For when working cocker spaniel Bentley became critically ill greyhound Duke saved his life – by donating his blood.
And this week the two blood brothers met once again at Bentley’s St Clement home after vets said that the ten-year-old was out of danger – two weeks after the vital treatment.
Duke was called to help after Bentley was diagnosed with immune mediated thrombocytopaenia – a potentially fatal condition where the immune system destroys platelets that enable blood to clot. Any slight internal injury can result in internal bleeding, which can cause anaemia.
Following the diagnosis Duke was drafted in from Greyhound Rescue Jersey to help.
Vet Adele Trott, from Allan and Rushton-Taylor Vets in St Mary said: ‘We have lost dogs to this before because internal bleeding and the anaemia can go undetected until it is too late.
‘Bentley’s platelet count was zero when he was brought in. We raised it to five, 11 and 22 over the first three days with drug treatment then he couldn’t improve any more on his own and we brought in Duke.’
Eight-year-old Duke has lived in Jersey for six years after being rescued from the UK by Malcolm Hickmott from Greyhound Rescue.
Mr Hickmott said: ‘He is absolutely brilliant at giving blood and has done it around six times now. He is so calm.
‘They stick this big needle in the jugular and Duke fills the bag within six or seven minutes and it doesn’t bother him at all. Greyhounds have fantastic blood and hearts because they have been bred for their performance.
‘It’s nice that having been rescued themselves they can give something back to the community of Jersey.’
Bentley’s transfusion lasted six hours.
Owner Lynn Schofield said: ‘I visited every day for a week but he seemed too weak to fight any more himself. He was so much better, livelier and alert after the transfusion. It certainly gave him the lift he needed to continue his recovery.
‘I am extremely grateful to Adele, her team at Allan Rushton-Taylor and Duke and Greyhound Rescue. Bentley is still on a big cocktail of drugs but Adele says he is out of danger.’
A JERSEY vet performed a pioneering operation to save the life of a school goldfish last November.
Seven-year-old Roger has been a popular pet at Mont Nicolle for more than four years but after he developed a large tumour on his head it was feared he might not make it.
However, after going under the knife at All Pets in St Peter in what is likely to be a first for Jersey he was recovering well and was reunited with the children at Mont Nicolle.
‘We did not know how serious the tumour was or whether it was benign. But it may have grown and got close to his eye,’ said Mr Miller, who had never operated on a fish before.
‘It was a bit terrifying but I made it clear that if the operation did not go to plan we might lose him, but we decided the risk was worth taking.
‘The whole operation only took about five minutes but it took about 45 minutes to get him to sleep.’ Mr Miller explained that to sedate Roger he used two different tanks infused with different strengths of anaesthetic that he was given by experts at Durrell.
Once Roger was asleep he was removed from the water and placed on a plastic dish with a pipe flowing into his mouth to maintain the sedation. ‘I was so delighted when I saw him coming round. I did give a little fist pump,’ Mr Miller said.
