Last Thursday night I got a crisis call and went to see a pup that I was told was dying. It's a 4 month old Doxie/Beagle cross and absolutely adorable. But that night she was just plain pathetic. The people told me that she ate an entire large roll of toilet paper. This pup is just maybe 10-12 pounds and after looking at her I found it pretty hard to believe that she ate that much toilet paper. She had thrown up 4 times with blood in her vomit. When I got there they had stuck her in the tub with no towel, no blanket. Just put her in the tub. She was shaking uncontrollably, her breathing was labored, and she was drooling profusely. But that little tail wagged the minute she saw us. My husband and I bundled her up and took her home.
Poor little girl. I truly did not think she was going to make it through the night, but there was no way I was leaving her there to die alone in a cold hard tub. We fixed her up a nice soft bed in a crate in the bathroom. It's the warmest place in the house and I needed to keep her isolated from my pups. I called the vet for advice and he said to give her pepto bismol then and again an hour later and to leave her be and see what happened. From what I described he figured she ate something that had her stomach upset and hopefully wouldn't cause a blockage.
I checked on her throughout the night and at about 5 am we heard this horrible howling and crying. I ran in there and she had pooped. It was long and when I picked it up with some toilet paper, it was hard as a rock. So of course, you do what you have to do - I pulled it apart (lovely way to start your morning!) and found that it was a large piece of plastic. The edges weren't real jagged but I'm sure that, judging by the size of it and the sounds she made, it hurt like the dickens coming out.
And that was that. She was so much better. We fed her a small amount of high quality canned food and she literally inhaled it. She has steadily gotten better, is eating well, and she is running around all over the place, full of energy. She's thin and ribby but actually not too bad. I know she has round worms and I gave her her first worming. I'm reasonably sure she hasn't been vaccinated at all so she is going back to the vet next week for a checkup and shots.
What a sweet dog. It's so sad how desparately she wants to be loved. Breaks your heart. When you reach for her she cringes - literally drops down and just shakes. You know she's been hit. I know that she was kicked, thrown across the room, picked up by the scruff of her neck and tossed aside, and hit. And she's only 4 months old. This couple has two very young children who pull at her, fall on her, drag her around, pull her ears, etc. Then the parents get mad when she growls or cries out, and she pays for it. She has known nothing but rough handling and nastiness. Yet she is just so loving and sweet. It's just so amazing and so heartwrenching.
I have a home for her already. A gal I work with came to see her tonight with her little Doxie and they just hit it off immediately. I know this woman very well and I know she is a wonderful person who treats her animals very well. Hallie (she named her tonight) will have a wonderful home. And the best part - I'll get to see her!