My little Fang almost died today.

We started out having a very normal morning. I walked my dogs, Fang chased a squirrel, he had a threat...nothing out of the ordinary.

But a few hours later, he began violently throwing up. But no food was coming up, just a ton of white foam. I could immediately tell that this was abnormal so I called my vet. The guy I've gone to for 20-some years wasn't in today, and I really don't trust the substitute. I've lost an animal to him before. But I took an appointment anyway for 2pm. This was around noon.

When I got off the phone, Fang just kept getting worse and worse. He's a little tiny basset hound and his stomach was distended to nearly the size of a volleyball. He started choking, couldn't get down the stairs, his tongue was hanging out of his mouth, the works. So I just threw him in the car and took him to this awesome emergency vet just down the street. As I was getting there, they were putting up the "Closed" sign. They close every day from 1-2 for lunch. It was 1:01.

In no time, they took him to the back room and in just a few minutes they determined that he was bloated and that possibly his stomach had flipped. This was my worst fear, as my friend had lost several of his dogs to the same thing. They were hoping to insert a tube and relieve the pressure and they were confident that should do the trick because if his stomach had flipped chances are that he wouldn't be vomiting.

So I waited. In the meantime, they warned me that this could be a very pricey procedure up to $1500 and wanted to know if I would agree to that cost. Of course I said yes and signed an agreement, but apparently they've had trouble with people paying these sorts of bills for emergency procedures.

The doctor did his best with depressurizing his stomach, but the tube wouldn't pass a certain point. His stomach had flipped. They had little time to act or he would die. So they asked for the go ahead and instantly began emergency surgery through their lunch hour and cancelled their upcoming appointments. Angels. It's hit or miss whether they're able to correct something that serious and once a stomach has flipped, dogs often die from it. But a few hours later, they told me that everything had gone well. Fang was calm and resting and they had done their best to remove all the contents of his stomach.

Half of the time I was a hysterical mess and feeling like it was my fault. I rarely give my dogs leftovers, but the night before I had some leftover pasta that I gave to both dogs after their own dinner. Both seemed to handle it fine, but as soon as the problems started today my first inclination was that I had fed him too much. Thankfully Nikki (Moonsongs) came to my rescue and calmed me down because I probably didn't make much sense to the staff or the people I was calling in a panic on the phone.

I recieved a followup call this evening from the doctor saying that he would check on Fang on and off throughout the night as he lives quite close to the animal hospital. He also did a corrective procedure where he fused the stomach wall to the surrounding tissue so that it's virtually impossible for the stomach to flip again. He urged me not to blame myself for what had happened and that there's no way of telling why this happens to some dogs. He said that usually it's triggered by drinking lots of fluids followed by heavy activity. Maybe chasing the squirrel did it. Who knows?

They're keeping him overnight and will let me know tomorrow when the appropriate time is to discharge him.

He's become such a part of my family in the 2 years since we rescued him and I appreciate him more and more all the time. You would never guess that he's an 11 year old dog to meet him because he's so fit and hearty. I was just playing catch with him the night before.

So please pray that my dog makes a full recovery and that I do the right thing in terms of his care.

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading this.

And for those of you who don't know, this is Fang...

I will 4 little fang and a huge and love 4 u gangstfam

Awww, he's so adoralble. I hope he makes a full recovery.

Sending positive thoughts and wishing for a prompt recovery

My best wishes, and my prayers for Fang's full recovery.

He's fortunate to have someone who loves him so dearly.

I just prayed to the Big Man above. I wish Fang all the best, GF.

Poor Fang, I will definitely pray for him and hope that he makes a full recovery. The emergency vet hospital that you took him to sounds wonderful in that they worked through their lunch and cancelled their other appointments so that they could take care of Fang right away. That says a lot to me. It's so rough when one of our animals gets sick.

OMG! I hope he hangs in there

Awwww Poor Little Fang.

He will be ok

hugs for you and fang

Aww. . . good luck, Fang.

Sounds like he's getting great care.

...Many prayers for Fang, pets are indeed a real part of the family..

Nathan

When your mom called and let us know his surgery had gone well I just burst into tears of relief. Ian had just prayed again for a miracle a couple of minutes before we got the call that he was ok.

Thank God.

Fang is an awesome dog, and I am so glad to know him. I knew he's a strong hearty dog, but given his age, and how many dogs don't get through such a thing, it didn't look good. Your mom called at 3:30 am and poor Ian at first thought he was dreaming, what a nightmare to wake up to.

We were very worried, I am sooooo glad that Fang is on the mend.

Nay, I am so sorry you had to go through this, and see Fang so ill, I cannot imagine what it is like to see your dog in such pain, I know you've gone through it a number of times, but it isn't something you ever get used to.

Thank you for doing ALL you did to get him to those doctors and all, never blame yourself, all the animals who have been in your care have been better for it, you and Ian are amazing with your dogs. Fang is totally blessed to be have all of you.

I love you, and I am so sorry all of you had to have yet another horrible scare. Thank God it sounds like he will be ok.

We can all do with a miracle or two right now.

Thanks for taking care of him, I'm so sorry Ian couldn't be there to share it with you.

My heart goes out to lil Fang. Poor guy! I hope he has a speedy and complete recovery!

I hope he gets well soon.

It's sounds like only dehydration. Well, one shouldn't say "only dehydration" because although it is a simply preventable illness, it can kill. Just make sure he takes in enough fluids. Ice in his water bowl. Wet foods help too.

First of all, Fang is adorable! I'm a huge fan of hound dogs. Such a sweet face.

