by Jennifer Sharpe
Photos courtesy of Dr. Hans Gann, Edgewood Veterinary Hospital
After near-starvation, Everest begins his journey back to health and hope, thanks to the Edgewood Veterinary Hospital team.
June 25 started like most Tulsa summer mornings — hot and dry.
At Edgewood Veterinary Hospital, just south of I-44 on 51st Street between Lewis and Harvard, employees were arriving at work.
Kate Jones, one of the veterinary technicians, noticed a pile of blankets on the doorstep. As she got closer, she realized there was an animal in the bundle — a weak, frail dog, severely emaciated, barely alive.
The Edgewood team sprang into action. Led by Dr. Hans Gann, they assessed their patient. The canine was in critical shape — so weak that he could not stand, his body covered in bed sores, his fur dirtied with feces and urine.
“He couldn’t even raise his head up,” Gann said. “He was also vocalizing like he was in distress, which is generally something that animals do when they are dying.”
First, their patient received a thorough bathing and examination.
“He weighed only 15 pounds,” said Gann, estimating that the dog probably should have been closer to 60 pounds. “Obviously, he was just bones.”
Gann presumed the dog’s age to be around 5 or 6 years and his breed to be some sort of Doodle.
“I had no history, no idea where he came from. I kind of struggled with the decision on what to do,” Gann said.
As the team continued to provide care, Gann worried about whether their patient would survive. “This was the worst living creature I’ve ever seen in 15 years,” he said. “I don’t know how he was alive in the condition he was in. But Kate said, ‘He’s got fight in his eyes.’”
The team decided to name him Everest — because this dog’s recovery was going to be akin to conquering the world’s tallest mountain.
The team ran lab tests, checking Everest for intestinal parasites and heartworm status, organ function, and blood cell counts. “All of the things you would generally check in a really sick animal,” Gann explained.
To their surprise, everything came back fine. “He had shockingly good labs for what he looked like,” Gann said. “So that left us with the conclusion that this dog is just starved to death.”
Everest was put on IV fluids to improve hydration and given antibiotics and comfort medications because of the bed sores and skin infection. He was also treated for diarrhea.
Slowly, Everest was reintroduced to eating, initially hand-fed gruel or meatballs. After a few days, he could eat from a food bowl while lying on his side because he couldn’t sit up.
“He had an appetite. He was hungry; he wanted to eat,” said Gann.
After about a week, Everest could rotate his body and support himself on his chest. Another week later, the team could stand him up and move his limbs, loosening his legs and promoting muscle tone. Soon, he was standing on his own and walking around.
Gann describes Everest as a very social, happy dog. “He loves people. He wags his tail. He smiles — he shows all his teeth. For what he’s gone through, it’s kind of shocking.”
Everest also enjoys being around other dogs, Gann said. His only issues are with mealtimes in the company of others. As Gann describes, Everest gets grumpy around food — acting like whatever meal is available might be his last. Fortunately, Everest is responding well to training, and Gann feels the food issues will continue to improve over time.
Six weeks after Everest arrived at Edgewood, his weight had increased to about 35 pounds. His bed sores were improving, and he was current on all his preventative care.
After staying in the clinic for about a month, Everest moved home with Jones, the technician who first found him.
“We wanted to get him out of the vet clinic because the clinic isn’t a home. It’s one thing to be boarded or be here when you’re being hospitalized, but Kate wanted Everest in a loving home with her other dogs,” said Gann.
Gann credits his staff for their transformative role in Everest’s care.
“It was my staff that saved this dog. I did the medicine part, but they provided intensive care — adjusting his position, making sure that he was clean, changing diapers, changing bedding, medicating bed sores, hand feeding, IV fluids, medication — this dog lived because of my staff.”
Everest’s journey mirrors that of Fern, another abandoned dog who once hovered on the brink of death before being pulled back to health by the dedication of Tulsa veterinarians and rescue volunteers. Both stories are reminders that with care, patience and love, even the most fragile lives can be given a second chance.
“This is what veterinary medicine is,” said Gann. “We are called to this profession to help animals. We want to relieve suffering and make things better. That’s the heart of veterinary medicine.”
Cutlines
Dr. Hans Gann directed Everest’s care. Gann describes Everest as a social, happy dog who loves people.
After about a week of care at Edgewood, Everest showed signs of improvement but was still unable to stand.
Kate Jones, the technician who first found Everest on Edgewood’s doorstep, has welcomed him into her home.
