Pepsi was destined to be a show dog. But, things didn't quite work out. When her owner brought her in for her second vaccination, Paula spotted a problem. Cataracts. Which meant she couldn't be used for breeding, which meant she would have to go. After a brief discussion with the owner, it was decided that Pepsi would go and live with the vet!

The fact that Pepsi has only had very limited sight all her life doesn't seem to slow her down! She will race around the house, playing 'chase' with other dogs. You would never know that she's nearly blind.

Sometimes on walks in the fields surrounding Paula's house, pepsi will get lost. But she follows voices very well and usually gets back on the track without the need to be rescued. Other people rarely notice Pepsi's lack of sight.

A Terrible Fright!

A few days ago, Pepsi gave everyone in the house a terrible fright. Sometime after midnight she started vomiting blood and had haemorrhagic diarrhoea. From the volume of vomit and feces on the floor, she must have lost a lot of blood. She was quickly bundled up at 3am and rushed to Hollyoak for emergency treatment and tests.

The first step was to take a small blood sample and give IV fluids. Hollyoak's lab equipment is always on 'hot standby' so there was no waiting for equipment to reach operating temperatures. Nine minutes later the blood results showed that Pepsi had developed a case of rather severe Pancreatitis. Canine pancreatitus is a potentially life threatening disease. Normal enzymes produced within the pancreas become activated inside the organ and the pancreas begins to digest its own tissue.

For several days the prognosis was rather guarded. But, she pulled through, partly because the problem was caught very early. Had she not been spotted until morning, it could have been too late.

Dog Owners Take Note!

So, all dog owners please make a note. If your dog begins vomiting blood, or has blood in its feces, please call Hollyoak immediately. There's a vet on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So don't hesitate for a moment, make that call - even if it's 2am. It might just save your dog!


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