Rickiesmom

Heather, I am glad you have answers. They can't bring your sweet girl back, but at least you know why she left. Peace be with you.

Ah man Karen, I can only imagine how frustrating and frightening this is. Hope you can get that third opinion soon! Huge hugs!

Sending prayers it turns out to be nothing.

I am so sorry for your loss of such a good and gorgeous hound.

Glad you didn't have to wait til tomorrow and can start working with that diagnosis today to make him well. Please give him great big hugs and kisses for me.

Just seeing this now, and hoping things go well today at the vet - please keep us posted.

Happy Gotcha Day Angel Icarus. Shining down on your family who loves you.

Thanks Karen - btw, you need to update the text line in your siggie

Tears of absolute joy here too - this is INCREDIBLE, FABULOUS news. We are celebrating with you, and looking forward to Monty healing well and getting back to being a joyous, fast running dog. Hugs of celebration

That's exactly right - $439 later, we wait. We know more than we would have had we done nothing (mainly, no nasties in the stomach) but because the plastic doesn't show on the rads, we will only know if his intestines are OK if he doesn't develop symptoms over the next days. I had to wait awhile give him anything to eat because of the drug they administered to make him throw up, but mid-afternoon he ate a piece of toast and kept that down, and later shared a few burpdogs with Arlie, which also stayed down. The vet thought if there were any intestinal upset he wouldn't be hungry / wouldn't keep food down. So we have to hope neither of those things, or other symptom, arises.

So glad Beau is home, and good he wants to sleep - before you know it he'll want to play and be active and you'll be trying to keep him quiet! Hope he eats for you tonight. We are waiting with you in spirit for the biopsy results tomorrow.

I am so sorry for your loss of such a precious girl. My heart goes out to you.

Pat, because the bile looked darker than usual the same thought crossed my mind and I had a very careful look before and while I was cleaning it up and there was no evidence of blood, thank goodness. It was darker than usual, but definitely yellow - that was very clear on the paper towel. So I think that was OK. I am hoping that episode was coincidental only.

They repeated the x-ray - unfortunately the test plastic doesn't show up, so the x-ray is not telling us for sure that nothing is in there. The good news is that there was no debris in the vomit. So unless plastic is already in the intestine, we are clear. We won't know for sure for a couple of days or so, to see if symptoms show up, but I am feeling much better about this. Thank you for the good wishes - I wouldn't normally worry quite this much except for the plastic shards being so sharp and rigid.

Just spoke with the vet - nothing showed on the x-rays, but my request to include a piece of test plastic under Rickie when they took the pictures wasn't communicated in time, so I have asked them to repeat the x-ray as requested. They are going to make him vomit (poor baby) so that if there was anything ingested recently it will come up with his breakfast. If anything has moved into the intestine we wait for symptoms since there is no evidence to suggest that yet. I'll feel better once we know if the plastic will show in the x-ray, but at least the news so far, while not as definitive as I would like, is good.

I just called the vet with an idea. They weren't sure if the plastic would show up on the x-rays. When I dropped off Rickie I also dropped of an envelope with pieces of the plastic so they could see what he had eaten. I just called and asked them to include a piece of that plastic when they x-ray him, as a test. If it doesn't show up, then we know the x-ray is useless. If it does, then we can be more confident that plastic inside him would show up too.

Rickie threw up before breakfast - dark bile and a digestive enzyme pill, I wasn't too concerned. I waited awhile to give the dogs breakfast and both ate normally. I thought all was well. Until I found remnants of a a squeaker on the floor - it came from inside a duck stuffie that had a two-phased quack. I now know that in order to produce it, there is a small rigid plastic box inside with some tiny electronic components and a battery. Pieces of all these things along with some stuffing were on the dining room floor. I have no idea if Rickie ate any of them or not, but if he did, the plastic is very bad news - it's rigid and the broken pieces are sharp-edged and pointy. I took samples of the pieces to the vet when I dropped him off just now. I have no idea if they can see this kind of plastic on an x-ray, but I hope so because if there is any inside, we need to know asap and, unfortunately, probably get it out since it would do damage. It is SO unfortunate that I didn't find this before feeding him, in case he needs surgery. We have 2 other toys of this type and both are now in the trash. Please cross your fingers that he spit everything out as he chewed. I am worried sick because of how hard and pointed the pieces were.

Poor Jake and poor you. I hope the eye responds without further treatment and the leg thing clears up. What a worry, on both counts! If you need to bring him down here to see an opthamologist you know you can stay with us!

Robin, good it's a short wait, though it will seem like forever. It's very hopeful that there weren't obvious signs of cancer. I'd hanging onto that and believing IBD for now. Hugs to you and to Beau when you see him.

Glad the surgery is over and went well. Virtual hugs and scritches to your special boy.

Robin, you and Beau will both be in my thoughts tomorrow. Have an easy time of it handsome boy!

Our situation is similar to many - regular clinic will keep pets overnight but there is no one there to monitor. Pets needing overnight care are transferred to the e-vet, which fortunately isn't too far away. The e-vet clinic also functions as a specialty clinic during the day, so unlike some e-vets, you don't have to move your pet back to the regular vet when they close for the day. It also means there's a team of very good people around if you need them, and that has been gold to me on more than one occasion.

What a good vet visit - stitches out - yay! Did the vet have any idea why Monty might be painful when moving?

Awww Monty, it's time things turned around for you and your mama. Hope your regular vet can help you out sweet boy!

That sunbeam was sent by Dowland - an ephemeral connection in the moment you found him. My heart goes out to you at losing your special boy.