Against All Odds: The Miraculous Recovery of Stanley and Barney from Tetanus at Langford Vets
In 2023, Labradors Stanley and Barney defied the odds in their battle against Tetanus. They were both hospitalised with us for almost one month during February of last year, winning the hearts of all our teams as they bravely battled their disease. The care of these two dogs really was a whole team effort and is a typical example of our excellence in multidisciplinary specialist animal care.
Barney and Stanley both developed tetanus from a small wound, as is often the case. This occurred as a complete coincidence on almost the same day just 100 miles apart. We are proud to have worked closely with their local vets at Garston Vets Frome and Maes Glas Bridgend, who had initially been taking care of them. However, once their disease began to progress, they contacted our Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) and Internal Medicine teams to organise a referral, recognising our expertise in intensive care was something these dogs were likely to need.
During the time both dogs were hospitalised, our teams demonstrated incredible commitment and adaptability to their care. Our dedicated ICU team comprising of our exceptional day and night nurses, including Veterinary Technician Specialists in ECC and Medicine, interns, and animal care assistants, worked closely on nursing these two lovely dogs in collaboration with our ECC and Internal Medicine specialists and residents. In addition to those directly involved in their nursing, we saw contributions from many of our other teams including; surgery, neurology, anaesthesia, physiotherapy, purchasing, insurance, front of house, and even the maintenance team (with a tetanus friendly fire alarm drill!).
During the time both dogs were hospitalised, our teams demonstrated incredible commitment and adaptability to their care. Our dedicated ICU team comprising of our exceptional day and night nurses, including Veterinary Technician Specialists in ECC and Medicine, interns, and animal care assistants, worked closely on nursing these two lovely dogs in collaboration with our ECC and Internal Medicine specialists and residents. In addition to those directly involved in their nursing, we saw contributions from many of our other teams including; surgery, neurology, anaesthesia, physiotherapy, purchasing, insurance, front of house, and even the maintenance team (with a tetanus friendly fire alarm drill!).
Vicki Black, Hospital Director said “The amount of hard work, expertise, and love for these two dogs really was incredible to witness and a great example of what Langford does so well. There really isn’t a person I wouldn’t like to say a huge thank you to for their hard work. I wholeheartedly believe we really are the best place for your pets and am very proud of my team.”
Langford Vets Small Animal Hospital invited Stanley, Barney, their families and referring vets back last year to the Small Animal Hospital to meet each other and to be reunited with the veterinary teams who cared for them so diligently for many weeks. They celebrated with ice-cream from local supplier Chew Moo's and a doggie birthday cake baked by Stanley's owner to celebrate his third birthday. Barney and Stanley were presented with personalised 'Langford Hero' bandannas and their owners received flowers and cards with personalised messages from their care teams. It was a lovely opportunity for the owners to chat about their shared experiences during a worrying time. Both dogs seemed especially pleased to be reunited with their primary vets, Jenny and Holly, recognising them immediately and bounding over with tails wagging. Stanley and Barney enjoyed a relaxing walk in the grounds while their owners were given a tour of the hospital facilities where the dogs had been cared for. Our team were thrilled to see the dogs doing so well.
A year on and both Barney and Stanley are doing really well. This is what their owners had to say looking back on the experience:
“Stan's illness was a month we'll never forget as a family, so traumatic to see him hit by such a nasty illness. But we are forever grateful of the care & love he received at Langford, it's a special place with the most amazing staff, who helped us through every step. Stan's recovery has been remarkable, he was back to his old energetic self within a couple of months, amazing us all by his incredible recovery.” - Stanley's owner
“Stan's illness was a month we'll never forget as a family, so traumatic to see him hit by such a nasty illness. But we are forever grateful of the care & love he received at Langford, it's a special place with the most amazing staff, who helped us through every step. Stan's recovery has been remarkable, he was back to his old energetic self within a couple of months, amazing us all by his incredible recovery.” - Stanley's owner
"There is no doubt that without the treatment that Barney received at Langford Small Animals Hospital we would not have him with us today. When Barney came home he had lost nearly a third of his bodyweight due to the impact of Tetanus and was barely able to walk. His recovery required physiotherapy exercises, substantial medication, a change in diet, and many visits to Langford, all of which we did with the help and supervision of Holly. The Tetanus Tea Party at Langford was a truly moving experience for us where we got the opportunity to thank the team at Langford, all of whom were very invested in Barney's recovery. Thanks to them we now have healthy and very active dog." - Barney's owner
"There is no doubt that without the treatment that Barney received at Langford Small Animals Hospital we would not have him with us today. When Barney came home he had lost nearly a third of his bodyweight due to the impact of Tetanus and was barely able to walk. His recovery required physiotherapy exercises, substantial medication, a change in diet, and many visits to Langford, all of which we did with the help and supervision of Holly. The Tetanus Tea Party at Langford was a truly moving experience for us where we got the opportunity to thank the team at Langford, all of whom were very invested in Barney's recovery. Thanks to them we now have healthy and very active dog." - Barney's owner