# Intestinal Blockage-Emergency Surgery



## Boo Radley's Mom (Dec 3, 2010)

I discovered that our 6 month old Golden, Boo Radley had eaten the legs of my daughters pantyhose yesterday afternoon. I thought perhaps they would pass through the bowels. He seemed fine all night. Started vomiting this morning. I called the emergency vet (of course it was a Sunday) and they said come right in. X ray looked questionable and said pantyhose can be very dangerous as they can strangle the intestines. So, 2 agonizing hours later he is through the surgery. They had to cut into the intestines. Yikes. I am so upset and feel so guilty. I am glad that I acted quickly but I am kicking myself for not preventing it. . . he is such a vacuum and acted so darn quickly. What a costly mistake. And, of course we are leaving out of town on spring break on Wed. So, I think he will have to spend his recovery at the vet. Have any of you been through this? Tell me it gets better?


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

We once operated on a doberman THREE times for pantyhose ingestion!!! Her owner just wouldn't keep it away from her!! So if he does it once, he WILL do it again. And what happens is that if he sees you frantically trying to get it from his mouth, he will swallow it faster. Get a good hamper. Best of luck on his recovery. Is his name Boo Radley? To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my all time favs.


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## Boo Radley's Mom (Dec 3, 2010)

Yes, his name is from To Kill A Mockingbird. My favorite book as well!


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## FinnTastic (Apr 20, 2009)

Yikes, I'm so sorry this happened, but glad you were able to act quickly on this matter.


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## Merlins mom (Jun 20, 2007)

Glad you caught it in time and that Boo is going to be okay. It's scary going through all that. Love his name!


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## ILoveMyGolden (Oct 19, 2006)

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry this happened to you!

What a vacuum indeed! I also have a vacuum golden and we taught him the command "show me" and to be proud of things in his mouth to prevent him from swallowing things/swallowing things faster when he picks them up.

Hope he has a good recovery -any chance someone can stay behind rather than go on vacation? Would be so tough to leave!


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## penparson (Sep 19, 2010)

Wakefield's a bit of a vacuum cleaner as well. We ask him to "trade" for whatever potentially hazardous thing he has in his mouth.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Those "eat all the wrong things" dogs can make up go grey early! I am glad he'll be okay. Good thoughts to him and you for a quick recovery!

I also love the name. To Kill a Mockingbird was also one of my very favorite books.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

My mother's dog just had the same surgery on Tuesday - he is a 10 year old terrier mix, and he is doing fine. He ate the remnants of a carpet that my mother just had removed.

My brother's cat had the same surgery, she had eaten a bunch of his daughters hair elastics. 

It is very common ( and very expensive ).


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## ILoveMyGolden (Oct 19, 2006)

Pantyhose are so not comfortable, this is just another reason not to own them!!


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## Katie and Paddy's Mum (Mar 31, 2010)

Oh boy, very scary. And *so* good that you reacted so quickly. I truly hope his recovery is speedy. I am sure it's going to be very hard to leave him while you're away. Is the vet clinic a 24 hour clinic with people there at all times? 

I agree, these pups will give up grey hairs at times!! 

Kim


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## cprcheetah (Apr 26, 2009)

Shellie is our little hoover, she likes to destroy rope toys and munch on the pieces so I have to really watch her sometimes....she's gotten better as she's gotten older. She also destroys tennis balls. Hope your guy is back on his feet quick.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Exactly, ILoveMyGolden!!


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## Boo Radley's Mom (Dec 3, 2010)

Just called for an update and he is resting . . .in and out of sleep. Still pretty doped up they said. He is expected to stay at the emergency vet place until Tuesday. Then we are hoping to bring him home for a day. Then, we leave for vacation. We were planning to board him at a fun place where he could play and run with other dogs etc. but now that is out! So, I am going to contact the regular vet tomorrow and see if he can board there so they can watch him and care for him during his recovery. He will not be as happy as the other boarding place, but at least I know they will monitor his health, antibiotics, incision, etc. I almost can't think that far out, I am just taking it moment by moment and just trying to be grateful that he is okay!


