My dog is sick

steph&dan · #1 December 13th, 2007, 09:37 PM

***************posted new events as of today 12/16 at bottom of forum***********

I am sooooo upset. My 9yr old golden retriever started vomiting. I know he ate some of his rope toy. But he keeps vomiting on and off. So I took him to the vet yesterday. He was his perky, affectionate self. They have done an upper GI and gave him IV fluids, xrays. He doesn't have an obstruction or a perforated abdomen. We went to pick him up this evening and his IV had infiltrated which means he has all this extra fluid in his leg. He can't walk on it, and he developed a fever. I went into the back to see him and personality wise, he was not the same dog I dropped off. He looked like he didn't feel good at all. He looked sick and stressed. I am really worried. He is my first baby. I have had him since he was a puppy, and he is the sweetest and most purest of heart animal I have ever seen. Not a mean bone in his body. I just don't want to lose him as well. Tomorrow, I am going to go back to the vet in the AM and sit with him until I get answers. Sorry to vent. I am just stressed.

*******Update***********

Well, after spending all day on the floor of my vets office with my dog, we were rushed over to a 24hr vet hospital for emergency surgery for a foreign body obstruction. Apparently some of the braided rope toy he ate was stuck in his stomach and was stretching into his small intestine. He wasn't passing it, and he couldn't vomit it. He was in danger of rupturing his intestines which pretty much meant he would die if he didn't get surgery. So I had to pay my $1400 vet bill to be transferred over to the other facility which require (gulp) a $4000 deposit for his surgery. Hopefully it wont exceed the $4000. Here is a photo of what not to give your dog if you want to keep your money in your pocket, and a photo of what your dog looks like drugged up on hydromorphone. I guess in the end what counts is that he is ok. I just never imagined that I would be spending this kind of money on a dog. So much for getting my credit cards paid off. Thank god for low interest rates.

Madison.N.Hailey'sMom · #2 December 13th, 2007, 09:45 PM

First I want to say how sorry I am that you are having to go through this. Was the extra fuild in the leg caused by the vet? I really hope they can fix what is wrong. I know the feeling of not knowing whats going on and not being able to do anything. We have a 6 month old boxer and the other day he started acting funny and hacking a lot. Then all of the sudden he started walking funny. My DH had to give him the hymlic (sp) because we thought maybe there was something stuck in his throut. After DH did that he was fine but it was one of the scaryest things I've ever been through. You and your doggie are in my thoughts and prayers.

..Jessica.. · #3 December 13th, 2007, 10:20 PM

Oh Steph!!! That has to be so scary!!!

One of my dogs goes into these shakes every now and then, and it makes me bawl everytime I see her do it. The vet has no answer for us as to why she does it, so, we have to live with it.

I hope nothing is seriously wrong with your dog!!! Hopefully they can drain the fluid in his leg out so he can get back to being himself.

MinDB · #4 December 14th, 2007, 05:19 AM

aww, i hope and pray your furbaby gets better soon.

maybe he's just stressed out because he's not at home?
please keep us posted!

MrsPoe · #5 December 14th, 2007, 05:48 AM

Oh I am so sorry he got sick. It is always so sad to see our babies when they aren't feeling well. My dogs are my children too, so I understand. His leg should go back to normal in a couple days and hopefully he will be at home with you and back to himself.

#6 December 14th, 2007, 06:52 AM

Hope your dog gets better soon.

I'll be thinking about you.

heatherrose415 · #7 December 14th, 2007, 08:52 AM

I hope your doggy gets all better very soon!

please keep us updated, he is in my thoughts and prayers!!

steph&dan · #8 December 14th, 2007, 11:15 PM

Thanks everyone, I just posted an update

..Jessica.. · #9 December 15th, 2007, 12:05 AM

STEPH!!!!! I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry your dog has to have surgery!!!!!!!

I hope nothing permanent will effect your sweet Golden!

I'll be thinking him during his surgery. When is it taking place????

I wish I could give you a big hug right now!!!

greenchild · #10 December 15th, 2007, 05:23 AM

oh hun I am so glad he's going to get better!!!!!!! My furbabies are my babies too.

Mum2three · #11 December 15th, 2007, 06:36 AM

im so sorry to hear about you doggy!!! Give him a big hug from me!! what a trooper. I hope he feels better soon!

