# Another dog and his person needs your thoughts



## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Lisa Gellers dog Tango underwent surgery for eating something stupid. My thoughts are with her, as this is never a good time for anyone.

He is a good boy, and I am hoping all is well.


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## todd pavlus (Apr 30, 2008)

I hope everyones dog will come through safe and healthy. That being said I think Jeff might be getting soft on us. LOL:-s


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Tango works well, even if she is doing sch with him. LOL I like a dog that works.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Here, too, all the best for a speedy recovery.


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## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

I, too, hope he has a good outcome. Damn dogs! (there, I filled in for Jeff)


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

All the best for a good outcome and recovery for Tango.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

I too pray all is well.


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

is it election-year stress getting to these dogs, or what?? the weather?? a virus??

heavens. lisa--prayers for your Tango.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Oh, no.

I will have them both in my thoughts.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Oh no! Prayers and thoughts coming your their way!


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## Lisa Geller (Mar 29, 2007)

We're back --- thanks so much for concerns. 
Tango LDS


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## Lisa Maze (Mar 30, 2007)

Well, we are still waiting to hear what he ate and to see his "bikini" wax hair cut.

Lisa


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

WOW glad he is OK I hope he will be good to go in 3 weeks. If they mature 2X as fast as a GSD I supposed they heal 2X as fast also :?:


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## Lisa Geller (Mar 29, 2007)

:-o 
here is what it looked like -- what is it?


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## Lisa Geller (Mar 29, 2007)

and for lisa
here's the stitchwork -- how'd they do?


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## Lisa Geller (Mar 29, 2007)

Mike,

I don't know about working him at a seminar in 3 weeks-- I'm sure he would be game, but I don't know if he would be healed enough?

Maybe some vet type person on this board might know?

I really want to come, maybe I will come and do Obedience & track (barring snow)


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## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

Lisa, looks to me like a bone shard. ??? They didn't tell you what they pulled out?

Man, what an ordeal! What were his symptoms?


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

I am just glad he is home and OK.


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Glad to hear he's doing OK. Darn Malinuts 

He may be OK to work in the seminar, I usually find my dogs are up and ready to go a day or two after a surgery, then I spend the next 2 weeks trying to keep them calm. Once my vet takes out the staples/stitches though he gives them the green light to start to return to life as usual, and stitches come out around day 10, so at 3 weeks he should be fine. Might want to take it a little easy still, but I would expect you could work him. I'd just see what the vet says when he takes out the staples.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> I am just glad he is home and OK.


Me too.


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## Becky Shilling (Jul 11, 2006)

Glad he's back home and recovering.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Lisa Geller said:


> Mike,
> 
> I don't know about working him at a seminar in 3 weeks-- I'm sure he would be game, but I don't know if he would be healed enough?
> 
> ...


 I was only goofing after you mentioned he was going to be OK. That row of stitches is LARGE don't let the dog dictate I'm sure he would be ready tomorrow if it were up to him A good dog wont tell ya there is something wrong till its almost to late.


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## Lisa Geller (Mar 29, 2007)

they did have an unidentifiable wad of cloth/plastic in a baggie for me when I picked him up. we think it was part of an outdoor cushion that was shreaded earlier in the week in a pack attack.

the symptoms are not eating, vomitting -- like a flu. Nothing was staying down. the only water he took was in the form of ice

the BIG thing I learned from the experience was when I took him to the vet on Friday morning that I should have told them to Xray him.
It would have maybe avoided emergency surgery Saturday night. I think the cost would have been maybe 2/3's and he would have more hydrated for the experience. Plus, of course, watch what he consumes!


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

That's a pretty impressive zipper in his belly! Tell him 'chicks dig scars' . 


Sending warm and fuzzy thoughts for a speedy recovery.


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## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

My only experience (?) with obstruction is seeing it on the animal planet show with the vets (emergency surgery), and of course reading about a few here on the boards. 

I thought vomiting was a symptom, but didn't know if different dogs maybe presented differently. Obviously, being plugged up, nothing in, nothing out type thing. Things to be aware of, and like you've said, if in doubt, xray. 

One thing to consider might be when a dog has the fluish or empty stomach "pukies" they sometimes run around eating grass or try to eat plants, carpet, etc. I imagine a dog with an obstruction may not have these types of behaviours?

What an ordeal. I too am just glad you guys are home now and on the path to recovery.


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

A couple more things to keep in mind. Not only can early diagnosis/surgery save you an emergency room bill later, but it also lowers the amount of damage done. When there is an obstruction portions of the bowel are dying. The sooner it's removed and normal blood flow to the area is returned, the less the vet has to cut out, and the better chance the dog has of surviving. Dogs can only lose up to so much of their bowel before their body is unable to absorb enough nutrients to keep them alive. 

Also, dogs can have bowel movements with an obstruction, although it is going to be very watery diarrhea. A partial obstruction can allow some stuff to get past but it's still potentially doing damage to the bowel. The dog may pass the obstruction, but may not, either way it needs to see the vet.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Kadi,

I learned from my similar experience that a dog can still have normal bowel movements if the obstruction is in the upper GI or stomach. Emma had normal bowels movements through the entire thing - more than a week. I didn't realize she was obstructed until she vomited everything she had eaten for several days.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Sorry I was late on this thread...had two of "my" dogs (one foster dog and one of my parents' dogs) died today in unrelated accidents, so been dealing with a lot. 

But yes, definitely do NOT let those dogs dictate when to start work!  All layers of skin needs to knit together 110% and the intestines need to be back to 110% too. Normal bowel movements, etc. A dog tripping over its guts or bleeding internally on the field is no good at all! :-o Lisa, feel free to PM me if you'd like suggestions on what to feed as a recovery diet until he heals. 

Oh yeah, and definitely x-ray if possible if you suspect an obstruction. You may not be able to see "it" but you can sometimes see how the guts react to the blockage on the radiographs. A lot of vets are used to people balking at $60-100 for a good set of x-rays, which is penny wise and pound foolish, but which is also why they also don't insist on them as much as they probably would in human medicine. Better to be safe than sorry...


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