I'm glad you were able to get him in ASAP. You did the right thing, and there's absolutely no need to blame yourself. A little table scrap isn't going to do him any harm. And, of course, he's going to drink lots of water. It's summer, he's hot and he's active. All completely normal activities. I'm thinking positive thoughts for you and your pup - you do the very same thing! Blaming yourself isn't going to help you. You're a good papa.

Fang is an adorable and precious boy. I believe he already thinks he went to Heaven since the Renner's rescued him from a dismal life. He has so much love and attention and just this week got a beautiful bath in the Lake Huron from Nathan. It was so hard waiting at the vet to see whether he made it or not. Nathan and I have taken other animals there that we've found ~ usually hit by cars ~ and Dr. Barton Meadows always does his best to save their lives. Nathan ~ I'm so happy Fang pulled through this and if he gets through the night with no problems maybe you can take him home tomorrow. you and Fang.

i pray, hope, and will even go so far as to BET your puppy will be completely fine very soon. fang's got the org praying and sending warm vibes in his direction...that's some pretty potent stuff.

~Beautiful well wishes for Fang.
I will definitely be on the outlook tomorrow to hear about his progress.

~Hugs.

I completely lost it last night. As Tracy mentioned, I was asleep when I was given the phone and I literally woke up to a nightmare. I didn't cope...at all. Our family has endured so much loss, and I manage to have faith in spite of it. I felt like I was being mocked for it, but I prayed for a miracle anyway, and God provided one. It was insanely difficult to not be there- he's my little boy and he means a great deal to our family. He is one of the few sources of joy we've had over the past 2 and a half years and his happiness and well-being has been one of the only things we've felt that we have done right. It would have been completely devastating to lose him, particularly because I would not have been able to go back due to visa issues.

All I can say is that God provided the miracle we so desperately needed. This is one instance where hope and faith have been rewarded with a happy result, and I could not be more warmed by it. I keep saying "Praise Jesus" and "Thank the Lord" over and over again.

I'm completely exhausted from it all, but I know that in spite of my inability to be there, Fang is in the very best possible hands in Nathan's, Nikki's and Dr. Meadows'. Nathan has this amazing gift with animals that makes me very jealous. Animals seem to sense that he has this gift as they keep having crises in his presence. He always seems to know how to handle it. My brother, the shepherd.

Tracy was absolutely crucial to me not going insane last night. She endured my nonsensical rambling and incessant shaking last night. She is the absolute best at comforting me.

Just before we got the call that he would be ok, Tracy kept hearing him roo in her head. Then, after I hung up, she played me this goofy little ringtone on her phone that captures his personality perfectly. She's so sweet to comfort me and can warm my heart in the most dire situations.

This is for my Mom, if she's reading:

He's my iddo biddy basset friend, and I'm going to love him, and hold him, and squeeze him, and pet him, be his friend forever and ever, until the end of time... and then some more!

Moonbeam said:

what causes a dog's stomach to flip? How can this be avoided? I've never even heard of this ailment!

ufoclub said:

Gastric torsion in dogs...

http://www.canismajor.com...bloat.html

4 Fang


A DOG:

"Tis pity not to have a dog, for at the
long day's end,
The man or boy will
know the joy, Of welcome from a friend.
And whether he be rich or poor, Or much
of little bring,
The dog will mark his
step and bark, As if he were a King.
Though gossips whisper now and then,
Of faults they plainly see,
And some may sneer, from year to year,
My dog stays true to me. He's glad to follow
where I go, And though I win or fail,
His love for me he'll let me see, By
wagging his tail.
Now if I were to list
the friends of mine in smiles and tears,
who through and through are staunch and
and true, And constant down the years,
In spite of all my many faults,
Which critics catalog, Deserving blame,
I'd have to name My ever-faithful dog.
"Tis pity not to have a dog, Whatever be
his breed, for Dogs possess a faithfulness,
Which humans sadly need. And whether
skys be blue or gray, Good luck or ill
Attend, Man's toil by day, a dog will stay,
His ever-constant friend.....


--- Edgar A. Guest ---


[Edited 7/7/06 22:50pm]

Oh no!!!!! Poor Fang.

its called gastric dilation and volvus, typically referred to as a GDV....most often caused by a full stomach (either food or water) followed by heavy activity or sometimes just rolling....most common in deep chested dogs (more room for the stomach to rotate)

first symptoms are typically restlessness, and then the abdominal distention...it is often accompanied by vomiting...the dog then becomes increasingly painful as the stomach continues to bloat with no relief...a simple bloat can be relieved with either a nasogastric tube (tube through the nose into the stomach to relieve the pressure or if unable to pass a tube a large gauge needle into the stomach through the abdominal wall...when the stomach twists (torsion) it requires surgery to repair...its sort of like a kink in the hose...the most typical complication is during surgery and is a ruptured spleen....during the repair it is most common to tack the stomach to the body wall to help prevent a recurrence...some vets will even perform this tack as an individual procedure on healthy dogs that may be predisposed to GDV (ie: great danes)...though Id only recommend it if your dog is having abdominal surgery for another reason (ie: being spayed)....abdominal surgeries are major surgeries....

to help prevent bloat or GDV....wait at least an hour after feeding or heavy watering to let your dog partake in activity...walks, runs, swimming....lol.....yes, swimming...chasing the ball, etc...you can also feed your dog from elevated food bowls...

Glad to know Fang is doing well!....his splurging on pasta the night before was
just a freak coincidence....you are an awesome dog owner, which I wish more of the public was like.....Fang is lucky to have you as a parent....Get well soon!