Is modern medical science / genetics really this good?

MountainPro

This happened to me 3 weeks ago.

My brother was working in England for a few weeks and we are looking after his dog. I was out walking it one Friday morning along a pavement on the way to some fields when the dog went sniffing under a hedge. I looked in and noticed there was a dead dog in there, just recently died either today or yesterday. Looks like it was hit by a car judging by the damage to the legs and the way the head was twisted all the way back...there were flies and insects on it and its mouth was open and it tongue was hanging out. There was dried blood on its face, eyes and mouth and its fur was sticking up as in shock.

I felt bad because I recognised the poor mutt...i had known it for years... it belonged to a middle-aged woman that lives on my street. She loved that dog very much and she’ll be broken hearted when I tell her.

So I went back to her house and chapped on her door. I explained what I had seen and she started to cry. She said she had let the dog into the garden on the Wednesday morning and the postman must have left the garden gate open and the dog wandered off.

I said I would take the dog to the vet and he can deal with the disposal of the body. She insisted on coming with me to pick the dog up and take it to the vet. I got an old blanket from my house and wrapped the dog up and drove to the vet.

The vet looked at the dog and asked me where I found it and I told him. I asked if it will have to be reported to the police as a matter of procedure. The vet looked at me and said that the dog isn’t dead. There was a faint heartbeat. I was astounded. The neck was clearly broken as was at least two of it legs. The vet said No, it looks like the dog is in a coma of some sort. He asked us if we would like a specialist to look at it or if we wanted to put the dog to sleep. The specialist would be very expensive he added. My friend was insistent that she wanted the specialist to have a look at the dog.

Then vet then arranged transport for the dog to Dundee to an experimental lab and that was the last I saw of it.

Until yesterday. 3 weeks after we found him. My friend was taking it for a walk, the dog had made a full recovery and never looked better or fitter. Its nose was wet, eyes bright and tail wagging like mad. It was jumping up on me and licking me, something it didn’t usually do. Almost as if it knew I was the one that found it…

I would have at least expected the legs to be in plaster and some kind or bandage on its neck, but nothing..

But I swear…that dog was dead just a few weeks ago. It was dead, no mistake. It was cold and stiff when I wrapped it in a blanket and it was very frosty. The temp at night was -5 . It had been there for 48 hours…

I still can believe that it has happened.

What type of experimental drug treatment can bring an animal back from death (or near death according to the vet)?

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HARD
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limerickman

Pro - is this a windup??

Fair play to you for at least calling to your neighbour and letting her know about the dog.

But I'm astounded to read that a dog in the condition that you found it in - could make that recovery.
You said it's head was twisted etc.
How the hell can a dog be put back together - and within three weeks!!!!!!!!!

I wonder what the name of the experimental place was?
And just what did they do to help such a quick recovery.

You're not taking the P, are you?

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.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

MountainPro

i am NOT paking the P.

Dundee has a world wide reputation for experimental medicine

it currently leads the world in cancer research, it was the first place to sucessfully clone an animal...who knowns what genetic stimulants have been given to this mutt.

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HARD
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limerickman

I was just asking.

It's unbelievable that a dog in that state could have been saved.
Genetics/medicine at Dundee has to be very advanced as you say.

it's just inconceivable that they could do this.
Amazed.

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.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

jaguar75

That is a pretty amazing experience Pro. I don't doubt that the dog made the recovery. Sometimes injuries look much worse than they really are. When I was 8 years old I was attacked by a German Shepard and it bit into my cheek and tore the skin away down to the bone. You could see muscle as well as my jaw bone. I was covered from head to toe in blood and holding my cheek in my hand. After all was said and done I only needed about 80 stitches.

Though I am perplexed as to why he healed so fast, as long as his spinal cord remained undamaged it is just a matter of healing.

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"Perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little" - Plutarch (46 AD - 120 AD)

Traffic Jammer

Cold weather has been known to create some pretty extreme hypothermic states. People left out in the cold have made some pretty amazing recoveries after falling through the ice and such. Full on dead with no vitals at all.

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Messengers....the other Pros
Professional Rider, Closed course, DO NOT attempt this yourself.