Last year, after putting away 'Christmas', we still had a floor lamp sitting in an odd place in the livingroom. Both our yorkies were romping and chasing around when one of them decided to stop and chomp down on the lamp cord strung across their path, (the lamp was plugged in and 'on'). All of this unbeknownst to me if it weren't for the power dimming in the house/on the computer and the incessant bark of the other yorkie! Yep, our 3lb./8 mos. old yorkie had become a victim of our ignorance.
Her body had become a conductor and she was a dead dog. I ripped the cord out of her 'cemented' mouth and felt/listened for signs of life. There were absolutely none. So, being the firefighter's wife that I am, I started CPR anyway....(one doesn't give up until it's time to give up, eh?).
It seemed like forever. Calling 9-1-1 wasn't any help in our community. I was furious/frightened because I knew where my husband works which is out of our area, they have all size oxygen masks and DO go on animal calls if it's life/death. Having been an emergency dispatcher at one time myself, I would have sent someone out and they would have gladly gone on the call! I kept up the CPR and called our vet, (9 miles down the hill from us).
My 16 yr. old, Carly, continued CPR as I drove down the icy, winding road to meet our 'miracle worker' vet. 'Tula' had started a very faint heartbeat and by the time we got to the vet, she was woozy but breathing a tad bit on her own.
3 weeks later and lots of tears/sleepless nights/care/medication/dollars later, she was as perfect as she was before the 'death charge'. (She had ingested some of the copper from the wiring which is toxic...her lungs, heart, kidneys, etc. took quite a beating and of course, her brain function was still a concern.) Story having been told, she is our miracle dog at 5 pounds/2 yrs old and is one that comes running to Tesla, Electra, Tuba (because some people don't catch the 'l' in her name), and Boo because she scared the heck out of us and still does at times. She is almost fearless, a competitive eater and even thinks she can fly but she leaves most of the barking to her brother (now, every time I hear his bark, I think of it as a 'blessing' whereas, before Boo's accident, I dreaded it). They 'tattle' on each other still and I'm so glad that they do! CPR works and I now have a 'save' in the animal world!
