[Shermie's Mom]

I have had quite a week with poor Shermie. I'll try to keep it short, but it started Monday morning. He wouldn't eat his breakfast, very unusual for him. He acted funny. When I came home at noon he still wasn't eating, and seemed to be having great discomfort in his tummy, and I found where he had vomited pale greenish foamy stuff, no food. I took him to the vet. They did a physical exam, boodwork, and gave him a Baytril injection, and Rimidyl injection, and sent him home with soft diet orders. Oral Baytril also. He said if no better in the AM, bring him in for x-rays. He was no better. They took x-rays, nothing seen but gas. they kept him overnight, on IV antibiotics. He was better the next day, and I took him home. He seemed fine for a while, then boom, he started with the stomach discomfort, no eating, drinking. Obviously in distress. I took him back and asked if they were sure he had nothing inside of him. It seemed to me he had something obstructing his gut, but then again, I'm not a vet. He palpated him again, thought he felt something this time. They did surgery right then, and I was so worried about him all night, because they did find something, and it had been in there so long. will his intestines be all right after this? Time will tell. I just went to see him. Her looks OK considering what he'd just been through. He is fdrinking, no fever, walks around OK, and pees ok. How long before I know if there was no damage to his intestines? I am so worried about him. Do any of you that have gone through this foreign body ordeal have any words of wisdom for me from your experiences?
Thanks
Sally
ps it was a part of an old halloween mask. Some sort of rubbery thing that they found. I have no idea how he found such a thing....

 

[murraysmom]

I don't have any experience with this, but wanted to wish Shermie a speedy recovery-

 

[Elvismom]

Poor Sherman! I'm so glad the vet did the surgery and got out the mask. Your poor baby must have felt so miserable!

I'm lucky and haven't been through this but a lot of people have had problems like Serman's (usually with rocks) and none of them have mentioned problems after their 4-leggers healed.

How do they manage to find all these "treasures"? They can sure get themselves into trouble.

Lots of drool for Sherman and some gentle snooter kisses. I bet he gets pampered while he's healing!

 

[Sabian's mom]

No experience in this area but want to say I am so glad he has done well with surgery. We are drooling for a speedy recovery for him in Indiana.

 

[Lightning&Stomps]

The surgeon should be able to tell you if any parts of the intestine looked unhealthy. If it was in the intestine, they can usually take out any dead intestine. Shermie will probably be fine and feeling frisky very very soon.

 

[Beverly Anne]

I'm sure the vet would remove any intestine that was bad. Poor Shermie, I wish him a speedy recovery.

 

[2hounds]

Poor Shermie. Lily and Gibbs are slinging drool ya'lls way.

~Heather

 

[Aruuuu]

Edith Ann had a rock removed last year. I had the same concerns you do, but she healed just fine. Her feeding was different for a few days, she got only prescription canned food, starting with one tablespoon every four hours, working up gradually over the course of a week to regular feeding. She recovered quickly, thank goodness, though I did set up my air mattress next to her crate for the first few nights. When it comes to the dogs, I'm a bit of a Nervous Nelly. And I never want to go through that again, so Edith is now muzzled when outside.

Did your vet have to remove any intestine or were they able to just remove the obstruction?

 

[Shermie's Mom]

I beleive that he just removed the object. Its hard to get a straight answer, but that is what it appears. I went to see him this AM, and he seems much better. They are going to start soft food, and see. his temperature is ok, and he is moving around much better. I really want to know if his "guts" work properly, but I guess time will tell. He looks good, however, so I think we may have dodged a bullet this time. He was howling when I left. Poor little bugger doesn't know why he can't come home.
Thank you all for your concern.
Sally

 

[Elvismom]

I'm so glad Sherman's feeling better today! I've been wondering about him. Wanting to get out of the vet's office is a good sign!

Hope he can come home soon and that he sticks to eating kibble & biscuits.

 

[Maggie's Mommy]

I just went through that surgery with Rusty in late June. The Vet knew immediately that it was obstruction by the way he was acting. He also reacted to her physical exam and the xray showed the huge rock. They did emergency surgery within the hour. It sounds like your Vet doesn't communicate very well with the clients. Rusty's Vet met with us to fully explain what she did and how everything inside him was affected. She also explained how his recovery should go and what to expect. It seems we caught the rock in a short time in the intestine. She said the intestine was not compromised at all. If it had remained in his small intestine for any longer, hours we're talking, she said the dead part would have to be removed. We were very lucky. Also he just stayed that night and the next day. We got him back at dinner time. She believes as I do that our pets do better recovering at home. The stress of being at the Vet adds to their recovery time. He was on a soft diet for awhile and his recovery was long and hard on him. I don't know why he swallowed the rock but I don't believe he meant to. I think it had food or something that smelled and tasted good.

I think you seriously need a consultation with this Vet. You deserve to have ALL your questions answered. Please keep us updated.

 

[Shermie's Mom]

I know, i feel so terrible about this. I feel like I have failed him. I kept thinking he had something in him, the way he was acting, but there was nothing on his x-rays, the object was a similar density as tissue, and was unpalpable in the beginning. I am also quite sure my vet feels the same way. He knows me VERY well. I have gone to him for years. I only wish I had been more adamant about telling him I thought there was something more than an infection going on. After all , I KNOW MY DOG. Thank god he got it out, and believe he is going to be OK. I'll check on him this am, hopefully there will be good news.
Sally

 

[Winston's Mom]

I wish Sherman a speedy recovering. I know what you are going through. My dog Clementine is very sick. I just posted about it this morning. She had grass the size of a ball in her stomach and they don't know why. If you need someone to talk to, let me know.

 

[Shermie's Mom]

I just picked up Shermie from the vet, he is doing really well. He is pooping, drinking and eating, the 3 magic things necessary for him to go home. I am soooo relieved, he looks really good, and seems to feel good, too.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for him.
Sally and Shermie

 

[Basset Momma]

Hurrah! Hope he continues to feel better!

 

[Sabian's mom]

Great news!

 

[BubbaLeroy]

I'm so glad Sherman is home and doing OK. Our Bogie has had two surgeries to remove swallowed rocks that were to large to pass. Fortunately rocks will clearly show up on an x-ray so there is no doubt there is a blockage going on. Bogie did great after surgery, on special soupy food from the vet, working our way back to mushed canned food, to his normal diet of dry kibble. The first couple of days he was willing to be still, but the vet wanted him crated for ten days to give the stitches time to heal. So it was leashed potty walks for 10 days. He did great and bounced back quickly to life with a muzzle when we can't watch him.
I'm sure Sherman will do fine.

 

[Shermie's Mom]

Shermie is doing just great. I brought him home Monday night, and he was pretty low key, yesterday he felt better, and today, I'm having all I can do to keep him from bouncing off the walls. He wants to play play play, and is getting frustrated with me. He just can't understand why he can't go over to the neighbors yard to play with their 3 dogs.
Its so good to see him back this fast, after a horrible ordeal.
I identified what they got out of him, it was his favorite toy, a little latex piggy. He had two, now there is one left, and it is in the trash. No more piggy, I'm sorry to say.
His favorite thing damn near killed him....
Sally

 

[Elvismom]

I'm so glad Shermie is feeling so much better!! And I'm glad the other piggie is out of harm's way.

Tell Shermie he is a very silly houndie.

 

[susie]

Eleanor loves plastic and rubber. She has eaten gardening and work gloves. And because she loves to eat poop -- if I don't catch it first -- she'll re-eat them. Thank goodness Lucy has more mainstream tastes. Glad to hear your pup is better!