A True Family Emergency 

8/14/23

Volume 8

Subject: A True Family Emergency

So I wanted to share with everyone something very scary that happened to me this weekend.  And if you have ever been in that situation, my heart goes out to you.  Having gone through it, I want to do everything I can to make sure none of my fellow pet parents ever have to feel as helpless as I did at that moment. 

It all started like a typical relaxing Friday evening.  The dogs and I had finished up all the daily chores and had decided to go up to the lake to spend the weekend.  The dogs were running around like they always do and I went over to the swing to get ready to watch the sunset and start writing the FurWell Family Focus for the week.  Rex was sniffing around the bushes and I heard him yip.  Given the relationship of brotherly love that he and Max share I just figured Max was picking on his little brother as I saw him run from under the bushes.  It wasn’t 5 minutes later as I was swinging that Max and Emma came over to sit next to me but Rex wasn’t with them.  I called for him but he didn’t come running.  I looked over my shoulder and he was laying in the yard.  I got up and started to walk over to see if he was chewing on something or what he was doing but as I called and got closer I realized he wasn’t moving and in fact was not laying in the yard but had collapsed.  I immediately ran over and scooped up his little near lifeless body and ran into the house.

His gums were pale white. He could barely lift his head and his eyes were glazed over.  I immediately started looking him over and my mind was racing.  Was he bleeding out, did he get bit by a copperhead, did his little heart give out…all I knew was my little buddy was laying on my kitchen counter barely moving and clinging to life.  I have never felt so helpless or scared.  The only thing that made any sense of what I was seeing was if he was having a severe allergic reaction to something.  I scooped him up and ran into the bathroom and commenced throwing everything out of the lower medicine drawer.  I knew somewhere I had some injectable benadryl from when Max earlier in the year had an allergic reaction to his flu vaccine.  It felt like time was standing still and my heart was racing and all I could think was how I never thought I would be holding one of my kids in my arms as they barely clung to life. 

I found the benadryl and quickly gave him an injection.  I sat there on the floor holding him, praying God wouldn’t take him just yet, and trying to keep him awake.  I knew he wouldn’t make it 60 minutes to the closest emergency center.  I was totally helpless and part of me thought this was the last time I was ever going to hold my little man.  And then slowly through the tears I could see him start to lift his head a little more and his gums pinked up.  My little boy was coming back and for the first time in 15 minutes I could breathe. 

Over the next 30 minutes Rex started moving around again and looking at me like I was crazy.  While I am pretty sure the event took several years off my life, now he was just super itchy and had a really bad case of hives all over.  Unbeknownst to me, he has a severe insect allergy.  And while he started playing again with his Kong and demanded his dinner, my heart was a complete wreck and my mind was racing.  Had I not been paying attention and not had some Benadryl at the lake because of Max, I would have been burying my friend instead of writing this email. 

Reflecting on this intense episode, I realized that not everyone might be equipped to handle such situations.  It was the scariest moment of my life.  And yet, I knew what was going on and how to respond.  But what if this would have happened to one of my clients?  What if they didn’t know what to do in an emergency like I just faced?  I have to do better for the pet parents under my care…our pets deserve better.  

This experience ignited a mission in me: to ensure no pet parent feels helpless in this type of crisis. Caroline and I are working on creating some emergency kits and are in the process of creating some at-home emergency content for our clients. We want to empower you with the knowledge and tools to confidently face unexpected situations.

So, here’s the question: Would you be interested in an at-home emergency kit and gaining access to our at-home emergency content? If the answer is yes, respond back to this email, and we’ll keep you in the loop as we develop this invaluable resource.  We are working as quickly as we can because as I learned this weekend everything can change in a second.  

Be Safe Out There, 

Dr. Tyler