# Stomach Blockage



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I honestly don't get vets waiting this long... a blockage like this, even though it won't cause a puncture or laceration, can certainly cause the tissue around the object to swell and limit the blood supply to the intestine, causing that tissue to die and shock will occur. 
If Comet's belly distends or feels hard DO NOT WAIT. Get him in!


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Er.... call and ask for a second opinion.....

I'm no vet, but waiting a few days doesn't sound like a good idea, he could get very dehydrated or worse in that period of time.

We've had two surgeries for this, once the same day we noticed problems and once the next. There are some hazards with waiting...


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## The Trio (Apr 24, 2010)

Is the vet a moron!!! Oh my g-d NO! If barium stays in the body to long it acts like concrete! not a lubricant. He needs surgery now not later. If the barium stays in the body it will harden then he will have a real blockage. He needs laxatives. We give humans laxatives after barium studies to get the barium out. Give him lots of water! Barium acts as a stomach relaxer. Depending on how big it is it may not pass. He may have given him barium to see the object, but if he wants it to move faster he should have used gastrografin. It acts like a laxative. Hope this helps.


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## ddroppo (Oct 7, 2010)

Comet is drinking fine and eating small amounts of food. His stomach is not hard and if any other signs showed negative affects he would have did surgery today. He did have the barium to see what the object was cause the first xray showed something but couldnt tell what it was. I am calling back and booking him in for the morning.


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

Here's hoping for a good outcome, sounds like something that should be taken care of sooner, not later.....good luck :crossfing Keep us posted on his condition...


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

My brothers dog passed a childs belt buckle and all.... so here's hoping your guy is that lucky!


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## ddroppo (Oct 7, 2010)

did the dog have any help passing the belt buckle by anything? Any meds or did he just pass it naturally?


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Not to scare you but the sock can get stuck. If it was my dog, I would get a second opinion from another vet. The sock can get stuck or twisted. In fact one girl here lost her dog from a sock. Never have I heard of a barium being a lubricant. I will keep Comet in my prayers. Please let us know what you do.


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## ddroppo (Oct 7, 2010)

Still not 100% sure it is a sock. Its just a possibility as he like to carry around socks (hes never ate one though) but could be anyother soft clothlike material. We have surgery scheduled for morning but still hoping he passes it by himself tonight and save him the ordeal of having it.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Soft objects, like socks, washcloths, sponges, etc (all commonly ingested by dogs:doh are likely to swell up, which makes passing them even less likely.


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## ggdenny (Nov 2, 2008)

Have tried giving him one or two high fiber meals to help keep the bowel active and moving?


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Praying for your pup.


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## The_Artful_Dodger (Mar 26, 2009)

I've unfortunately been through the blockage ordeal. My vet gave barrium to see if things were moving along through him. If I remember correctly, a second x-ray was taken several hours later to determine how far the barrium went to see if it was likely that what he swallowed would pass through him. For Dodger, things weren't moving along so he had to have surgery. I think my vet did say that the barrium can also help things pass through since it coats the stomach/intestines, but its used so that the blockage will show up better on the x-ray. 
I hope Comet is feeling better soon


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Comet*

COMET
I agree with the others. I would insist vet move surgery up or get a second opinion!!
Praying Comet gets better soon!!


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

Not to be dramatic but I would seriously reconsider waiting or at least have a recheck in a day NOT a week...
My very close friend's 2 year old Aussie died from eating a part of a hand towel. My friend did not know it had been eaten, only that the dog was not well. When they did exploratory surgery the piece of towel was found and had wrapped itself around the intestines causing part of the intestines to die. They sadly were unable to save the dog. Because of my friend's experience I prefer to err on the side of caution.


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## ddroppo (Oct 7, 2010)

Thats why Comet was given the barium too Dodger. Did you try any other things before you had surgery to help move it?


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Oh thank goodness you have a surgery scheduled for tomorrow, but like everyone else I would have had it done asap and not waited if the tests confirmed a blockage! 

I'm wishing your poor pup the best tomorrow.

I'd be looking for another vet after this is over.....


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

I'm no help, just sending prayers. Maggie is a sock eating queen. She turns one on Saturday and I feel like getting her a cake made and decorated to look like a sock. She has eaten 2.5 socks and luckily she threw them up. The first incident it was a half a dress sock(my DH sock) and the second incident it was two socks at the same time! Needless to say I went a little berserk. As a matter of fact, she just came to see me on the computer and found the dirty clothes and of course she grabbed a sock and ran into my room and jumped on the bed! She looks at me and smiles and laughs. That darn dog!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Blondie*

BLONDIE

DO you have a hamper that has a lid on it?
We do, and it does the trick. The hamper is ALWAYS CLOSED!
Even when I fold the laundry I put it away immediately, because I have a feeling my 15 month old Tonka might swallow panties or socks!


