accident in india-- need to fly him to USA --need advice

[karishma]

hi
my daschund met with an accident a few days ago and has extensive damage. he has 5 fractures and requires surgery.
he has a segmented fracture in the Inferior Pubic ramus (left side) and Multiple fractures over the pelvis

He is currently in india with my mom and i plan of bring him here for surgery. i will be flying out tomorrow ( friday 22nd dec 2006)

I am planning on taking a wheel chair for him in the mean time.
i was wondering which one would be good. he is a small dog but on the healthier side

what isurance will i need to get to cover the surgery or is there any financial help that organisations provide that could be paid back monthly

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY

also the flight from india to the US is a 20 hr flight. he is in a lot of pain and the vets have adviced no mobility at all.

is there anyway to make his flight here easier....please anything.

[Cindidoxiemom]

Ask your vet about Tramadol...it is a strong pain killer. Your dog is going to HAVE to have something to control pain.

In my opinion a cart is just out of the question right now...with the number of fractures and the time that is going to be needed for your pup to heal, I just wouldn't even worry about a cart right now. Your dog is going to need a good crate, with a comfortable cushion.

You can't get insurance for a dog after they have been injured, but credit care might be an option for you. The financial aide information is at the top of this forum.

Good luck, and let us know how things are going once you get him home.
cindi

[karishma]

thank you so mush for taking the time out to reply....will definitely lookk into credit care and the other financial options available


thanks once again

[CarolC]

Transporting him may not be a good idea, but I am not sure. I contacted someone who knows more about this and hope they will reply.

[westminster pet sanctuary]

I am so sorry to hear of what is going on with your precious baby.

First of all...you do not want a cart..way too much damage, and IMHO, only further damage will result with a cart.

Have they done Xrays yet to check for internal bleeding?

The injury must be mobilized and the dog MUST be kept strapped in place during any transport..even tranquilized which just will not work with an airplane and there rules with "animals being cargo".

A morphine patch to control pain..perhaps even having an IV tranquilizer...but he cannot be put into CARGO under any circumstances.

Are there no surgeons or Vets around to stabilise the fractures??

I realise this is complex, but a few days already like this in pain..that poor baby!!!

I would even ask a HUMAN Dr. to take a look at him to see what they could do in India, before even considering transporting him (I am being serious)..if no Vet will do anything, try a human Dr (sometimes they will help)

As far as funds..sadly you cannot apply for insurance after an accident occurs. The links provided above are very good.

Please let us know..and if i can find anything out I will be sure to post.

[westminster pet sanctuary]

Not sure where in India the dog is located, but would the MADRAS VET COLLEGE be an option for the surgery?

[Debbie-Spain]

I'm sorry about your dog's accident.

I don't know how long you are going to be in India, but if possible I would recommend you try and find somewhere there to perform the surgery as soon as possible and only transport him once the fractures are stabilised.

As already said above, if he is in pain he needs medicating for pain relief. Here in Spain we fly animals quite often and have been advised not to tranquilise animals when they fly, as tranquilisers may become more potent at altitude. They tend to lower blood pressure and temperature, which puts the animal at greater risk if there are any pressure changes/temperature problems during the flight. Any flight turbulence could be dangerous for very fragile fractures, however well immobilised the dog is (not to mention the way transport boxes are sometimes mishandled by airport workers, we have reports of them being thrown around with animals inside - that is here in Spain). Under no circumstances let him travel in the cargo hold, not all of them are properly heated/ air conditioned etc. And if he does travel make sure all his vaccination certificates and any official papers needed to take him into the US are in order and up to date, there is nothing worse than travelling with an animal to find the destination country won't let them pass border controls or even worse, confiscate the animal until papers are sorted. I'm sorry if all this sounds very negative but I have seen all these things happen, and you may find it is less stressful for your dog to have him treated in India.

If you go to the WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) website, they have a list of member organisations in India. Many of those organisations have hospitals attached or are working closely with skilled veterinarians. Some, for example the Karuna Society - http://www.karunasociety.org/index.htm - seem to have considerable experience with animals with complicated injuries.

Here is the WSPA site where you can search for member organisations in India and try and find one closer to wherever the dog is located:

http://www.wspa.org.uk/memSoc.asp?page=585

You could also try contacting the nearest university veterinary faculty - type in "veterinary" in this search engine for a list:

http://www.webindia123.com/career/agric ... st_all.asp

I hope this helps and that your dog can get the surgery he needs as soon as possible... have a safe journey and let us know how things go.


Debbie

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

Wow. That poor little guy!
I too would suggest a strong pain reliever and a calmer-downer.
As Debbie says, is it at all possible to have surgery done in India? My cat had a fractured pelvis, my St.Jude had a fractured pelvis. He had dragged himself by his front legs around a neighborhood for months with it until someone shot him in the front leg!
Then somehow he dragged himself to my yard.
He had a great deal of pain in those months, but no one can imagine how much. He was also starved and eating rocks.
So I guess what I am saying is no matter what, it is never too late to try.
Let us know how things are going and what the doc says. I know you are frantic with worry and we will help to calm you down.

