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Ella Ate Something Bad!


Guest KaylyRed

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Guest KaylyRed

Ella had a scary night last night, and WE had it right along with her.

 

We still can't put up permanent fencing because we have a new mound septic system and our yard is torn up (of course, it's too late to seed, so we're going to have to live with the ripped up yard all winter). We decided to put up a temporary fence with metal posts and plastic snow fencing so we wouldn't have to be walking dogs in the snow and cold. And it's great! The dogs love it.

 

Well, yesterday was our first day with the new fenced area in our yard. At about 2 a.m. last night I let Ella and Quin out to go potty. I stay and watch them from the door. Everybody finished up their business and just as they were running in I saw Ella stoop and pick up a small round ball of something on the patio. Not good! I yelled at her to stop, but it was too late. I'd swept the patio just that afternoon, so I knew it could probably be one of two things--a tiny pinecone from the nearby pine trees that had just fallen, or one of the wooly bear caterpillars that had been creeping around earlier in the day. The pine trees are pretty far away from the patio so I was leaning toward the caterpillar.

 

The minute we got inside the house Ella started gagging. I thought she was choking, but when I checked her airway I couldn't see an obstruction and she was breathing normally. Yet she kept gagging and coughing and smacking her lips. I woke Peter up, fearing that I'd have to run her to EVS. Then she vomited. And vomited again. It was clear she was trying to work something up. I checked and rechecked her airway but she was breathing fine. I thought, Great, she's got some obstruction further down and we're going to end up with our girl needing surgery! :unsure

 

For a while the gagging and coughing was horrific. It was HORK! GAG! GACK! COUGH! with occasional vomit. But just as I was ready to bundle her up and put her in the car and head to the vet things slowed down. She drank some water (I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but it did seem to help) and she started to settle down. While Peter kept watch over her I went to look up the toxicity of pinecones and caterpillars.

 

Turns out neither of those two things are toxic, but the caterpillar has hairs with microscopic barbs that will stick in a predator's throat and mouth, causing them to gag and cough and salivate. I'm about 99% sure that Ella ate a caterpillar...perhaps a dead one, since it was curled in a ball on the patio.

 

We kept watch over her for quite a while to make sure she was okay. She seems fine this morning. Hopefully that crazy girl learned her lesson last night--caterpillars are NOT good food! :blink:

Edited by KaylyRed
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Guest sonomagirl

I'm sorry to hear about your late night scare. Maybe it's just my household, but it seems the bizarre things always happen at night when the E-vet is the only one to call for help! Glad you didn't have to make the trek and pay a huge bill for a woolyworm extraction. :P The thought of having a catapillar stuck in my throught just about makes me want to gag. I can only imagine what that must feel like. This is one of those stories that you'll laugh about later...really.

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Guest CindiLuvsGreys

Mine also always save the really good scares for after normal vet hours or on a holiday. :P I'm glad she is okay and I hope she learned her lesson.

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Guest KaylyRed

I guess this serves as a warning to keep puppers away from those caterpillars. I knew they tasted bad as a means to discourage predators, but I sure didn't expect the reaction we got. It was horrible! :puke

 

Worst part was that Quin decided to...clean up after Ella before I could get to it myself (dealing with too many distressing things at once!) Next thing I know the mess Ella made is gone, and Quin is going HURK! HURK! HURK! GACK! :repuke

 

Fun stuff. :huh

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oh no!!!!

 

glad your two cuties are okay, that must have been SO scary!!! :unsure

 

and Rainey eats more crap than I'd ever thought possible! We're at the point now where she's muzzled 100% of the time outside, argh.....

Kim and Bruce - with Rick (Rick Roufus 6/30/16) and missing my sweet greyhound Angels Rainey (LG's Rainey 10/4/2000 - 3/8/2011), Anubis (RJ's Saint Nick 12/25/2001 - 9/12/12) and Zeke (Hey Who Whiz It 4/6/2009 - 7/20/2020) and Larry (PTL Laroach 2/24/2007 - 8/2/2020) -- and Chester (Lab) (8/31/1990 - 5/3/2005), Captain (Schipperke) (10/12/1992 - 6/13/2005) and Remy (GSP) (?/?/1998 - 1/6/2005) at the bridge
"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." -- Ernest Hemmingway

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