Sadie isn't well

[Nichole]

Quick update - Sadie is going in for surgery. I'm a sad bunny.

[AllisonPibbleLvr]

[dogs4jen]

I've got my fingers crossed for her.

[starrlamia]

Get better soon pretty girl!

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[Misskiwi67]

The answer to the barium problem is if there is a leak into the abdomen, the barium can cause a massive reaction to it, and make the dog very very sick. There are other types of contrast agents that you can give instead.

Overall, barium is falling out of favor as the ability of the regular veterinarian to have and perform ultrasound gets more common. I just finished a 4 day intensive class on ultrasound, so I can do (simple) ultrasounds now too!

I'm glad to hear Sadie is going to surgery. This is the most invasive option, but its also the fastest, will give you the most information, and is the most likely to allow you to fix the problem. The sooner you fix the problem, the fewer secondary complications you will have.

Good luck, and please update us soon!

[MMSmith]

Oh Sadie girl!

[Nichole]

So they did the surgery. It took them a long time to get back to me and now I know why.

The rib bone had pierced through her stomach and into the diaphragm and was poking into her chest cavity. Stomach contents were spilling into her abdominal cavity, and her stomach wall had started to adhere to the abdominal wall. Holy crap.

She's medicated and on heavy dose of antibiotics. I have to decide if I should visit her tonight or just leave her be and let her rest. The earliest I can take her home is tomorrow, but we have to wait and see how she responds to the meds.

She saw three vets and all three thought nothing of her symptoms. She acted "normal", her blood cultures came back clean. Heck the first vet didn't think ANYTHING at all was wrong and only did the xray at my insistance (not that she was reluctant, she just wasn't pushing for it because she acted normal). They were shocked when they saw anything in there at all. They really didn't think anything was poking through because, again, she acted normal (her definition of normal, not mine) and dogs with perforations tend to be REALLY sick.

Well she had all that and more and was wagging her tail, trotting along, and was overall a happy little dog. No crying. Just a tense tummy and acting more subdued - to me, not to them.

I'm so glad I am busy at work. It is keeping me preoccupied. I can't think about this too deeply right now. I've had my phone with me all day and all my patients have been very understanding of me dashing in and out of the exam room.

[pblove]

Sadie and Nicole

[pblove]

Nicole was it a raw fed bone? (I am asking for my own curiosity re raw bones)

[AllisonPibbleLvr]

Oh my. Here's to a speedy recovery Nichole. Hugs to Sadie!

[Nichole]

Nicole was it a raw fed bone? (I am asking for my own curiosity re raw bones)

It was, but we had stopped giving them to her because she isn't safe with them. My husband gave her a small one (the last one in our freezer) on Sunday so it's either that one or maybe a random one she found burried in her blankets or whatever that I had missed since I have been throwing out all her old bones. I was doing it mostly for her teeth because she has proven herself to be insane and has absolutely no regard for her body or its limitations. Violet is safe and normal with bones, Sadie is not.

[pblove]

I had to stop feeding them to Paige too(same reasons as Sadie)and not even going to start giving them to Pearl.
I hope your nervves are holding up.

[Odnarb]

OMG! Healing thoughts from here. Are they worried about peritonitis? Was her breathing labored at all? That's insane.

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[Nichole]

Her breathing wasn't labored. Lung sounds were good. Even her blood work came back normal. The only one who thought anything at all was wrong with my dog was me because my normally insane dog was acting like an average dog. She was eating, drinking, peeing and pooping.

Vet:
*She doesn't fit the symptoms of having a blockage or foreign body.
*Holy crapola there is something in there. But don't worry it probably isn't perforated because when it is dogs really show it. They tend to be really sick.
*Holy crapola it was perforated and way way worse than anyone dreamed!

That isn't a knock on the vet(s) at all. She was just a good example of a stoic dog not telling anyone how bad she really feels. I can't imagine how much pain she must have been in

[trip8581]

Been following Sadie's saga on FB - but just wanted to say I am so glad they did surgery and that she is on the road to recovery. Bully breeds are just so darn tough sometimes that they will not even show the normal symptoms of a really bad obstruction. Poor girl! I am sure she will be back and getting into trouble in no time though.