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Thread: Dog ate rock

  1. #1
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    Dog ate rock

    So my 10 month old puppy swallowed a 2" rock two days ago. He was fine yesterday but puked once this morning, so I took him to the vet... one xray later there was the HUGE rock chillin in his stomach. Vet thinks he needs surgery to get it out, she said sometimes those pass but since it's so big it could rip his intestine or become a blockage once it's in there. Problem is it'll set us back $1000 which we don't really have to throw around. Anyone had experience with their dog passing something this size? Anyone's dog had the surgery? I'm a little worried about the stomach surgery as well since it's a pretty major thing.

    Cody:



    The Rock:

    Not on here much anymore. Drop me an email if you want to contact me. Have a wonderful winter!

  2. #2
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    Cant they give him something to puke it out ?

  3. #3
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    I'd wait to see if it passes, and worst case scenario, spend the surgery money on the intestines if necessary. Pups are usually stronger than you would think.
    Is it radix panax notoginseng? - splat
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    Dude Listen to mtm. He's a marriage counselor at burning man. - subtle plague

  4. #4
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    bummer liz. Stomach pumping/vacuuming not a suggested option from the doc?

    Good luck.

  5. #5
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    Get a pet insurance policy while you wait for him to pass it. Ask the vet about financing.

  6. #6
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    Dumb dog but so cute!!!

    One time I spilled a bottle of tylenol on the floor and my dumb dogs swallowed them - competed to see who could eat the most before I could drag them off.

    When I called the vet, it would basically cost me thousands to get them taken care of. So they each got a spoonful of baking soda (if I remember right) which immediately made them barf up the contents of the stomachs.

    I don't know if that helps you at all but it certainly saved the day for me.

    I hate to see that cutie getting his insides torn out.
    Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.
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  7. #7
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    Take the dog for a 2d opinion. If the 2d vet says surgery, then bite the bullet. They're the pros. I would defer to their combined expertise.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by H0G View Post
    Get a pet insurance policy while you wait for him to pass it. Ask the vet about financing.
    x2.

    Vet/Pet insurance is something I should've gotten a long time ago.

    Hope all goes well. Cute pup!!!

  9. #9
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    CUTE PUP!

    I have no advice to offer you.
    ‎"Powder snow skiing is not fun. It's life, fully lived, life lived in a blaze of reality." -Dolores LaChapelle

  10. #10
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    Not trying to freak you out or anything, but here is my story:

    Our dog Maddie started acting funny last February (quit eating, looked miserable, etc.). After three days of bismuth injections, x rays, cat scans, etc. the vet found she had swallowed a few small pieces of plastic and string that had ripped holes in her intestines. Her abdomen was full of infection. She spent days on IVs taking massive amounts of painkillers and antibiotics. Worst fucking thing I have ever been through in my life.

    Thankfully she pulled through, and is healthy now, but it was scary.
    Also ran us over 3 grand when it was all said and done.

    I would keep a super close eye on your dog, that is if you elect to not just get the problem taken care of now. I wish we'd have known Maddie had ate the plastic that made her sick. I'd have gladly paid a thousand up front.

    Good luck, and best vibes to your puppy.
    Keep it unclipped

  11. #11
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    it got that far....

    what's the functional difference between the intestines and the esophagus? I don't know. I would be inclined to see if that rock sits in there with stomach acids and doesn't decompose a bit, or if the dog's body just works it out of there. I mean, dogs are coyotes and wolves basically..and those guys are always crunching up little rabbit skulls and eating tarantulas and chewing up deer ribs and shit.

    I really don't know though. Just a thought.

  12. #12
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    I actually posted a similar thread awhile ago but my 9 month old had just puked up a rock. As best I can tell from the pics, the rock that mine tossed up was about the same size. I would see if you can get Cody to hack that thing up before it gets into the intestines.

    The real question here, and one that hutash will be able to answer is, What is the opportunity cost of ateempting to pass the stone or barf it up? i.e. is entry into the intestine to remove going to put the dog at a greater risk, does it cost more, how likely is passing? Good luck?

  13. #13
    bklyn is offline who guards the guardians?
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    So tempted to post something snarky... but instead... vibes and I hope your dog gets better
    I'm just a simple girl trying to make my way in the universe...
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  14. #14
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    He is what I do when faced with this all too common problem...Give the dog a nice big can of high fiber dog food, like Hill's R/D, wait 15-20 minutes and give him a dose of apomorphine. He will puke up all the dog food, and most likely the rock. If he doesn't, I would seriously recommend surgery. It is easier and safer to remove a rock from the stomach then it is the small intestines. That is a big rock, and the chances of it passing on its own is low. If it moves into the small intestine, and gets stuck you have gone from a semi-elective surgery to an emergency surgery, and all of its associated costs.

    I don't know how long it has been since the radiograph, but I would probably retake one before trying the above to make sure the rock is still in the stomach.

    I have removed a lot of rocks from dogs small intestine, twice on the same dog (the owner made him wear a basket muzzle after the second rock.)

