Our beautiful 6 year old German wired-haired pointer Snudge became unexpectedly unwell in mid-November with with no apparent cause. We were initially under the care of out local vet who provided excellent first line care and started the process of trying to diagnose his illness which was presumed to be Lymphoma however on further tests and investigations this was ruled out.
Due to progression of his symptoms we came under the care of the SASH Northern Beaches Team – internal medicine specialists Dr Stephanie Leeder and Dr Amy Dixon, who were able to diagnose Snudge with an immune mediated poly-arthritis. Some of his symptoms included weakness in his legs, difficulty weight- bearing, pain, lethargy, swollen hot joints, and high temperature.
A treatment plan was put in place to manage him using steroid therapy and other immunosuppressants medication to hopefully put Snudge into remission.
Unfortunately, his case was very complicated and he became increasingly unwell with further complications. Under the careful guidance and advice of Dr Leeder we made the heart-breaking decision to put him to rest ……..
While this is not the happy ending we had hoped for it is a story worth mentioning, as while Snudge was cared for by the SASH Team …. they were nothing short of exceptional. Right from the outset I knew he was receiving the best of care available to him and the team had the expertise and facilities to do what they could to help diagnose Snudge and start treatment. The communication every step of the way was excellent and provided us with all the information we needed to make the right decisions for our beautiful boy.
All of the staff from the reception team, nurses and vets involved in our Snudge’s care were faultless…and we know they did all they could to help him. Right to the end they were there, and provided support to Snudge and our family to ensure his passing was done with the utmost care, kindness and dignity for our family. Thank you.
– Northern Beaches NSW
