Update on Sophie!

Sophie, Sophie, Sophie!  What can I say?

I will start with she is going to be just fine!  But, it was a scary situation- far worse than I imagined when I got up yesterday morning.  I called my friend who told me that the symptoms were suspicious and confirmed what I was worried about- Sophie should go to the vet.  Unfortunately for me, I was already at work and as a teacher it's not easy to drop everything and run back to the city to take her. But, Rebecca drove in, picked Sophie up and dropped her off for me; thank God!

By the time Sophie got to the vet she was majorly dehydrated, she was starting to shake and her heart rate was very elevated.  She couldn't keep anything down, not even water. So, they quickly checked her out and started an IV to get her fluids back up.  My vet decided an Xray was in order because  all signs pointed to a blockage somewhere in her stomach/GI tract/Intestines.  The Xray showed the possibility something was stuck in her tummy so they did an ultrasound. This showed for sure there was something but they couldn't tell what.

Next step? Surgery.  Poor Sophie as it turns out had eaten a freezer bag that was lodged between her stomach and bowels. It required 2 incisions to get the bag out and make sure that the blockage was cleared. Poor baby!  My vet decided to keep her overnight on IV fluids to make sure she was no longer dehydrated and to make sure that she was ok, post surgery.  I don't have my Sophiedog back yet but apparently she is looking much, much happier this morning. She is wagging her tail and it sounds like my girlie is on the way to recovery.

I learned SO MUCH from this experience-- if your labrador looks like she isn't feeling well, she isn't. My vet confirmed my worst fears; Sophie was in excruciating pain but wouldn't show it.And, if she won't eat, that is BAD! Sophie started down this path by throwing up multiple times but we turned the corner when she refused to eat. It's serious. Also, I knew her tummy was sore- I could feel it. Don't question it; if you think you need the vet, you need the vet.  8 hours would have meant a different outcome for Sophie because her heart rate was already so elevated. She was in danger of her organs starting to give out in the process.  I am scared to think what would have happened if I had let this go and decided to wait it out and see if she would perk up. Soph would be gone if I had done this.

Another lesson learned: the deep freeze will be moved to a place where Sophie is not able to access it as easily as she has been able to in the past. UGH!

Sophie is going to be just fine now- likely it's a 4 week recovery from the surgery until she is really back to normal but she will be fine. I will be fine eventually; this was an incredibly traumatic experience for me, one that I won't easily forget or shake off. It's not even fully real to me yet because I don't have my dog back. But, it will be and I know what to look for, heaven forbid I go down this path again.