Our beloved boy, Cletus, went through a very intense medical emergency.

Last week was an emotional roller coaster for everyone at Mackenzie’s. Our beloved boy, Cletus, went through a very intense medical emergency. We are asking for your support, please read his story below.

Mar 1, 2023, our Kennel Manager, Dawn, noticed that Cletus, our 8 yr. old hound mix, seemed off on her morning rounds (walking like he was in pain and seemed to have a tender stomach). Our LVT & Veterinarian were notified, and he rushed to Blue Pearl.

Blue Pearl was quick to discover his stomach was bloated and twisted, they promptly took him into surgery.

Brief explanation of “bloat”
Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a serious condition and is fatal if left untreated. Commonly referred to as “bloat,” GDV occurs when a dog’s stomach fills with gas, food, or fluid and subsequently twists. GDV develops without warning and can progress quickly. It is always an emergency.: The sooner a patient is taken to surgery, the better their chances of recovery. The longer the stomach is twisted, the more damage occurs to the stomach wall, spleen, cardiovascular system, etc.

After surgery he needed very close/critical nursing care for many hours. He was mostly stable during his surgery, but he’s still struggling with an irregular heart rate.

Full Diagnosis: Cletus had a very severe case of bloat/GDV and as a result part of his stomach wall started to die. The surgical team was able to remove the necrosed (dead) part of his stomach wall, and it sutured nicely for them.

While they were checking his other organs for any damage, they noticed that a portion of his spleen looked like it sustained some sort of trauma, (unrelated to his bloat/GDV) and there was a small, pale, slightly raised mass located on his spleen. They removed Cletus’ spleen, and we’ve sent it for biopsy to determine if the mass is cancerous or not.

Mar 3, 2023, Cletus returned to MAS from Blue Pearl.

Mar 4, 2023, Our Kennel Attendant, Hannah, noticed concerning vitals and physical distress in Cletus. He was rushed to the Animal Emergency Hospital (AEH) for further supportive care. (Thank you, Hannah, for acting quickly, and Meg, our Volunteer Coordinator, for getting him to the hospital.)

AEH ruled out many concerning post-surgery complications. However, they discovered he had severe intestinal inflammation due to slowing of his GI tract secondary to GDV. He was hospitalized for an additional night for 24-hour supportive care and monitoring.

Mar 5, 2023, Cletus was feeling much better and came back to MAS late afternoon.

Mar 7, 2023, we are beyond happy to report that Cletus has been doing very well. He is eating, walking around, going to the bathroom and most importantly, getting a TON of love and is
happy to see his people!

Please keep Cletus in your thoughts as he continues the road to a complete recovery.

We are asking for your help with his medical expenses that are currently at $9,393.80.

Please DONATE today!