ERNIE made it through surgery and was knocked-out most of yesterday.  The specialists wanted him as comfortable as possible and pain-free, which is why he slept the day away.   His oxygen levels dropped significantly, and he was later put on oxygen, which slowed down his respiratory rate and allowed him to rest comfortably.

I go on and on about how important it is to have an Emergency Hospital that is ready and prepared for just about anything.   There is no better hospital for the critical care cases we have than Charleston Veterinary Referral Center (CVRC).  The minute Dr. Laura Lowe suspected something was not right with Ernie; she called all the Specialists and made arrangements for Ernie to have surgery immediately.   Her quick reaction saved his Life. 

When Ernie's surgeon, Dr. Chris Gauthier, opened him up, Ernie's colon had ruptured, and he had feces in his abdominal cavity.  Ernie was Septic. It is almost unheard of for this to happen.  Dr. Gauthier removed a section of the colon and pushed all the rocks accumulated through the opening.  Ernie now had a GI Tract free of debris for the first time in God knows how long.  

Bacteria from the colon is a Death Sentence for any animal if it leaks into the body.  Every measure was taken to pull Ernie through this Time Bomb that had gone off in his body.  On top of everything else, he was still recovering from his worm extraction.  Ernie was given a 20% chance of surviving surgery.   

Yesterday was the gravest day of all for this precious pup.  Everyone at the hospital was watching every breath he took for signs of distress.   Ernie now had two feeding tubes and drains to remove excess fluid.   I got pictures all through-out the day that broke my heart.  Dr. Beth Tynan was over his care and was hopeful but not optimistic.   Yesterday was a balancing act of giving meds and taking other meds away to keep poor Ernie stable.

It seemed like yesterday was the longest day in history for everyone.  I got pics of Ernie throughout the day.  By 7:00 PM, he had taken some food by hand and had stood up briefly but went right down and was out again.  He would open his eyes briefly to say hello but then close them.   The last picture I saw of Ernie before going to bed was of a Lifeless Angel.  

When I got up this morning, I saw I had gotten several pictures around 1:09 AM with a note saying Ernie showed signs of improvement.  He was eating and was able to stand and WAG his tail.  My heart lept with pure Joy.   Ernie was rallying.   Along with his amazing Medical Team, Ernie was fighting. He had survived heartworm extraction, colon surgery, and he was still here.   Our little Miracle is determined to win this battle, and we are not going to let him down.   He will have to remain in ICU until he is stable.

Ernie's Survival is dependent on the Medical Care he is receiving.  He cannot leave ICU or the hospital until his values show his infection is gone.  His bills are something we can't even think about right now.   Our focus is on saving Ernie and giving him the best quality of Life. 

Begging has become second nature for me when it comes to fighting for these beautiful Souls discarded without a thought.   We are their only Hope, and we never turn our backs on any animal we rescue.   Call it insane, but that is just the way it is.    If they are fighting, we are fighting with them.   

Thanks for everyone's support and Prayers.  Ernie and all the others would not be here without you.