Buddy, a yellow Lab, is Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Critical Care Case of the Year

AUBURN, Ala. – An 11-year-old yellow Labrador retriever that swallowed a popsicle stick is Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Critical Care Case of the Year.

Buddy, the pet of Suzanne Thurlow of Auburn, came with other animals from across the Southeast on Oct. 10 to be honored during the annual Celebration of Life. Nurses and doctors selected these extraordinary cases from more than 1,500 animals treated in the past year by the Critical Care Program within the Small Animal Teaching Hospital. They gathered to share stories of survival and to present the Manny Morpeth Award for Case of the Year, named for the first recipient in 2002.

The purpose of the program is to welcome back some of the special animals and their owners who triumphed over adversity to survive despite overwhelming odds.

Buddy initially came to the College of Veterinary Medicine Small Animal Teaching Hospital for vomiting.  “He was diagnosed with a septic abdomen,” said Dr. Lenore Bacek, a resident in emergency and critical care. Further examination revealed his intestine had been perforated with a popsicle stick. Buddy underwent surgery three times before responding well to aggressive medical care.

The Critical Care Program is a same-day referral center designed to serve the needs of veterinarians in the Southeast. The veterinary program at Auburn is the oldest in the South and the nation’s seventh oldest.