George is sick

Hi everyone. I am not new to this forum, but it is my first time posting. You are all so wonderful with your advice that I thought I would post my story. My OES George is 10 months old. He was vomiting the other day (food and water) and was not acting normal (lethargic/zombie looking eyes) so I took him to the vet. They did the barium flush and that didn't show any obstruction so they recommended doing exploratory surgery. (He was really sick.) Of course I would do anything for my baby so I let them. They found fabric and mulch in the stomach and in separate areas of the intestines. I guess it had been there for awhile and caused quite a bit of damage because they ended up having to remove 12 inches of his intestines. (I had taken him to the vet twice in the past 6 months for stomach/GI issues and they took x-rays both times and this didn't show up.) I trust my vet so I always took their advice and diagnosis. So they did the surgery yesterday and after 3 very long hours they finished. Since nobody is at the vet overnight they suggested we take George to the 24 hour emergency clinic for supervision overnight. This morning at 5:30 we got a phone call saying that George's protein levels were too low as was his blood pressure so he needed a transfusion. That was early this morning and he is still in ICU with no change in his condition. I guess I wanted to see if anybody can give me some hope here. I am a total wreck and can't stop crying. It is so hard to see my baby like this. Has anybody ever experienced this with a happy ending? Thank you so much.

Jodie
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Oh my gosh! My heart goes out to you! Poor baby. You are doing everything possible for him and you just have to have faith in a positive outcome. I will be thinking of you both. :plead:
I'm so sorry to hear about George. I think another member here, Dudster, had a Bernese Mountain Dog that had had a pretty serious surgery after eating some stuff and causing an obstruction. Brenda, is this similar to what happened to Dudley?

I hope George comes through okay. It sounds like he's in good hands.
I am sorry to hear that George is so sick. I do not have any words of wisdom, but lots of encouragement. Think positive thoughts and we will too. Please keep us posted about his condition.
:ghug: :ghug: :ghug:
I have no experience with this, but I hope your George pulls through.

:ghug: from our house to yours. :hearts:
I am soo sorry to hear about your baby. I have no advice, but all my thoughts are with you.
Oh, my, I am so sorry to hear about George. Poor little guy! Sending hugs and thoughts your way. Hope he feels better, I can't imagine being in your situation. :cry:
please keep us posted hugs to george
Oh no! I hope George will be okay... :cry:
My Berner is 5 years old.. and in those 5 years he has had 3 surgeries for obstructions. The most recent one has been this past November, where they had to remove quite a bit of his intestines.. several feet...

All three times Dudley has recovered very very well.. his plumbing still works. It is very important to try to keep him as quiet as possible for the first few day, but he will be so doped up on pain meds, he will only want to sleep. For the first few days, you will probably have to feed him Hills I/D or S/D, but after that, Dudley went back to his normal regular food.

I have no advice about the low protein level, as I haven't dealt with this in Dud's surgeries.

In all 3 of Dudley's obstruction have been from stuff that he has picked up at the park. He is a guppy.. he will eat anything. For that reason, we are a toy free house...(Murphy has to suffered for his brother's bad behaviour). Nothing gets left anywhere that could potentially end up in a belly.. all doors are closed when we are not home, no dry towels or dish clothes are around.. Nothing!!

If George gets the proper rest and recuperation, he will be back to normal in no time, hopefully, George will outgrow his obsession with eating fabric and mulch, but in the meantime, you have to watch him like a hawk...

If you have any questions, you can PM me. I will be thinking about you guys.
Thank you all so much for your kind words and encouragement. We just got a call from the Chief of Sugery at the clinic where George is being cared for and there has been no change in his condition. My regular vet prescribed him Prednisone about 3 weeks ago and apparantly when this drug in in a dog's system for more than 2 weeks it can hinder their recovery when having had surgery. So, he gave us two options. He said that he can either give it another 24 hours and see if there is a change or he can open him back up and make sure that the original surgeon did the job right the first time. When my husband asked him "what would you do if it were your dog" he said he would open him back up and make sure it was done correctly. I am so confused and upset. I just want them to make George better. What would you all do?
wow, this is SO scary!!! My heart just goes out to you...