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by hutash View Post
    He is what I do when faced with this all too common problem...Give the dog a nice big can of high fiber dog food, like Hill's R/D, wait 15-20 minutes and give him a dose of apomorphine. He will puke up all the dog food, and most likely the rock. If he doesn't, I would seriously recommend surgery. It is easier and safer to remove a rock from the stomach then it is the small intestines. That is a big rock, and the chances of it passing on its own is low. If it moves into the small intestine, and gets stuck you have gone from a semi-elective surgery to an emergency surgery, and all of its associated costs.

    I don't know how long it has been since the radiograph, but I would probably retake one before trying the above to make sure the rock is still in the stomach.

    I have removed a lot of rocks from dogs small intestine, twice on the same dog (the owner made him wear a basket muzzle after the second rock.)
    Radiograph was taken earlier today (around 1). I've been watching him all day; he's asymptomatic, and running around like a nutcase (status quo). I'm uneasy about getting surgery done on an asymptomatic dog (I wouldn't go around telling all my patients with MRI-diagnosed disc problems to get back surgery! I know it's probably a different case here but that's what I think of.).

    Where do I get apomorphine? I guess my vet would have it? She didn't mention anything about inducing vomiting; he had food in his stomach at the time of radiograph and she said we could hope he pukes up the food/rock tonight, but he puked earlier this morning (just some bile, before he ate) and there was no rock attached.

    If it's really better to get it out of the stomach than the small intestine, and chances of passing it are slim, I guess we better just do it. I've just heard stories of dogs living their whole lives with weird shit in their stomachs, and if that's a safer alternative than surgery I'd rather just leave the thing in there.

    edit: I did request another radiograph tomorrow morning before surgery. If the thing is starting to pass through the intestine, maybe we'll just watch him... I'd just hate to have an emergency happen over the weekend, and then the cost is doubled at the urgent care vet.
    Not on here much anymore. Drop me an email if you want to contact me. Have a wonderful winter!

  16. #16
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    My dog ate paper, so my dog wins!

    Seriously, though- good luck to you and your pup. Pet ownership is tough when you have to make these big-dollar expenditures, but at the end of the day you know it's worth it.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven S. Dallas View Post
    My dog ate paper, so my dog wins!

    Seriously, though- good luck to you and your pup. Pet ownership is tough when you have to make these big-dollar expenditures, but at the end of the day you know it's worth it.
    No, because mine ate scissors. This is a huge doggie circle jerk now.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by P_McPoser View Post
    No, because mine ate scissors.
    I think the dog has to survive to win, but them's prison rules.

  19. #19
    loJack Guest
    My dog had to have surgery to remove a rock about the same size. As I remember he basically stopped eating, was puking bile, and nothing was coming out the other end if you know what I mean. He also became really sensitive if you touched his stomach. The second time Otter swallowed a rock we got lucky because we saw him eat it and took him straight to the vet who held him upside down and he puked it out. The surgery was pretty major but he came out just fine and as dumb as ever. Good luck

  20. #20
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    My money is on Mr. Dallas' dog. If I had a choice of passing rocks, paper or scissors, I would go with paper. I see dogs shit that out all the time.

    As for the rock hound, I ran the case by my wife, who is also a vet, and a hell of a lot smarter then me. With out giving her my opinion she came up with the same treatment, except she said W/D instead of R/D (different practice philosophies I guess.) In fact she reminded me that she did the same thing when our stupid dog ate a rock, she just made her puke it out.

    If you have a lot of confidence in your vet, talk to him or her about it, if you are not sure in the first place, it might be a good time to ask around. I would not leave the rock for any length of time, because it will irritate the hell out of the stomach lining, unless it is real smooth. A few days is probably not critical as long as it doesn't move into the small intestine. If it does, you will have a situation like loJack, and a more involved, problematic surgery with more chances for complications. I much prefer stomach surgery to intestinal surgery. Neither are a major problem if done right, and your pup will likely be 100% afterward, so I wouldn't be afraid of the surgery, especially from the stomach, but I would always prefer to avoid surgery in the first place. (Which is why I don't make a ton of money in this profession.)

    Feel free to PM me if you have an specific questions.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

  21. #21
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    rock, paper, scissors...

    Now you know how a real vet makes the call.

  22. #22
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    wow, my dogs are so stupid too. i just don't understand how dogs ever survived as wild animals....

  23. #23
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    My dog has passed some pretty big stuff starting from much younger than that. She did have a habit of eating smooth rocks as opposed to rough or sharp ones. Go see a second vet for an opinion but like you say the operation can be stressful too. Hydrogen Peroxide will make them puke as well.

    A friend has a Great Dane pup that ate a wool hat. A couple days later no sign so they went to the vet. The vet felt around and couldn't feel it so told them they must have just missed it coming out one end or another. 5 weeks later...... yes 5 weeks the dog puked up the freaking hat. Yuummmmm!. Dogs are tough.
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  24. #24
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    feed dog Vaseline

    dog shit rock

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by snowfire View Post
    Problem is it'll set us back $1000 which we don't really have to throw around.
    i just saw something on tv about people crossing the border for cheap dental care. some woman had over $1000 of work done for $160. maybe you could take a week holiday in mexico and get it removed for less than a grand? just a thought.

    vibes!

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