Danica · #12 December 15th, 2007, 07:10 AM

Wow! Poor doggy! He is lucky to have you as his mamma. Pets become so much part of the family that you don't even see the dollar sighns when they tell you. You just want them to be okay again! Please keep us posted on his healing progress.

*Judy* · #13 December 15th, 2007, 08:11 AM

I'm so sorry your baby is sick!!! But so relieved to know that he is going to be alright!

steph&dan · #14 December 15th, 2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

STEPH!!!!! I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry your dog has to have surgery!!!!!!!

I hope nothing permanent will effect your sweet Golden!

I'll be thinking him during his surgery. When is it taking place????

I wish I could give you a big hug right now!!!

[/b]

He had surgery last night. This morning he is refusing food because he is nauseated. I told them that he doesn't do well with anesthesia. Plus he is still way groggy. They are going to lower his pain medication to see if they can get him to perk up. I am going to go visit and bug the doctors. I think animals like people recover better when their loved ones are near. Thanks for all your well wishes.

Melanie0507 · #15 December 15th, 2007, 11:31 AM

Sorry to hear about your sick puppy. I never would have thought about the dangers of those rope toys--I know my dog has some of those as well. I'm glad the surgery went well and hope he is back to his old self soon!

MinDB · #16 December 15th, 2007, 03:07 PM

i'm ssssoooooo happy that he's going to get better!!!
i had to fork over a few thousand to get 24 feet of sewing thread out of my cat's intestines!! good lord!!!
never again will i have any type of string anywhere around this house!

so many people would have put their animal down instead of paying all of that money to save them.
thank you from the bottom of my heart for not being one of those people.

Frangipani · #17 December 15th, 2007, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Well, after spending all day on the floor of my vets office with my dog, we were rushed over to a 24hr vet hospital for emergency surgery for a foreign body obstruction. Apparently some of the braided rope toy he ate was stuck in his stomach and was stretching into his small intestine. He wasn't passing it, and he couldn't vomit it.[/b]

my cat does this. It's so frustrating. He will surreptitiously eat strings (we try to make sure there are none anywhere in the house), hair bands, shoe laces, etc. We've had to have surgery TWICE for him to get all the junk out of his stomach/intestines

. It's so frustrating!! I'm the same as you though, I'll pay anything to make sure he's ok.

Quote:

Oh Steph!!! That has to be so scary!!!

One of my dogs goes into these shakes every now and then, and it makes me bawl everytime I see her do it. The vet has no answer for us as to why she does it, so, we have to live with it.

Hey Jessica, could she be eating a plant that you don't know about? The only reason I ask is that my mom's dog was told by the vet that she must have a mild form of epilepsy b/c she had started doing the same thing (which made no sense seeing how she was fine for the first 3 years of her life). It turned out that she was eating one of my mom's plants, and that plant was toxic to animals! She took all the plants out of the house and the dog hasn't had another fit since.

heatherrose415 · #18 December 15th, 2007, 03:45 PM

Im glad to hear he made it through surgery fine and I hope he starts feeling all better really soon!

steph&dan · #19 December 16th, 2007, 07:01 PM

********UPDATE***********

YEAHHHHHHHHH, this morning my dog started to eat chicken on his own. Even though he had 2 small episodes of vomiting water over night. I woke up at 2am in complete panic with chest pains. I ended up taking valium and going back to sleep. This morning I called, and when I heard he vomited, I changed clothes and went right over. When I got there, he ate chicken, no vomiting. He had his "happy waggy butt back". We went for a walk, he didn't want to go back to the hospital. When we got back, the vet came in and said we could bring him home. So, now he is laying here sleeping. He has tons of meds to take and I have to feed boiled chicken and rice and give him small amounts of water every 2-3 hrs. I think he is just happy to be home. I missed a lot of work and lost a lot of money, but I am so thankful that my gentle giant is back home. He has such a huge, generous loving heart that it kills me to think I could have lost him. He represents to me what humanity should aspire to be. Thanks again for the well wishes!

victorialv · #20 December 16th, 2007, 07:13 PM

Oh boy, your little sweetie sounds like my lab. What is it about retrievers and eating things they shouldn't??!

My lab loved socks and had many surgeries. So, I know what you are going through.

Isn't it nice when our babies are back to their happy selves?? Glad to hear he is doing so much better!