Kennel fire: Patient recovery photos

Photo courtesy of Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro

To accommodate the 22 patients affected with carbon monoxide poisoning, the team at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colo., had to get creative. To supply supplemental oxygen to each patient, the team placed dogs from the same household in the same oxygen cage. The team also split oxygen lines and wrapped the cages in the intensive care wards with cellophane.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro

Here is an upclose shot of a patient affected by carbon monoxide poisoning in an oxygen incubator.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro

Team members stain the eyes of a patient affected by carbon monoxide to make sure that the animal didn’t receive corneal burns. Corneal burns are common in fires, due to the heated soot particles, says Dr. Mazzaferro, director of emergency services at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro

Here is an example of a dog with eyes are watering from corneal burns.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro

Mia, above with nasal oxygen catheters, was one of the more severely affected dogs. “She had neurologic signs for weeks and had difficulty walking,” Dr. Mazzaferro says. “She was ataxic—walking like she was drunk and bumping into things. She had abnormal behavior and attitude and was temporarily deaf after the fire and smoke inhalation.” Mia has since made a full recovery, Dr. Mazzaferro says.