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Thank goodness you reacted so quickly! Best wishes for your pup's speedy recovery.

I had a scare last week when my dental floss container went missing....I immediately suspected my Hoover Toby, but it turned out to be I had a senior moment and put it in a pocket of a jacket I was wearing. I was very close to panic for a while though! Dental floss is one of those things that can do some damage to the intestines. I just opened this container and I believe there were 40 yards in it.

I heard of a golden here in one of the golden rescue's that had 4 obstruction surgeries for eating rocks and the owner turned him over to rescue to take care of the 5th one (asap). Wow.


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## Cathy's Gunner (Dec 4, 2008)

My Gunner had emergency exploratory surgery last August. He had eaten the nylon material on his Wabba toy and it all knotted up inside of him. They didn't cut open his intestines put pushed it through his Cecum sac and it passed through his intestines. I was on poop patrol to see what came out and found the bright red stringy material that he had swallowed. Thank goodness for my pet insurance. I don't let him play with anything with material anymore. No Wabba's, stuffed animals, or rags.


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## Svan (Mar 2, 2011)

Cody went through this last week - he ate a sock. He is recovering nicely and will have his stitches out next week Sunday - good luck!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

There is definitely an upside to recovering at the vets'. It is really hard keeping them as quiet as they need to be.


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## magiclover (Apr 22, 2008)

Jazz used to do this with socks. We did spend time at the ER vet for this as well but fortunately avoided surgery. As people have mentioned Boo Radley will do this again so it is important to try and keep things picked up. I know that is easier said than done with kids around. 

I hope your boy feels better quickly!


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## Svan (Mar 2, 2011)

You are so right magiclover! Cody had surgery last Sunday & is only now recovering from the infection that caused in his guts. I've been on floor patrol & going off like a harridan at my adult kids and hubby. I am so paranoid I'm even picking up bits of fluff but guess what? Yesterday morning I woke up to find him happily next to my bed with a plastic clothes peg in his mouth! He hadn't chewed it but it was only a matter of time. I removed it and ran outside in my pjs petrified the pegs had fallen out of their holder, but it was only that one peg & he found it. Tonight he first brought me a towel from the bathroom (he's ingested a whole handtowel before so it's a worry) then he brought me my dil's undies from her room! I know he's bored but he can't go for big walks yet and he is just driving me nuts.

I froze some yogurt in his kong for him but he's such a chewer I have to watch him with that too. He chews small slithers off the edges of the kong at times. I love him so much but I wish he would stop eating everything.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Isn't that the truth!!! 



ILoveMyGolden said:


> Pantyhose are so not comfortable, this is just another reason not to own them!!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Thank God!*

Thank God he is o.k.


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

For anyone that reads this thread, your dog eats panty hose, you need to get your dog to the vet right away. This situation never has a good ending. I remember another PA member having to get that kind of surgery because of it.

I also wonder, if inducing vomitting would work if you did it right after he/she ate the pantyhose? I dont know how quickly they start getting pulled into the intestines.

I am happy to see that your dog is going to be okay. I'm sorry that he had to go through such an extensive and expensive surgery.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Oh, what an awful scare. So glad he's okay. I don't even understand how these dogs get this stuff down - pantyhose, socks... my sister's dog ate remote controls and cell phones!


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## Svan (Mar 2, 2011)

Momtomax, not sure about the vomiting with pantyhose but it worked for a hand towel. When Cody swallowed a whole handtowel I literally stuck my hand down his throat immediately and he started vomiting it up. As soon as it was in theback of his throat I grabbed it and pulled it out. It was completely intact - he must've swallowed it bit by bit. 

A quick alternative way to induce vomiting is to put 1 teaspoon of salt right at the back of the throat & give access to water - it's almost instantaneous so make sure you are not indoors. You need to know what was eaten though as things like batteries should not be vomited up (thankfully we haven't had that experience)


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

When my kids were little, I would tell them if they left their socks and clothing around, the dogs would chew them, choke, and die. It made an impression.... I have seen so much come out of dog and cat intestines.... form dental floss to tampons, string, and lobster shells in bags!


