Sadie isn't well

[Nichole]

Yesterday Sadie threw up. No big deal. I noticed she was acting a little off. Hunching her back,abdomen tense, didn't want to move, just wanted to lay down. Sat in the middle of the dining room (middle of the house) so she could watch me instead of following me around the house like a shadow. Didn't want to go outside, didn't want to play ball. Cancelled agility to let her tummy ache pass. Ate, drank, pooped, and peed.

Today didnt want to get out of bed. Ate fine, but her enthusiasm is pretty subdued. Movement looked stiff, abdomen still tense. At lunch I came home to check on her, she was pretty stable. Went outside, pooed, peed, ate a cookie. After work she still wasnt better. Pooed, peed, but she's just acting off. I hemmed and hawed over whether or not to take her to the vet. Decided on taking her in and had decided that I'd just pay the money and look like a crazy lady taking in her perfectly healthy dog.

Normal Sadie vet visit - Sadie muzzle punches all vets and vet techs with pure enthusiastic love. Tail is a lethal weapon, tongue goes a mile a minute. Can't sit still, knocks crap over, jumps on people, overall just a rude and insanely happy dog. This visit = Sadie standing. Quiet. Wagging her tail but not with enthusiasm. She sat still and let the vet do the exam and only turned to give her gentle kisses a couple of times. To this vet who doesnt know my dog (ER visit after hours) this looks like a normal, happy dog.

She agreed her tummy probably hurts, but she is eating, drinking, pooping and peeing. She was happy to send her home and bring her back if anything changes but whatever it is will probably pass. She could do an xray but she didn't think it was necessary. I'm leaving town tomorrow for the weekend - of course. I asked vet what she would do if it was her dog. She said given how Sadie was acting, she's feel okay taking her home and just trying to ride it out. I looked at my weirdly well behaved, quiet dog who was barely making any noise. She was sitting, looking at us politely, and wagging her tail. Anyone here who has met Sadie knows that is NOT how this dog acts. I got the xray.





Vet was really surprised. I'm betting it's a rib bone or two jammed in her stomach. The radiologist is worried it has perforated the stomach but the vet says dogs with that tend to be REALLY sick. She's stable so they put fluids in her and sent her home with me. I have to take her back at 4am to repeat the xray. If the xray is the same or worse she will have surgery tomorrow.

Wish us luck

[Curly_07]

I hope everything comes out ok and she's back to her normal crazy self soon!

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[Sarah]

Good luck.

[AllisonPibbleLvr]

Oh no! Fingers crossed that surgery isn't needed and that she's back to her wild self in the morning!

[afrikaPB]

Way to go with trusting your instincts re your dog! Fingers crossed for *no surgery*

[Murfins]

Sending lots of positive thoughts that surgery isn't needed and Sadie is back to her normal self soon.

[AllisonPibbleLvr]

Nichole just updated via Facebook-- xrays still look odd, Sadie needs an ultrasound.

[Nichole]

My future as of now --

Xray looks the same. Loss of definition around the stomach, but otherwise the same.

Flyball tournament is cancelled for me. Need to stay home and deal with this. Sadie was not running (still fixing her box turn) but I was going to box load. Feel bad leaving them in a lurch but I know other teams will help out.

This will go one of two ways.

1) The radiologist will come in at 8 am and give her an ultrasound or CT (probably just u/s) and try to figure out if the stomach is perforated. I'm a little iffy on this. I know ultrasound isn't ideal for stomach and GI tract because it is full of gas, ultrasound's nemesis (scatters the sound beam). So I'm not as gung ho about that as the vet. But the CT is expensive, plus radiation, bla bla. Either way if they are leaning towards a perforation she will have surgery.

2) if the rad is hedging, we wait 24 hours and repeat the xray. If it's still there she will have surgery because that should be enough time for this stuff to work its way out if it's going to. If it's moving I can sigh in relief and wait for her body to do the rest.

[Range]

Out of curiousity why aren't they considering doing a barium study? In addition to showing if there was a perferation leaking or how things are moving i have had good luck with it coating and helping move things thru. Either way fingers crossed for yall.

[Nichole]

Out of curiousity why aren't they considering doing a barium study? In addition to showing if there was a perferation leaking or how things are moving i have had good luck with it coating and helping move things thru. Either way fingers crossed for yall.

I will ask.

ETA - called and asked. Apparently it can cause problems if they actually need to go in and do surgery, but they will discuss it when the radiologist comes in

[Range]

I would be interested in their opinion, I have not heard it causes complications. I had a similar shaped object just shortetout of the small intestine after it perferated and was hung up.. They cut him 2hours post barium.

[Ilovethepits]

You and Sadie are in my healing thoughts and prayers.

[pblove]

oh Sadie please start feeling better

[dogs4jen]

Come on Sadie, get better.

[madremissy]

Many, many positive thoughts for Miss Sadie. Of course this is for you