Id follow the doctors advice...as long as you trust him completely....id also ask what the repercusions would be EITHER way....like if you waited another 24 hours, would it be to late to open him up?

I am soo soo sorry. :ghug:
I really hope George gets better soon!!
Since he isn't improving the surgeon wants to open him back up and make sure he isn't leaking into his body cavity. If we wait until Saturday or Sunday then it may be too late if he had been leaking all this time. I'll keep you all posted.
I think that is a wise decision.
I will be praying for Georgie and you. I am so sorry you are going through this. I have no advise other then I send you strength to do what needs to be done and when. Will be looking forward to the updates.

sheepie/aussie hugs,
Neither one is a very pleasant choice.
I would go with the 2nd vets opinion - he is probably having a gut feeling based on how George looks and past experience with this surgery. It doesn't reflect badly on the vet who did the surgery. He is just going by how your puppy looks now and what he thinks is best.

:ghug:
Georgie Porgie wrote:
Thank you all so much for your kind words and encouragement. We just got a call from the Chief of Sugery at the clinic where George is being cared for and there has been no change in his condition. My regular vet prescribed him Prednisone about 3 weeks ago and apparantly when this drug in in a dog's system for more than 2 weeks it can hinder their recovery when having had surgery. So, he gave us two options. He said that he can either give it another 24 hours and see if there is a change or he can open him back up and make sure that the original surgeon did the job right the first time. When my husband asked him "what would you do if it were your dog" he said he would open him back up and make sure it was done correctly. I am so confused and upset. I just want them to make George better. What would you all do?


I have heard of the risks of being on prednisone during surgery. It is my understanding that it suppresses the immune system. Given the prednisone, that seems like a likely explanation for why he is not thriving and I am not sure why the doc would suspect something else.

I would be reluctant to open him up again. How urgent does this second surgeon think it is to open him back up? Is there anything else they can do to determine whether something is wrong, like xrays or cat scans?

Is there anything that can be done to boost his immune system response and healing?
We went with the specialty vet's suggestion and told him to proceed with the second option. Then we will know for sure if the job was done correctly and can moniter him without wondering if he is leaking inside. He said that this wouldn't make it any more strenuous on him that it already is. We just want to do everything possible to try and save our little boy. We are paying him for his expertise and pretty much have to trust his judgement at this point because we can't keep transporting him to different vets. We should hear from the doctor within the next hour or so so I'll let you know how he's doing. Thanks again for all of the responses. It really means a lot.
Prednisone can be a wonderful drug but it can also create terrible complications, as you are now seeing. I believe you made a wise choice to open him up again.

I am so very VERY sorry that you are going through this, it must be an absolute nightmare. We all feel for you because each one of us share the love of a sheepie.

Please keep us post and stay in touch for support.

HUGS HUGS HUGS
Oh poor George. I hope everything goes well with the second surgery. Many of us here know how hard it is to wait for our babies to recover- and I am sending hugs and good wishes to your family and an extra one for George.


(((((Hugs)))))

Lori
My Ben, a Wonderful Golden, is also an "eater."
Four years ago, he started throwing up while on a trip to visit relatives out-of-state. The local ER vet thought he was fine - the typical perking up while getting attention masking his lethargy. We ended up drivng home on Christmas day because I was worried that he wasn't getting better. He saw an ER vet here, then our regualr vet before going to the surgical group. He had a linear obstruction - a huge hunk of towel remained in his stomach but was conected by strings to a another hunk further down. The strings were cutting into his bowel and he was just a couple of hours away from the bowel being cut open. He was a very sick dog but recovered well. Five days at the surgical center!
He had a second surgery 9 months later after a son came home for a visit and wasn't good about putting things up. It is a lifelong habit for us now.

Positive thoughts and prayers for all of you.
I think you made the right choice.

About prednisone: Prednisone very quickly makes the body dependent on prednisone. The body stops producing steroids on its own because the levels of the prednisone are so high. Since they know he's on prednisone, they also know that they should be giving prednisone after the surgery, as his body can't make enough of it to deal with the stress of the surgery.

