Everest’s Journey from Rescue to Recovery

The first step was consulting with the surgeon at a neighboring practice.

Everest’s surgical team decided to perform the femur fracture repair first. Thankfully, the surgery was a smooth success. Everest returned to BluePearl Phoenix for recovery, where he received around-the-clock care and pain management.

That’s when they identified another problem. 

While checking on Everest in recovery, Dr. Victoria Nelson discovered some concerning sounds in his lungs. She worried that at some point during the removal of his surgical intubation, he developed a breathing complication.

Sierra was worried, but Dr. Nelson assured her they would keep a close eye on Everest and inform her if anything went wrong.

Unfortunately, Sierra received a call at 5 a.m.

Everest’s health began declining quickly and he needed oxygen support. Sierra enlisted the help of their sister team at BluePearl Pet Hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona. They have technology called high-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT), which efficiently delivers breathing support. They brought the HFOT technology to the BluePearl Phoenix hospital to help Everest. Sadly, it didn’t work given Everest’s declining condition and he needed to be intubated, which involves carefully placing a tube into the airway to keep it open.

Everest’s team had to think quickly to determine next steps of care.

Dr. Selina Velasquez, a BluePearl emergency veterinarian, consulted with another BluePearl veterinarian – Dr. Sara Ford, who is board-certified in internal medicine. They decided the best course of action would be to put him on a ventilator. That meant transporting Everest to the Scottsdale location. It’s fairly common in veterinary emergency hospitals to transfer patients to sister locations if they need access to specialized equipment.

Sierra was amazed by how the Phoenix and Scottsdale teams pulled together. A team of veterinarians and technicians transported Everest to the BluePearl in Scottsdale. He was a good boy during the ride and handled the transport well.

The BluePearl Scottsdale team was ready for Everest’s arrival.

There were over 10 veterinarians and technicians who immediately got him situated and comfortable in his new environment. Upon further testing, Sierra learned her sweet foster puppy was also suffering from several conditions, including:

• Aspiration pneumonia, which occurs when foreign matter is inhaled into the lungs
• A possible airway obstruction
• Non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, an illness affecting the lungs

“So many people followed his case between both hospitals as he continued to capture their hearts,” said Sierra, who appreciated the support during the difficult time, “I received a lot of reassurance from both teams.”

His team included Dr. Jared Brethouwer, the hospital’s medical director, who supported every step of Everest’s journey – from the moment he entered the hospital through discharge and beyond.

Drs. Annette Majoue, Andrew Kurowski and Carlton Huitt – all emergency veterinarians – also provided much-needed hands-on care that supported Everest’s recovery.

The next 48 hours were touch and go. 

His medical team hooked him up to a central line, which is an IV used to deliver fluids and medications. They also gave him a nasogastric (NG) tube, which delivers nutrition support, and an Albumin transfusion, which can help improve hydration.

Everest’s puppy energy made it a little difficult for him to rest. He wanted to wake up any time he heard a dog bark or he heard his favorite words, “you’re a good boy!”