As his other puppy raiser put it, "At a terrible terrible expense I have learned a lot about drowning that I didn't know before. In the end it wasn't the water that Thompson inhaled but the edema that developed in his lungs that could not be resolved before it was just unfair of us to ask him to push on. While it still did not result in an positive outcome for Thompson, early medical intervention is crucial. His only chance of survival was due to the quick response of his medical team. If your dog has a near drowning event, even if they seem fine, they need to be seen immediately. Although I knew Thompson needed medical care as soon as he came out of the water, the vet said that many times a pet can look okay but later due to edema still have respiratory issues that some times can result in what is called a dry drowning and die several hours after the event."
We had to make the incredibly difficult decision to put him to sleep since the emergency vet and my regular vet said there was not a chance for him to recover.
If there is anything positive that may come from this, I hope people know it can happen to anyone in a blink of an eye. Life jackets or tethers are great options for baby puppies.
Thompson, I love you buddy! You'll forever be my little guy...
Thompson was named after my good friend and power forward for the Sacramento Kings, Jason Thompson. Check out info about his foundation.
Thompson and sister Trini.
