Saving Buck, grass awn awareness!

Hi, my name is Jami and I am trying to help some good friends Joe and Erin with medical expenses that are currently adding up for their family. This may also bring awareness to an illness I myself knew nothing about. Buck is a 20 month old chocolate lab who one day presented with a lump the size of a baseball on his side. After calling the vet his family took him in to be assessed and it was thought to be a bruise. A week later he started to get real lethargic, breathing rapidly and wouldn't eat. His family took him back to the vet and he was able to drain what he now thought was a cyst. He was put on an antibiotic. He was better for about a week and then the cyst reappeared and his breathing became labored again. Buck's family was referred to another vet and chest X-rays were done. It was determined that he had either ingested or inhaled a grass awn or the grass awn had somehow imbedded in his skin. Buck was then taken to KSU where a CT scan was done and he has ended up having an extensive surgery. Removing the left lower lobe of his lung, a portion of his diaphragm and an abscess was removed from is right lung.. He had chest tubes placed. Thinking he was in the clear, chest tubes were removed and everyone thought he was about ready to come home, when he developed a cough. Another CT was done and he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Days later they tried to wean him off oxygen and he was unable to tolerate it. So today (11/22/21) he had another ultrasound of his chest done and fluid was found in his right lung lobe. Another CT scan was done and he went into surgery and had part of his right mid lung removed it was found to be necrotic. Hopefully at this point Buck is now on his way to recovery, but this has been a long sad journey for Buck and his family.

The vet says this happens in working, hunting and farm dogs. It is not rare. Please check your dogs paws after they have been outside and brush their hair often, it helps to get the grass awns off.