00 am Thursday. Bertie wakes Robert up. They, that’s Bertie and Robert, are distressed. Bertie can barely stand up and is panting. Then he falls over and lies on his side unconscious. Robert thinks he may have died.
3.20 am. Robert arrives at the 24 hour vet in Kensington.
3.21 am. The vet swipes Robert’s credit card.
If you happen to have private health insurance and turn up in the middle of the night you are told to go to the nearest NHS A&E. If you are a beagle there are two vets and a veterinary nurse to take care of you. Oh, and if you need transport there is an ambulance. Bertie was sedated, had an ultrasound scan and put on a drip.
Diagnosis: severe bacterial kennel cough. Through an admin error he hasn’t been vaccinated for kennel cough but it turns out the vaccine is not effective anyway. He hadn’t eaten anything for five days and, although he had been drinking water, was dehydrated.
Friday 10.30 am. Robert collects a completely recovered Bertie.
So hope Bertie continues on the road to recovery. He’s such a beautiful dog and it will have been so distressing for you and Robert to have seen him so unwell. X
I join the Bertie Fan Club in wishing him a speedy recovery to normal health and vitality.
If you are unwell do you receive such a chorus of heartfelt concern?
No. When I had an accident and was in Charing X Hospital overnight one friend queried why I hadn’t posted a blog !
So sorry to hear that Bertie has been in the wars again, but delighted that he has made a speedy recovery. Normally beagles catch kennel cough in the kennels, so surprising to have caught it at the vet’s and at this time of year.
Sorry to hear that Bertie was unwell. Glad he is on the mend. He is a great dog.