Poor little Angus!

[Kathryn]

Angus got sick over the weekend, and Sunday he was decidedly in trouble.  He was drinking lots of water, then throwing it up, pacing, trembling, etc. We called around because our vet was closed for the holiday weekend, and it turns out the emergency vets were overfull.  The first two we contacted said they were not taking any more intakes until the next day; a third said we could come to their facility.  When we got there, we waited in the parking lot for 4 HOURS, as they triaged other pets before us (really - was a limping dog in more serious trouble than he was???).  I was both angry and terrified.  Finally around 9 p.m. they took him in, and then they apparently didn't look at him for more than another hour.  We had to drive back home -- had left with no water, and had not made plans to use a bathroom.  The vet called as we were walking into our home, and told us she thought we should take x-rays.  We did, but the results did not come in until around 3 in the morning.  I know, because I was up all night! He had an object in his stomach and intestines.  Surgery was scheduled for early Monday morning. 

He made it through surgery, and the vet said she was so glad I brought him in so quickly (!!!!!). Because the afterhours clinic closes at the end of weekends and holidays, we had to pick the little guy up this morning before 8.  He is at home, and resting in our kitchen.  I am so so glad to have him home. He growled at Oban, who was so excited to see him.  Still cranky...

Turns out he swallowed an entire wine cork.  It had probably been in his stomach a while, but broke in two and part traveled to his duodenum.  That is when the problems started.

He's not out of trouble yet, but he is stable and resting on a pile of pillows on the kitchen floor.  I will probably sleep there with him for the next several nights if my old bones can take it. Luckily, I still have my camping mats. 

I don't know what I would do without him. He is so important to me -- they both are. 

 

[bradl]

Angus! What a bummer that the e-vets were so bad, I too would be going out of my mind sitting in that parking lot. Arghhh. I'm glad that despite the awful start that Angus has been uncorked and can begin recovery. And you too — you guys must be exhausted. All dogs and people: get some rest.

Edited September 8, 2020 by bradl
Confused by other Angus having birthday

[sanford]

My heart goes out to you, but I also share your relief! I think any of us here can appreciate your anxiety and frustration, having to wait hours and hours with a medical emergency under such horrible  circumstances. 

Hoping for a speedy recovery for Angus... and a well-earned rest for you next to him on your camping mats!

[Hillscreek]

My goodness Angus! Many things may be chewed but most of them should be spit out after!!

Take it easy and may you and your folks feel better soon.

[Islander]

So glad Angus has been decorked, what an ordeal.

Had a similar experience last week when Gus had an ear infection. His regular vet could not fit him in for over three days. They are so busy catching up on all the routine work that wasn’t happening during lockdown. The emergency hospital told me not to bring him in that night as there was a 6 hour wait in the parking lot. I am so lucky that my daughter-in-law’s sister is the head vet there and even though I didn’t ask for special treatment she saw him the next morning and described his ear as a “ball of pus”. Seven days and two prescriptions later she saw him again, thoroughly cleaned his ear and ensured there was no foreign object in there.

Nowhere near as scary as Angus’s surgery. 

But wow, did I ever appreciate having a super vet in the family.

[pkcrossley]

wow, scary story. I hope he is healing up. this is one of the terrifying things about cairns. they are so close to the ground you can't see what they are scarfing up. they are so assertive that they gobble first and ask questions later. 

[Sam I Am]

Oh no Angus don’t eat weird things! An emergency clinic that makes you wait that long is an absolute disgrace! Makes me so angry. Thinking about you Kathryn, and know what you are going through. Big hugs.

[bradl]

Thinking of Angus and hoping his recovery is coming along. Hate seeing these little charmers down. 

[Kathryn]

Thanks, Brad. Turns out he has been pretty resilient. We got him home Tuesday morning, and he did look really down.  He was interested in eating a little chicken and rice, but we could not get him to drink anything.  The emergency vet had suggested we take him to our regular vet on Thursday or Friday -- but our regular vet retired last winter, and we don't like the fellow who took over the practice.  Luckily, our vet's former partner has started a mobile service, and I contacted him.  He agreed to come over to our home yesterday afternoon.  But then -- light bulb moment on Steve's part -- we realized that Angus might drink chicken stock! And we had some in the larder...so by the time Dr. Dave came, he was well hydrated, had pooped his first poop, and eagerly peed on the screen porch rug...