Mulligan had some itchiness we couldn't get a handle on, so he just went through a course of prednisone. For a 5 day treatment, they had to wean him off of it over 15 days:

With 20 mg tablets, the dosing was:
1/2 of a tablet 2 times a day for 5 days, then
1/2 of a tablet once a day for 5 days,
then 1/2 of a tablet every other day for 10 days (5 doses)
(Why they didn't just give 10mg tablets, I don't know.. :roll:)

I'm not a doctor, but I'd think that such a short 2 week duration of prednisone before surgery wouldn't cause any major side effects other than that dependence and a wee bit of immune suppression, so I'm hopeful this won't be an issue.

I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you!
Thinking of you all, gentle cuddles for george and we are keeping all our fingers, toes and paws crossed that all will be OK and he is on the mend soon. :pupeyes:

:ghug:
The doctor just called us and thank god we did the second surgery. He found 4 leaks, two in George's intestines and two in his stomach. He said that the original doctor did the procedure correctly, but the supplies he used to sew up the stomach and intestines were low grade and they weren't holding up well. His protein levels are still too low so they have a feeding tube in him and will start administering food tomorrow if he won't eat on his own. He also has a drain coming out of his stomach for the extra fluid that the body will make to try and fight this ordeal. (I'm getting this second hand from my husband so I may be off on a couple of details.) He does seem positive and has given us hope at least. He says that George has youth on his side and with god's help he will pull through this. You have no idea (actually you probably do) how relieved I am to have found this doctor. He is coming in on his day off tomorrow to check on George and to call us with his conditon update. If he makes it through this, which he will, there will be huge changes made in our household in regard to what is left lying around. Thank you all so much for caring and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Please continue to do so as we are not out of the woods just yet. I'll keep you all updated on his progress thoughout the next few days.
I just read all of this. I was almost in tears. What a horrible experience. Your family and George are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope all goes well after this second surgery and he has a speedy recovery.
Carley has tried eating all kinds of things. Our problem is that the cat knocks things off that we put up. I know now we are going to have to be even more careful. Lots of hugs to George. He looks adorable.
Sending ALL KINDS of positive thoughts and healing energy your way. COme on George you CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will be thinking of you and George till he is home and recovered. Stay positive and think only about a good recovery..
My heart goes out to you and your family during such a hard time. I am praying that George pulls through this okay. I know it's hard, but keep thinking positive and leave it in God's hands.
I am sorry your little guy is sooo sooo sick. Its so scary when they are sick. I'll keep you and your baby in my prayers. :ghug: :ghug: Pleaes keep us updated.
Poor little guy :( . And poor mom, it's very difficult to go through this emotional rollercoaster. Good luck, it sounds like George is in capable hands.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and George
I hope your baby is now on the mend. How relieved you must be that you made the right choice. I HATE being faced with decisions like that.

Being in the medical field myself, you do develope a feeling, or 6th sense when things are not as they should be. Sometimes that inner voice whispers, sometimes it screams at you! I'm sure this was what the vet was feeling. He sounds like a caring, decent person. Too bad you had to meet under the circumstances.

Big hugs and well wishes for your family and George tonight. :ghug:
Glad you opted for the second surgery, geez. Your boy is really young and I'm sure he'll make a full recovery. Some dogs really like to eat all kinds of crazy stuff.
I hope your George pulls through and gets well again!

Big hugs to you and George! :ghug:
I'm so sorry you and George had to go through this (especially George). But the second vet knows what he is doing and George will pull through. This is a tough time for you both, and I'm sending hugs.
I'm just catching up on this post, and all I can say is - OMG! 8O I'm so glad you found the second surgeon - he sounds like a wonderful, caring vet, which can be hard to find these days.

Since George is so young yet, I'm sure he'll bounce right back. In a week or so you probably will wonder if he ever even had the surgery, because his energy level will be back full speed!

