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Dogs and Fabric - A Cautionary Tale **semi gross photos warning**
I'm writing this post to chronicle WHY it is vitally important to get your dog to the vet's office in case of a suspected or confirmed eating of fabric. Most of the regulars on the board know me from the various posts I've made on my 2 dogs Peaches and Simon, most recently Peaches' diagnosis of a nasal tumor. Imagine my surprise when my parents called to inform me that while Peaches and Simon were on doggy holiday in PA, Peaches ate most of a large hand towel. Based on certain "outcomes" in the 2 days post eating, my father and I felt confident that most of the towel had passed via normal channels. So when she vomited each and every meal on Sunday, Aug. 12, I thought it odd, and took her to our emergency clinic. Turns out not only was most of the towel still in her stomach, but it had started to move and would have ruptured her intestine in maybe 24 hours, probably less. The surgery to open her stomach and part of her intestine began that night, and went well, however due to her already compromised health (prednisone therapy decreases immune response), the recovery had nearly tragic consequences. She developed severe arrythmia and required lidocaine injections directly to the chest to correct. Her gastrointestinal track in general refused to move, so her stomach had to be pumped THROUGH HER NOSE. She developed enough fluid in her abdomen to need draining via needle. As of Wednesday night, she was a 50/50 survival chance, and my vet did her best to prepare me for the worst. On Thursday however, Miss Peaches was feeling well enough to snip at the vet when they went to put her back in the cage post walk outside. The ultrasounds on her abdomen and heart showed no fluid and her heart rhthym had returned to normal. She'd even conned the night vet into hand feeding her (again) for 45 minutes some of that real nasty I/D stuff (blech!). By Friday, she was home, though she's on 6 different medications (2 pain, 2 antibiotics, 1 Pepcid, and regular prednisone) with decreased activity. 45 exterior abdominal wall stitches, 30 internal ones, and a weirdly shaved dog later (not to mention the obscene amount of money invested), I'm posting this so that ANYONE who finds their dog or cat has eaten something they shouldn't, and loves their animal enough to find their way here for advice, will read this and immediately pack up their pet for the emergency clinic (preferably a 24 hour staffed one - she would've died if not for the staff on hand at 2am). Below are the outcome pictures, I've spared some of the closeups, but you'll get the jist:
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"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you" Ralph Waldo Emerson ~Those who KNOW better are responsible to TEACH better~ Jenn, Simon and Peaches 12/14/03 |
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