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## mikeynote (Jun 30, 2009)

I hope all goes well....I know it must be scary!


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## BajaOklahoma (Sep 27, 2009)

Bennett had emergency surgery for obstruction - twice. The first was a washcloth and the second was a sock. The first was a linear obstruction - part of the washcloth was advancing through the gut, but most of it was stuck in his stomach. The two pieces were connected by threads which were cutting into his intestine - he was so close to opening the intestine up that it was scary.

Barium is very chalky and thickens up in the intestine as the water is absorbed. Anyone who has every had it has to drink a lot of water to help it pass.

Best wishes! I'm glad you are going in tomorrow.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

What is it about Goldens and their love for eating/mouthing/chewing cloth things?


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## The_Artful_Dodger (Mar 26, 2009)

ddroppo said:


> Thats why Comet was given the barium too Dodger. Did you try any other things before you had surgery to help move it?


My friend brought him to her clinic first thing in the morning for x-rays. He stayed at the clinic all day. Later that day they did the second x-ray and then the surgery. It turned out that he had swallowed two rocks. I stayed home all day and worried about him. But he bounced back quickly.


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

Thinking of you and your golden today. Hope all goes well with the surgery.


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

Hoping your sweetie has had surgery, and is on his way to recovery..:crossfing


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

Do not fool around with this. A blockage is a blockage, whether it is a soft object or otherwise. If the xray after barium did not show the barium getting past the object then things are not moving! The object itself does not have to puncture the intestine; the strain of trying to move the swollen object through can itself cause tears, or constriction that cuts off blood flow resulting in necrosis.
I know this from experience. My very first Golden, back in 1995 ate a facecloth at 6 months old. It got stuck. We did not know he had done this until he started puking on Christmas Day. He had surgery on Boxing Day. My vet was not going to play wait-and-see once it was apparent from the barium swallow and xray that nothing was getting past. My vet feared that had we waited longer the miniscule tears that were just starting would have become larger and allowed matter from his gut into his stomach cavity and he would have gone septic.
Recently, when I was at the vet for a routine issue with one of my dogs, she had a dog in the clinic who had just had surgery for a gastric blockage. They had to remove 2 feet of necrotic intestine because the owner had decided to feed corn oil and to wait and see if it would pass. He didn't make it. Don't play with this--book the surgery if it isn't happening already.


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## katelyn29 (Jul 21, 2010)

so sorry to hear this. Hope everything is okay. This has been one of my biggest fears. Dakota loves socks. I don't think he would eat a large sock, but my little ankle socks he would definitely swallow. It scares me so much. I always try to keep cloth objects like this out of sight. I don't know what it is with goldens and clothlike objects..drives me nuts!


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Oh geez, hoping your pup is okay!! 

When Ranger swallowed a knife tip earlier this year, the vet took the initial x-ray (to confirm and see positioning) and then gave me high-fibre dog food and a laxative to give Ranger every 8 hours. BUT he also wanted an x-ray the next day to see if the knife tip was moving along. If it had been in the same place, then Ranger would have needed surgery that day (since the knife tip could easily have punctured something). 

It seems weird that your vet wants to wait so long without doing a follow-up x-ray to make sure it's "moving along" if he's expecting your dog to pass it. Here's hoping your dog poops something out soon!

(To note: My brother always thought his dog's sock chewing was cute despite my warnings until one day his dog threw up a sock.)


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I hope that Comet is doing ok and had his surgery.


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## ddroppo (Oct 7, 2010)

Comet is recovering fine. Thanks for all your thoughts. It was the end of a cob of corn that was causing the blockage. Not sure where it came from as we have not eaten that since August and he showed no signs til recently. All is good though he just needs some rest and food when hes ready to eat. My kids are very happy their puppy is going to be able to play again soon!!!


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

This is great news. Sending healing thoughts for a speedy recovery.


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

Im so glad comet is doing good....glad you took him in when you did.....corn cobb's a nasty thing for them to get, wonder where he got it.....hugs for Comet, hoping he feels better in no time....


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Glad that you took him in for surgery and he is going to be ok. I can understand why you wonder about the corn cobs because I found one in my yard not to long ago and I dont know where it came from. We havent had any either for months. 

Good luck on his recovery.


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

The squirrels in the neighborhood were tearing corn cobs off Halloween decorations from corn stalks. I'm betting one was carried into your yard. Glad you boy is fine. My Gunner had emergency surgery in August for an obstruction. It was nylon material from one of his toys he had chewed up.


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## ggdenny (Nov 2, 2008)

What wonderful news!


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