[Toni]

I am wondering if there is a particular reason you want the surgery done here. As I am not familiar with veterinary practices in India, I am not sure of their facilities, techniques, etc. As they have advised no mobility at all, I would definitely rule out the cart. He needs his little bones to heal first,

I have had cats with multiple fractures of the pelvis where absolute immobility (extreme small cage rest) was necessary and they healed quite well (the breaks were not too far out of alignment). One cat in particular had a fracture that separated her hip socket from the pelvis (sort of like the surgery they do to dogs to repair a bad hip joint). We did pain control and some tranquilizers the first few weeks to keep her fairly immobile until healing had a good start. Cage rest was continued for several more weeks until healing was pretty much done. then slow rehabilitation / physical therapy (done at home). (she was adopted and lived a very happy life with only a very slight limp...she lived to be 18 years old!)

Have you contacted a veterinarian here who would do the surgery? If so, have they consulted with the vets in India and determined it would be best for your furry friend to have the surgery here, considering the flight time, etc.? As he could fly with you in the cabin of the plane, and would be in a small carrier, I would think he would be as immobile as at the clinic unless they are using sedatives and special restraint. However the stress fo the different people, noises, etc should be considered as well. You will have to be prepared to change his diapers or to somehow figure out his elimination needs during the flight as well.

Are the surgeons there capable of performing the surgery there? These are all things to consider.
As for finances, someone mentioned credit care...that is definitely and option.


Please do keep us informed about your furry little friend. Best wishes.

[Cindidoxiemom]

I just also wanted to commend you for your absolute dedication to your pup. It is obvious that you are willing to do whatever you can to see your baby helathy again. Please update us when you return.
Cindi

[CarolC]

Posting this on behalf of Sue Regts, a vet tech and rescuer who flew Jean's paralyzed dog cross country and whose husband is with the airlines. She sent it to me at 9:10 this morning but I was at work and could only post it now.

Hi Carol,

Thanks for the referral. Here is my commentary if you would please be so kind as to post it:

1) NO WHEELCHAIR! If the doctor recommends no mobility then a wheelchair will a) increase mobility and b) can exacerbate a back injury. I have first-hand experience with this and it set this little dog back after weeks of improvement by putting him in a wheelchair.

Note also that wheelchairs should never be purchased until they have all of the exact measurements of the dog. A poorly fitted wheelchair can exacerbate an injury.

On a final note about wheelchairs, they are next to impossible to carry through airports and on a plane without damaging them. You are best to just wait until the dog is assessed in the U.S. and then proceed with the wheelchair if it is necessary.

2) Do not hesitate to be PUSHY about keeping the dog as immobile as possible. Leave enough time for transport such that the dog can be slowly and carefully taken through security, etc.

3) Be mindful of temperature issues. Make sure that you pack a Snuggle Safe and extra blankets as many paralyzed animals cannot maintain their temperature.

4) If humanly possible, keep the dog in the cabin as opposed to shipping in cargo. Shipping an injured dog in cargo could definitely and realistically kill the dog.

5) I would feel very comfortable medicating the dog before the flight. I would bring sedatives and painkillers as 20 hours is way too long to go without pain meds.

6) On a final note about flights: Always bring a roll of paper towels, a water bottle, doggie food with dish, doggie water dish, plastic grocery bags, collar with tags, leash, harness, extra blankets, Snuggle Safe, towels, etc. More is better.

Feel free to e-mail me privately for further information,
Sue.


Susan Regts
Founder, Director, President
Cat Haven, Inc.
A No-Kill, Non-Profit 501(C)3 Cat Rescue Organization
Houston, Texas
www.cat-haven.org

A Calico is like a Hershey bar with almonds - half sweet and half nuts.

[karishma]

HI everybody,

Thank you so much for replying.
and sorry for not updating you'll earlier. Doof is FINALLY here...!!!!!
we finally got a reservation on Lufthansa. The only airlines that was willing to fly him.
DElta does not fly animals on transatlantic flights anymore.They partner with Korean Airlines for their other flights on which they do take dogs but they have an 8 pound weight limit. Doof is gone on me i dont think he will ever be 8 pounds ..hee hee


luftansa also has a weight limit but things were crazy at the airport as they over booked the flight so they did not really weigh him at the airport. Which ofcourse worked out for us. As lufthansa has a 8 kg ( 17 pound) limit including the bag. What airlines have to realise that just coz he does not meet the weight limit does not make him a big dog.... just a lil healthier one

anyways, to fill you guys in
he was confined to 6 weeks of cage rest before he flew here... we had emailed his x-rays to Dr.Gert J. Breur, Purdue University, who works with a vet Dr. Geeta Ayyappan from the Madras Veterinary Hospital India. after looking at the x-rays he said that since the right ischial fracture is outside the acetabulum doof may have a quicker recovery with surgical repair. but would probably do well without surgery, just conservative management.

since we could not get reservations on any airlines we decided to go with the conservative method. The has been in a baby crib ever since ( a cage freaks him out)

He just had his first doc's appointment here with an orthopedic surgeon. The vet said his bones are healing fine.We took some more x-rays and he showed us that the cracks are still there. and that we should continue with the conservative treatment.

Also, water therpay might be helpful. So on wednesday he will hopefully go for an evaluation at http://www.healingtouchpet.com/
depending on when we get the appointment

i am also uploading some pictures of him

Thank you for all the replies once again

and doof's here...!!!!!

[CarolC]

Ohmygosh! Thanks for updating. That sounds super!!! I emailed a couple of people to let them know you posted an update. That was a great idea to send the x-rays for an expert opinion. He looks pretty happy in his crib. So glad it worked out!!!