Saturday, December 12, 2009

This little piggy went to the hospital.And another little piggy came home.

Wait. Strike that. Reverse it.
(Name that movie)

First and foremost, my sister (who I don't have a good picture of, and isn't a piggy) is home and is doing fantastic. Sore, yes, but nothing like I expected. I guess it's all the people who do reconstruction who have a really hard time of it. Since she can't do that she's not in as much pain. And I may be wrong, but in terms of her state of mind she seems more relieved than upset about it.

On to my little piggy puppy and his hospital visit. After-hours emergency in a snowstorm, no less. If we're going to do it, we may as well do it BIG.

He played with my sister's big heavy dog, who plays rough. I watched her fold him in half under her flying body the other day. Tonight he goes to get in the truck to go home and "yelp yelp yelp!" Uh oh. Well, maybe he sprained something and will be fine when we get home. Not so, still yelping and belly is distended. I felt him shaking in my lap (shock?) while we drove home. John mentions internal bleeding.

So we call the vet hospital and fly in there as fast as we can in the snow. Funny how fear can make you brave. I have now gotten over my snow driving jitters for the winter.

Long story short, he had helped himself to the dog food that was left open at my sister's house. His stomach is over twice the size it should be and is packed with food. He is dehydrated from the water being sucked from his system to get that food digested. His heart is a little stressed from lack of fluid and from pressure on the big blood vessels above his stomach. They have him overnight and will be keeping him on IV fluids and walking him a lot to encourage pooping. But he is not in ICU and they don't expect it to get worse. It could, but it probably won't. As with horses, the internal workings can twist, but they didn't see any evidence of that in the radiographs.

My life. Holy cow. I think I'm ready for a little break. What's next? No doubt there will be another something. Life does go on. But I hope it holds off on the stressful stuff for a little while.

2 comments:

gtyyup said...

Andrea, I'm so glad to hear your sister is doing OK...many hugs to her and your whole family.

Your pup is just too cute...and yes...a piggy too! I couldn't help but LOL when I read this post...look at that innocent face..."I didn't do it I tell you!!"

phaedra96 said...

Poor, poor little piggy!! Guess you need to baby proof your sis's house when little piggy goes a visitin' Hope Sis is doing better also....