Pages

Monday, August 25, 2008

Free dog? No such thing!

Marley was supposed to be my free puppy.  Already had shots done, the rest covered, a neuter date set and paid for.  He is a mutt, so they are supposed to be free of those weird genetic diseases that afflict purebreds, and hardy enough to never even get a cold.

Well, maybe not in Marley's case.  Bilateral OCD surgery when he was 7 months, leg laceration when he was 12 months (and after the stitches were taken out the first time, it reopened!), and now an ER trip for an obstruction!

Wed night Marley threw up his food, water, more water, and then some more water.  It went on for 3 hours, he was panting and licking the air obsessively, so we made the trip down to the 24 emergency clinic.  

His symptoms let up somewhat (of course) by the time we got there.  They checked him for bloat, perforated intestine, and obstructions.  They only thing they found was a staple.  

Yup, a tiny little staple.

They sent us home, I did fluids, and then watched him the rest of the night for any sign of distress.  In the morning we went to our regular vet who took an x-ray to make sure the staple was moving through his system.  It was.  And he was acting completely normal, still trying to over-enthusiastically greet everyone in sight!

$450 later, he is happy, healthy, and back to normal.

I love my dog, but remember there is no such thing as a free puppy!

2 comments:

Emily and the Labradors said...

Glad to hear he is feeling better! But I totally hear you on the "free dog" thing... Maggie was a bargain to adopt at $80 with spay and shots included. But $7000 of neck surgery (and MRI, and ICU, and...) and $4000 of cancer treatment sort of negated the cheap adoption fee. But I know you are like me and wouldn't trade them for anything! I just refinanced my house ;)

Emily said...

Glad Marley is doing better! With Enzo, who was not a free puppy, we joked that the $1000 to get him was like the down payment on a house. Between the eaten Gorilla glue, the swollen face, and the cancer in the end, buying him was nothing. And that's not even covering food, training, etc. A free dog. Ha... No such thing is right!