A dog owner's frightening tale

On Monday, Feb. 4 I came home and found Olive, my 1yearold dachshund-Chihuahua mix, hiding from us.

When I was finally able to get to her, she was trembling and had large clumps of hair falling out almost as if she had been shaved. Terrified, my boyfriend and I wrapped her in a towel and took her to the pet emergency clinic in Thousand Oaks.

The exposed skin progressively turned a dark red and blistered horribly. We were informed by the admitting vet that Olive suffered severe second- and third-degree burns from a chemical substance. These burns covered 40 to 50 percent of her body, mainly on her stomach area and back legs, which told me she had lain in the chemical.

We do not have a swimming pool and our immediate neighbors do not either. However, we've frequently seen miscellaneous swimming pool vendors, gardeners and patrons working on their vehicles on our street.

Our best guess is that Olive got out and lay in a puddle of a chemical substance left in the street or in someone's driveway. From my research, I believe it was chlorine-based, but no one truly knows.

Olive has been hospitalized for six nights and will stay for one or two more. The costs have been justly astronomical. She has undergone hyperbaric sessions twice a day and has to ingest large doses of painkillers and antibiotics.

Olive was unable to eat, urinate or move her bowels by herself for three days. She began showing early signs of sepsis- a deadly infection- halfway through her hospitalization and miraculously pulled through it. As of today, we believe Olive will live a happy, healthy and long life. However, the regrowth of her hair is questionable.

The staff of the emergency clinic in Thousand Oaks has been absolutely wonderful. They have remained extremely compassionate and diligent throughout these rough days. I was consistently kept informed and allowed long visits with Olive. Olive's primary vet, Dr. Cheryl Boswell, is truly a saint in my eyes.

I am forever thankful to her and the rest of the staff for not only providing Olive with the best medical care possible, but also for ensuring her comfort and calmness during such a traumatic time. Stacey Martines Simi Valley