Hugs to George and his mom and dad! :ghug:
Im glad you did the second surgery too!! I was so relieved to hear that you made the right choice....sigh...hugs and kisses to George!
Wow! That is so scary. You and the second doctor had great instincts!! I am really glad you went for it too. Hope Georgie feels better soon.
Oh my gosh- we're thinking of little Georgie over here and hoping for a quick recovery!!
I wanted to give you all an update on George. We spoke to the doctor this morning and as you can imagine, after having two surgeries done in about 24 hours he had a rough night. His blood pressure is still down and his heart rate has been up and down. His protein levels are somewhat better, but still low. They are just monitering him at this point and trying to keep him confortable. Hopefully no infections will develop due to the leaking and he will improve. He is still in critical condition, but I feel a lot better about it today because I know that George is getting the best care possible and they will do everything they can to help him pull through. VSH (the specialty hospital in Cary, NC) has been a godsend. I'll post more after we get the next update from the doctor this afternoon.
Thanks for the news. WQe are all pulling for George!!!!
My fingers are crossed for Georgie Porgie...little puddin pie...
George didn't make it. We had to make the very hard decision to let him go just a couple of hours ago. His heart had stopped beating and even though they got him breathing again his immune system just wasn't going to be strong enough to fight off the infection that had come about since we visited him this morning. I don't know where to begin to start to mend my broken heart. My sweet baby boy was only 10 months old and he was supposed to have a long life ahead of him. I miss him so much that it hurts. I miss his big wet kisses and his big goofy walk that always made me laugh when he came towards me. I miss his sweet eyes and the way he would make me melt every time he looked at me. I miss the way he would sass me when I would tell him to do something he didn't want to do and the way he would cock his head when he didn't understand why he couldn't have another treat. I miss the way he would bark at me when I wasn't paying enough attention to him and the way he would cut in the middle of any affection I showed his three sisters. I can't imagine that we could ever find another sheepie that was as lovable and smart as Georgie Porgie. He is missed with every fiber in my being and will always hold a piece of my heart. Rest in peace my sweet sweet baby boy. Mommy will always love you.
I am so very sorry to hear about you losing him. I am very sad for your loss.
OH MY, I am so very very sorry. You did all that you could. I am at a loss as to what to say to you xcept that my heart breaks for you.
I am so sorry. My heart just fell as I read your update.
Oh no. I'm so sorry. I've been checking for updates all day and my heart is breaking with you now. I'm all choked up now.
I am sitting at work with tears in my eyes. I am so very sorry for your loss. You did everything you could to help pull him through. Like others, I have been checking this thread all day, and I too am at a loss of what else to say. :cry:
I'm so very sorry...
:cry:
I haven't posted before on this thread, but have been reading it holding my breath a few times a day.

I am all choked up at work....I am so sorry....There is really nothing that I can say.....I can't imagine the pain you are feeling....

Hugs from Canada.... :cry:
I am so sorry for your loss. So sorry.
I have been following your post and keeping you and Georgie in my thoughts. I really thought the outcome would have been different.
I am so very, very sorry.
Georgie was a very handsome fellow and he was lucky to have know your love for his very short life. I hope in time your heart heals and you remember Georgie, and all of his antics, with joy and laughter. What better way to have him live on in your heart.
Life sure seems unfair at times.
Take good care.
Jack
My heart sunk when I read your update. I so hoped your Georgie would make it.

I too am crying for your loss, it just doesn't seem fair. He had so much life still to live, and would have continued to be the best friend, companion and entertainer for years and years.

:ghug: from us in Minnesota :hearts:
I'm am so sorry about your loss. I cant imagine what you are going through. We become so attached to these fluff balls so easily. I'm sorry for you and your family.
I am so sad for you and your loss. :(
I'm very sorry for your loss and your words about what George meant to you are a great tribute to him and you
Oh no............I just read this thread for the first time and was pulling for George with each page!

I lost a dog to eating gravel, it is very difficult when you expect miracles at the vet's hospital.

I'm so sorry for you loss........It sounds like he was a wonderful dog, I'm sorry you won't be spending many years together.

susan
Heartbreaking. I am so sad for you and sweet Georgie. . .
I am so sorry for your loss. We were really pulling for Georgie, our thoughts are with you and your family
I am very sorry to hear of your loss. I read the thread at work this morning and came to see what had happened, and I am shocked. I can't even begin to imagine your heartbreak. You are in my prayers.
Works can not express how sorry I am for you and your sweet boy.