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## Svan (Mar 2, 2011)

Oh sallys mom can you come talk to my hubby and grown up kids? I've tried & tried, but they don't hear


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

It helps that my husband is a vet, too. However, when the now 3 year olds(goldens) got free rein of our bedroom at night, I bought DH a hamper to throw his clothes into. He used to just throw them on the floor(and the adult goldens at that time never bothered). We have both seen too many things that do not pass, so we are vigilant.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

However my Emmie, counter surfs and his chewed up tea towels within her reach... some times, we have technicolor poops.


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## Svan (Mar 2, 2011)

Sally's Mom said:


> However my Emmie, counter surfs and his chewed up tea towels within her reach... some times, we have technicolor poops.


Lol I know the feeling. Cody once ate a friends' daughters wax crayons - they were those fruit smelly ones (wondered if they were flavoured too) & pooped in technicolor.


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## Cryan (Jun 23, 2015)

Hi, I have a 7 month old Golden (he's white though) and 5 weeks ago he ate a rope of a dog toy and had to have intestinal surgery he recovered well but last Saturday the 13th he ate a sponge and hadn't passed it so we thought he had thrown it up in the bushes but then on Saturday the 20th he puked up 2/3 of the sponge (so it was sitting in his stomach for a week!) and now the other piece of the sponge got stuck in his intestines. I am off in Spain now but my family are with him. He had surgery on Sunday 21st which was a bigger surgery. I have a feeling I may never get to see my dog (Serge) again! And that my parents are Trying to cover the fact I may not see him again. Does anyone know any percentages on surviving it? It's day 3 now after surgery he's on heavy medication was dazed today but ate but he has a temperature which may be because his scar might be infected. Anyone have any info or anything?


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## bioteach (Nov 13, 2010)

Buckskin was totally untrustworthy. He destroyed sunglasses, our mail, towels, bathmats, and even a wall! (Yes, he pooped white for days). Once at a family picnic he gently removed a small fried chicken drumstick from the hand of a small child. He swallowed it whole without chewing it. We waited for days and days for some sign of digestive upset or success but no evidence appeared. Bucky lived a great life and passed to the bridge at 13 and we never knew what happened to the intact chicken leg bone. 

Our breeder warned us to be wary of dryer sheets. Apparently they can be very dangerous as well as socks and hose.


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## Melakat (Oct 9, 2010)

So good to hear Boo Radley is on the mend !

Our new Golden Pup likes to eat up my entire garden. Our last Golden did not do this so I have had to donate a lot of my beloved azaleas and rhodos to friends and neighbours. This morning he puked up a pile of Huechera leaves. A non-toxic (thank God) perennial.

Yes, I have insurance on the Golden Boy!


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## Loukia (Sep 20, 2014)

bioteach said:


> He destroyed sunglasses, our mail, towels, bathmats, and even a wall! (Yes, he pooped white for days).


Comet is 11 months old and I keep waiting for it to get better. I'm starting to think he'll never have free reign of my house without supervision. He tries to eat everything soft and chewy... but he doesn't discriminate. He too at a large chunk out of my dry wall and pooped white chalk for days. He also ate a few of my daughter's crayons and had multicolored poop. The latest thing he consumed (which we don't even know when or how) are green army men of my son's. I started finding gray stuff in his poop and then green stuff. I called my kids over to ask if they had any idea and my son says, "my army men! And their battle field fence!" I honestly have no idea how much he ate or when he stuck it, but he's been acting fine and this was a few days ago, so fingers crossed!

You would think we would all learn our lesson. Our cat has a thing for stuffed animals. He's obsessed! He had to have surgery last year when he stopped eating and had a blockage. It's not something I want to go through again.

Even telling my kids that the cat and dog will die, at 6 and 9 they do their best, but unfortunately they don't always remember and I'm not always right behind them picking up every dropped crayon or army man. 

My fingers are crossed that this gets better with age.


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