Great Dane saved after owner uses Agria App

Emma Sidey and her partner, Jordan, don’t have children due to health issues, so 2 year old Otis is their baby; weighing 66k, “He has a 'gentle giant persona', but he doesn’t know his own size; he’s knocked my mum flying a couple of times!” thankfully, she’s ok!

Great Danes are amongst the breeds with the highest risk of developing gastric dilatation and volvulus, or bloat, so when Otis was castrated in May, the vet performed a gastropexy as a preventative measure. By attaching the stomach to the abdominal wall, if it inflates it is prevented from twisting and needing emergency surgery.

Turn for the worse

Otis stayed in the hospital overnight because his wound was leaking but, when Emma collected him on Friday, he seemed bright and happy. Then he began vomiting and was off his food so Emma returned to the vet with him on Saturday. The vet thought it was post anaesthesia effects sending him home with anti-sickness medication. By Sunday morning, Otis had virtually collapsed.

Jordan was working, but Emma managed to get Otis to an emergency vet who couldn’t find anything wrong on an ultrasound and, as Otis’s temperature was normal, they sent Otis home again. Otis was feeling so poorly though, it took Emma and her friends an hour to get Otis out of the car, and then he just lay on the floor, not eating or drinking, but just gave Emma his paw for comfort.

Agria app

Beside herself with worry, Emma remembered the Agria app which comes free with her Kennel Club Pet Insurance Lifetime policy, and booked a video call with vet Aimee Nudds. Aimee could immediately tell Otis’s heart rate was sky high from his breathing, indicating he was in a lot of pain. And he looked so unwell Aimee urged them to go straight back to the vet. With the help of 6 parents and neighbours they managed to lift Otis on a blanket into her father’s van, as he could no longer support himself.

Worst case of perforated gastric ulcer

With his temperature & heart rate “through the roof!”, and fluid in his abdominal cavity, the vet needed to operate immediately. Emma and Jordan were warned Otis might not survive the operation so, with an emotional cuddle and declarations of love, they stepped away to allow the surgical team to begin trying to save him.

Otis was in surgery for 6 hours; halfway through the vet gave them an update: she’d found “a perforated gastric ulcer, one of the worst cases she’d ever seen, his insides were being destroyed by the stomach contents and acid, with necrosis of some tissue and lesions on multiple organs.”

There was still hope though and, on the vet’s recommendation, he was transferred to Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists in Hampshire by a medical team. With only 50% chance of surviving, the team there operated on him for another 6 hours. They removed the necrotic tissue surrounding the ulcer on the back of the stomach and, using healthy intestinal tissue, patched it up. The gastropexy was no longer in position so they performed a duodenopexy instead. Otis remained in ICU for a week, and then went home to recover in the tender care of his owners.

Emma says “Kennel Club Pet Insurance have been brilliant and paid up to our policy limit.” Emma has been keen to share their story to warn others to insure their pets.

Otis continues to be their “Velcro dog” sticking close to his owners after their near miss, and they remain utterly devoted to their beloved big baby.

About the Author

Sam Khan shares her woodland home with Junior, the cat, Gully, the dog and bunnies Hugo & Billy, sometimes playing the family’s ‘favourite’ game with the tortoise – “Where’s Churchill?” She loves writing for Agria, sharing our passion for animal welfare, protecting biodiversity and the environment. When not writing or illustrating, she will be making something, reading a book or swimming in the lake at the bottom of her lane.