Kathryn, a vet technician, first encountered baby Sally while she was in severe condition. The puppy was given to her by a breeder who was no longer able to care for her. Sally developed pneumonia and was struggling for breath; the vet technician described her as “blue.”
Fortunately, Kathryn had prepared an oxygen container, or “bubble,” in which Sally could get all of the oxygen she required. She realized as soon as she put the pup inside the bubble that Sally was oxygen dependent and that she needed to remain in there for quite some time. Needless to say, the poor tiny puppy was suffering from respiratory issues and required her lungs to be strengthened.
Kathryn cared for Sally inside and outside of her oxygen chamber for several days to weeks. Unfortunately, the battling pup couldn’t afford to leave her bubble since she would pant for breath after only a few seconds.
Despite her handicap, Sally expressed a desire to be a normal puppy. She would frequently make motions to her caregivers such as kissing the wall of her bubble and peeking outside. The puppy wanted to play and enjoy her life normally, but her body refused to comply.
Kathryn didn’t give up on the rambunctious dog.
They would normally carry Sally and her bubble with them during the pup’s healing and strengthening process so she could view things other than the four sides of her oxygen chamber. It was normally like this until the pup began pawing at the bubble, clearly wanting to escape.
Outside of her bubble, she barely survived around 15 seconds.
Sally’s respiratory issue didn’t stop her from wanting to leave her cocoon and see the outside world. Kathryn decided to make the insistent pup’s brief outside-of-the-bubble outings a habit; it’s also a good method for the dog’s lungs to get some exercise. So, over the next few days, they’d take Sally for short outings outside her bubble.
For weeks, Kathryn would lengthen the gaps between Sally’s oxygen support. Without oxygen assistance, from 15 seconds to 3 minutes.
That was the improvement they saw as a result of their daily workout. It significantly helped Sally’s breathing. As she grew, her bubble needed to be changed, so Kathryn devised a clever plan to make her bubble much larger so that she could move around rather than merely lay down.
They decided to take Sally outside one day. She was literally OUT there, being caressed by the sun and playing on the grass.
Unfortunately, her lungs weren’t strong enough to stay out for that long, so they returned her to her bubble. They even let Sally freely enter and exit her bubble because she’s improved so much after being trapped inside her little environment on day one.
Then another day arrived and Sally realized she didn’t want to remain within her bubble any longer.
Sally was alright, but Kathryn chose to put her back inside the bubble for safety reasons. However, before she could even seal the oxygen chamber’s door, Sally managed to sneak away. She made it apparent that day that she no longer wanted to be there.
When the puppy was already given the all-clear, one of Kathryn’s coworkers, Bonnie, stepped in to adopt her, and she was also present throughout Sally’s recovery process. She was quickly embraced by her new family and dog siblings.
Sally went for her first walk in the park, went to the pool, chose her first toy, and a whole lot more. She’s no longer that ill little puppy, and she’s now living her life outside in the real world.
