# Exploratory Abdominal Surgery



## Bulleit (Oct 27, 2013)

Hi all. I did a search for this procedure and didn't see a lot of info out there in the forum, so I wanted to share our experience in case it is helpful to anyone.

We have a 2 year old male, a lean ~52 lbs. He bit the head off of one of his Kong toys & ate it. It ended up stuck in his lower intestine and it required surgery to remove it. 

Symptoms: 

1) Vomiting. This didn't trigger any alarms at first. This happens from time to time, along with the accompanying eating of grass, mulch, dirt, sticks, acorns, etc!
2) Restlessness. This was how we knew something was up. Like most Vs, our's is extremely energetic and playful, but he also sleeps most of the day - typically between 9 AM to 4 PM, then will sleep again around 9 PM until morning. The day he started vomiting he also did not sleep. He walked around the house all day, laying down in different spots, but never for more than 5 minutes and he never slept. Although clearly uncomfortable, he was not 'lethargic'. This continued until 11 PM, then we decided to take him to the 24hr emergency vet.

The vet took an x-ray and confirmed there was intestinal blockage, but was unable to tell whether it would 100% require surgery. She gave him some type of enema and was hopeful after removing some of the mulch / sticks / acorns. They sent us home after giving him some subcutaneous fluids (water under the skin). She told us to go to our regular vet in the AM to get another x-ray, and compare to see if there was any improvement. The treatment the first night was $560, ouch!

The next morning he vomited on our carpeted staircase. The vomit had that overwhelming and unmistakable smell of dog poop (gross!). At this point, he was acting lethargic... not happy at all and showed no signs of his normal 'puppy' energy. A new x-ray confirmed it was now time for surgery.

The procedure began ~ 11 AM and went fine. Post-op, he must have had an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics or pain relievers. His temperature spiked, blood pressure & oxygen levels dropped. He also had inflammation, hives & accelerated breathing. X-rays indicated some pulmonary aspiration (fluid in lungs). They put him on oxygen and flushed him out. When we picked him up he was rolled out to our car on a gurney, he was shaking and scared - tough to see. So was the bill - $2,650!

We took him back to the 24 hr vet for post-op recovery - where he remained on oxygen for another day. His oxygen levels came back up, breathing improved and we picked him up the next day. They sent us home with meds and a cone to prevent him from ripping out the staples. Another big pill to swallow was the $2,700 bill from the 24 hr vet!

I bring up the cost of the vet care only because I am now seriously considering pet insurance. The vet costs were very high - however the level of care was extraordinary. The vets saved his life twice. The vets and techs were awesome throughout the entire process and we are extremely grateful.

We brought him home 2 days after the procedure. Other than 'coughing' and normal post-op discomfort, his recovery is going very well. He didn't eat until day 3 and didn't poop until day 5. It is now day 7 and he is fine on the stairs, eating normally and back to his happy self. The staples come out in another week.

Here are some pics.... I found a pic online of the toy he decapitated, and the remains of the mangled, head extracted from his intestine. Also a pic of the incision. And of course, a photo of our healthy guy!


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

Thanks for writing. What a horrible experience that must have been! How many of us V owners have let our pups have stuffed toys without considering that something like this might happen.

It sounded like the post op complications were a large part of the problem. How confident were they that it was an allergic reaction and that the pulmonary edema wasn't the cause?

Bob


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## Ksana (Mar 30, 2013)

So glad to hear your boy is healthy once again now!


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## Bulleit (Oct 27, 2013)

Thanks Bob and Ksana. We definitely learned a lesson to be more careful with the toys. We thought we were... those Kong toys are usually pretty durable. We toss them as soon as they start to come apart. He must have snuck off with this one long enough to tear the head off. I'll be interested to learn more about better, safer options for toys.

The edema is definitely what caused the heavy breathing, etc. Whether or not that was related to or caused by the allergic reaction I'm not sure. All of it came about suddenly about 3.5 hours after the procedure. The vet & techs were all over it and knew exactly what to do.

Its never easy with our guy... he likes the drama!


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

Poor Guy... What a rough go of it. I am so sorry he had such a horrible time after his surgery... It was brilliant to be so on top of his 
suffering, and get him to the vet before he became more ill from the blockage. 
I sure hope he has a speedy and complete recovery.
You must be a wreck after such a trying procedure, my thoughts are with you as well, as you see him through recovery.

If you are thinking about Ins. look at Healthy Paws, it covers everything and has an annual delectable (important) 
also if you google Healthy paws prom code, you can get a good discount by buying it through a canine magazine. 
I have used Pet Plan, Embrace, AKC Pet Healthcare plan... Healthy Paws beats them all.

Prayers and Positive energy to you and your Pup


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

So glad to hear everything worked out, and he's back home with you.
I swear some of these dogs could chew up a Sherman tank.


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## Canadian Expy (Feb 27, 2013)

How horrible for you and your pup.  I've heard horror stories of dogs swallowing things, and often it was discovered too late. Glad you were so in tune with your pups cues to get medical help and that he is now recovering. 

Thank you for bringing this to the attention of the forum. Your story may prevent another pup from going through the same ordeal, or worse.


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

So very, very glad for your good outcome.

Thanks for sharing!


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## Bulleit (Oct 27, 2013)

Thanks all. Tknafox2 - thanks for the info on Healthy Paws. We'll look into it for sure.


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

Bulleit said:


> Thanks all. Tknafox2 - thanks for the info on Healthy Paws. We'll look into it for sure.


So glad your pup is OK! 

If you're looking into pet insurance, I've also heard that Healthy Paws is one of the best. Likewise, Trupanion comes highly recommended too.


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## Vizsla_Luka (Sep 8, 2015)

Bulleit your pup is lucky to have such dedicated and loving parents!

Your post scared the **** out of me, our pup who is 4.5 months old is also putting all sorts of things in his mouth. Turns out pet insurance premiums aren't as high as I was led to believe here in Switzerland, so I have promptly signed up. Thanks for sharing your experience.

I really felt for you reading what you and the dog had to go through.

Hope he makes a speedy recovery and back to running around like a Vizsla should!


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## Bulleit (Oct 27, 2013)

Thanks Luka for the well wishes. Bulleit's doing great - 100% back to normal. Didn't mean to scare you... but I know what you mean! Since his procedure, we leave only the larger 'wobble' kongs with some kibble inside when we are not around. 

Congrats on your new pup -- I'm sure he will enjoy running around your beautiful country!


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## Tarbaby (Sep 29, 2015)

My daughter's girl bit the top off of a Kong and it became lodged in her lower intestines. She had the same symptoms. She was only 4 months old and had a low grade heart murmur. So her surgery gave us a little more apprehension. She had some post op issues and stayed at the vet for a few days. She is now 7 months old and doing very well. She still destroys toys but is watched diligently. They swallow anything and quickly. It is a scary and yes expensive. But the alternative was something we weren't prepared to take. Happy to hear Bulleit is doing good. With the exception of the scare you wouldn't know Lily had major surgery. (And her Kong was one of the rubber ones)


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

Dear *******, You are a lucky one! That you caught the symptoms so soon... I have heard of several Kong's loosing their tops to surgery.
My Pup never liked Kong's so I had no worry. But Kong's Have a history!!


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## Bulleit (Oct 27, 2013)

******* - glad to hear Lily is doing well!


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