Tish McClurg’s Abby and her emergency surgery.

Abby is an 8  year old Labrador and Tish McClurg's constant companion.      Sometime last summer, while training to run Master Hunter tests, Abby must have inhaled a Foxtail seed.  Unfortunately, the inhaled seed perforated Abby’s lung and migrated into her pleural space (space around the lungs). As the seed moved into the pleural space it deposited bacteria with the resultant infection generating inflammation and pus. Over time and by the time the issue was finally diagnosed this abscess had grown and had involved many other organs – lungs, esophagus and diaphragm. 

Symptoms were vague for months.    A CT in early March showed a huge abscess in her mediastinum and a pyothorax (chest) involving lungs, diaphragm and esophagus. The abscess had adhered or grown into all of these organs. The only option was surgery or euthanasia. Tish opted for the surgery.  She was operated on March 9th. The 4-hour surgery was very complicated. The surgeon had to clean up the necrotic/infected tissues, flush out the infected fluid. He had to remove two lobes of her right lung. He emptied and cut away the abscess as much as possible. Some tissue had to be left as he could not resect the abscess wall from the esophagus and diaphragm without damaging them. 

Tish's vet bill is now close to $20,000 and Abby still has ongoing daily vet care.   I am hoping to raise money to help Tish with her vet fees.