extension cord dog...sigh

Question
QUESTION: Hi Patti,
Wondered if I could tug on your ear once more. Abby is still very much out of sorts. Obviously it has been a long weekend, and I will be contacting the vet in the morning. I got her to eat, but it was mostly forcing food down her throat. I did see a fairly fresh stool, but I did not see her make it. Nothing in it but the usual. Yuk. I gave her more metamucil, pureed pumpkin, olive oil, we walked down the block to get things going, but I never saw her squat. She did have that odor from her glands though...you know, the fishy odor? She has been drinking water all day- she still seems feverish, and will only sit. When I lean her over to lay down, she cries, and so will avoid laying, if she can but she will sleep all day if she is down. Poor girl is exhausted. It is obviously painful, and strangely seems most painful in her top half, near her front legs, and not in her bottom half. She won't put her head up, and stares down at the ground. Any upward movement seems painful. Any thoughts? I hate to dump more money in the vet, but I am afraid I will have to... vet said, something about x rays. She also said she saw the wires, but I wondered why she didn't just pull them out. I looked, but never saw anything but the usual. Yuk. Never thought I would be this familiar with my dog's out door. Thanks again for tolerating a worried mommy.
Jennifer

ANSWER: Hi Jennifer,

I'm so sorry your poor puppy still isn't doing well.

It sounds as though x-rays may need to be taken, since Abby hasn't passed the wires. You can certainly ask the vet why the wires weren't pulled out, if they are in clear sight. It might be that if the wires were pulled, they could constrict the intestines, and make things a lot worse.
Giving your dog's system the change to "void" the wires on her own would have been the simplest, and least expensive method of handling this.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be going that way. You should prepare yourself for the possibility that surgery might be needed to remove the wires.

If paying for all this treatment is a problem, ask your vet if she'll allow you to pay off the bill over an agreed upon period of time. You could also apply for a special credit card, that's meant to pay off the cost of medical care (including veterinary care). It's called Care Credit:
http://www.carecredit.com/

I hope things turn out okay for you and Abby.
Best of luck,

Patti


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Patti, Just wanted to let you know, we went in this morning and saw the vet first thing. We went straight for x-rays, and determined immediate surgery was the best and safest course of action. 6 inches of incision, a bag full of stomach contents and $1200 later, she is resting peacefully at the vet tonight, and will come back home with me tomorrow. Thank you so much for all of your kind advice. You were a comfort in a difficult time! Thanks again,
Jennifer

Answer
Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your thoughtfulness of letting me know how this situation was resolved. Very few people actually give me a follow up, but I appreciate knowing!

All's well that end's well. I'm glad this is all behind you, and I hope Abby has a speedy recovery.

One final hint, your dog may well need to wear one of those plastic restraining collars (aka Elizabethan collars).  Here is a suggestion for a more comfortable home made alternative, that helps protect the wound.
You'll need:

- a large towel, rolled up to some kind of thick sausage
- one leg of an old pair of pants (thrift stores work well for this)
- a string
Stuff the rolled up towel (long enough to fit just around the neck) into the leg of the trousers, connect the two ends of it with strong string and tie it around Abby's neck. If she tries to paw the soft collar off, simply attached it to her neck collar.

Good luck!
-Patti