We were so lucky that the cork had been in the stomach, and probably only recently broken in half, with half moving only a short way into the duodenum.  The surgeon was able to work the cork half in the duodenum back into the stomach, so Angus only had to have gastric surgery.  I guess it is always touch and go once they have to cut intestines...

Steve suggested we open a bottle of wine last night to celebrate his recovery.  We selected a bottle with a screw top...

We are taking turns sleeping on the kitchen floor so we can be close to Angus...As long as one of us is there, he settles nicely, and I an hoping all will now be a steady recovery.

[bradl]

Appreciate the update and glad to hear of progress and the lucky break on surgery. Hope you don't have to sleep on the floor for too long!

I am retroactively horrified thinking about a routine we used to have in the days of Haggis and Barley. On Friday nights we would make pizza and open a bottle of champagne. We'd let the cork fly out into the backyard where Haggis and Barley would race out to retrieve it, the winner running back to spit out a slobbery cork to exchange it for a Charlee Bear. I guess we thought a champage cork would be too big to swallow but now I'm very glad we never had to find out to the contrary.

 

[sanford]

To Bradl and Kathryn:

From this day forward... wine in boxes and screw tops forever in your houses!

As long as we are on the topic... French friends of mine have a son whose eye was injured from a flying champagne cork. Obviously this is more of a problem in France than in the states, but still...ALWAYS point the bottle away from yourself —or others — (or pooches) when uncorking bubbly!

Edited September 10, 2020 by sanford

[Dianne]

Kathryn, so happy to receive update on Angus!

I want to give you all hugs!

Angus's trauma sooo reminded me of when Katie swallowed a chunky piece of rawhide* and we rushed her to emergency vet and with xrays discovered she had a several small nails in her intestines.  Unknown to me, she had scarfed them up when I was unframing an art print. Scary 2 days.

Quote: pkcrossley … this is one of the terrifying things about cairns. they are so close to the ground you can't see what they are scarfing up. they are so assertive that they gobble first and ask questions later. 

* We had not given rawhides before to our previous Westies.  For Katie the Cairn,  the lady at our specialty raw dog food store said this raw hide was easily chewable and digestible. WRONG. Katie is a gobbler. We have to break down dog cookies to bite size or she will try and swallow it whole.  

[Kathryn]

I think it is a two-dog-phenomenum that resulted in Angus swallowing the whole cork. I suspect he found it and was playing with it to determine if it was going to be tasty. Oban probably saw Angus with something in his mouth and went for Angus' "prize."  Angus probably gulped it down rather than risk losing any to Oban.  We've seen this pattern with other valued items before - food and treats get gulped quickly, without any chewing,  if the dogs are looking at each other.

Maybe I will just have to switch to scotch whisky. Or beer.

[Pepper Bug's Mom]

Those darn obstructions!  So awful about waiting so long in the parking lot!  Our lab swallowed part of a Kong knuckle bone - stayed in his stomach for a month and then gave him problems the minute we landed at the airport to fly to Cabo San Lucas.  The poor housesitter had her hands full taking him to the vet then to emergency surgery then cleaning up the mess he left behind on our rugs!!!  This was before covid so we were lucky to have the vet see him right away!!!

[Kathryn]

Have entered the stage of healing where, when I take Angus out for a short walk and a pee/poop, he would rather search out, bark at, and try to chase squirrels.  

Also, he has already learned how to use his cone to scoop up downed apples fallen from a neighbor's tree, getting them closer to his mouth.  He is NOT allowed to eat those...

I think he's gonna be okay.  Last night I went back to sleeping in my bed.

[bradl]

Great to hear

[sanford]

Figuring out how to use his collar to scoop the apples closer to his mouth is so like a cairn!...but there are soft floppy collars and inflatable collars that won’t work as scoops. Would one of those outsmart him?... Are you up to the challenge?