Editor’s Note: There are times when the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital Emergency and Critical Care must turn away patients because it has reached capacity with critical cases. Louisa was one of those patients whose condition required an extended, resource intensive stay and she’s also a reminder of why the veterinarians in the hospital do what they do.
There’s never an optimal time to come to the emergency room at the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital Emergency and Critical Care Unit.
But three o’clock in the morning when the emergency triage status is already at red (at full capacity) definitely isn’t a great time.
That’s when Louisa was recently presented to the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital. The five-year-old pitbull mix was in shock after suffering from multiple bite wounds. She also had an abdominal hernia with intestines that were herniated.
“It was a very busy night when she came in,” said Dr. Ingrid Preteseille, emergency and critical care resident. “The ER was full, and the on call surgeon (Dr. Giula Toth) was already in surgery when Louisa arrived.”
Louisa underwent emergency surgery to repair the hernia and debride her wounds, followed by intensive monitoring and supportive care.
Just three days later, she was ready to go home.
“Louisa recovered incredibly fast,” Dr. Preteseille said. “Patients with bite wounds often face complications and long hospitalizations. We were pleasantly surprised to see her bounce back so quickly.”
March 2026