So very, very sad. :(
I am sorry for your loss. Poor sweet baby, I know you will miss him terribly. You are in our thoughts and prayers!
Tears have filled my eyes, I am so terribly sorry for your loss, so sad for you all, you are all in my thoughts and prayers at this sad time.

Bless dear George :(
Oh my goodness...I'm so sorry :( This is heartwrenching.
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your beautiful sheepie boy Georgie Porgie. I can't believe it. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this difficult time. Please take care of yourselves.

Tears,
I just saw this thread and I am so sorry. :( You did the best you could for him. We will be keeping you and your family in our prayers. Take care.
I am so devastated over your loss of Georgie. I too have been following the thread and like you and everyone else, we are so saddened with the outcome.

GIANT hugs to you and your family from Nova Scotia.

RIP Georgie Porgie
I am so very sorry for your loss. Like everyone here I'm so sad especially as Georgie was still a baby!

Words can't ease the pain you are feeling right now but know that you are in everyone thoughts

Take care

Vicki
x
I just read this today. I was pulling for him and thought with his age he would make it.With tears running down my face, I am sooooooooo sorry for your loss and my heart goes out to you..Pam
:cry: :cry: Hugs to you and your family.....I think we all feel like we've lost a member of our special family :cry: :cry:
I'm very sorry to hear about the passing of your sweet little boy. He will always be with you in your heart. Take Care....
You did everything possible....I'm just so sorry....
I am so sorry for your loss of your baby George. He is lucky to have had someone like you to love him so much. I am going to go around my house right now and move any objects that could harm my little guy. I am just so sorry, my heart hurts for you...
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Georgie Porgie. It is so hard to lose such a member of ther family but when they are so young that makes it even harder. My thoughts and prayers are with your family. :cry: :cry: :cry:
I am terribly sorry to hear of your George's passing. :cry:
Godspeed sweet baby Georgie.
I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my Winston in March at 4 1/2...they are playing at the bridge.
Jodie,
I have been off the forum for a few days and just got back on and seen your post. I am so very sorry for your loss ,my heart is breaking for you more than I can express.
My prays are with you and your family.

Antoinette
Oh my, I just found this. I am so sorry for your loss - it was much too early for him to go. I can't imagine the heartache you must have. At least be assured you did everything possible to introduce him to a happy life - he was obviously greatly loved and will be missed deeply.
I am so very sorry for your loss of Georgie, I have been following this thread and was praying for him as I read every post. I feel so bad for you words cannot describe. Hugs and prayers comming your way. :ghug: :hearts:
So sad and heartbreaking. You did everything you could do. So sorry for your loss.
I'm so sorry to hear about your little Georgie. Please accept my condolences. :ghug:
I am so sorry about Georgie. We were all pulling for him. I hope your heart heals soon.
I'm so sorry! :cry:
Thank you all so much for your condolences and prayers. I am overwhelmed by all of the support on this board. It is truly amazing and helps more than you know. It was a really tough weekend as I'm sure you can all imagine, but I know that time will help to lessen the pain. Today, I called the breeder that we got George from to tell her what happened and she told me that Charlie, George's mom, is pregnant again. Two weeks to be exact so she is going to call me when the pups are born and we will go up and pick one out. I know that we could never replace our baby boy, but at least this gives us something to look forward to. :)
I am a firm believer in getting "right back on the horse" Of course a new pup won't replace George but a wiggly warm ball of fur will be nothing but comfort when you are lonely and missing your Georgie boy!!!!
I'm so very sorry to read about George's passing.

I agree 100% with Taskers Mom...a pup will help so much to ease your pain. Georgie will always be in your heart, and his little brother or sister will be there to lick away the tears. :ghug:
:( :( :(
I am so sad for you-
I can't imagine going through all that.
Our S'more looks like your George. I am glad that the breeder has more puppies on the way and that while you won't be able to replace him, you will get another fuzzy puppy to love on to help heal the loss

HOlly
I have been out of touch for about the past month and just read this whole thread.

My heart is breaking for your loss and knowing that you did all that you could possibly do to save him.

I to hope the pup will help ease some of the pain. :ghug:
My heart is aching for you! He was lucky to be loved by you.
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