Friends-

My ten year old Labrador Retriever is ill. This all started about three weeks ago, Monday. He was vomiting off and on for a day, and would not touch his food and when he did, he would then go outside to eat grass and vomit. I took him to our vet and he gave him a anti-nausea shot and an anti-botic shot.

For a day or two he looked to be coming around but, by Saturday he was not eating again and he looked very much in pain. So, I loaded him up and took him to the South Texas Veternary Specialty ER. They ran some radiographs and said that he had an obstruction in the small intestine and that surgery might be required. Sunday, more radiographs and the obstruction had moved. We brought him home and took him in for a sonogram the next day and no obstruction.

He seem to be coming around again, eating running at about 80% and ten pounds lighter. Vet said to keep him on antibiotics and antinausea medication. We did and he started relapsing. Took him back to Vet and more blood work. Elevated White Blood count and elevated Nitrogen. Doc says, bacterial infection. Another Anti-biotic shot, another anti nausea shot along with higher strength antibiotics and another anti-nausea medicine along with new Gastrointestinal food along with a probiotic supplement.

He seemed to be coming out of it again but, started relapsing again. My wife and I have him back at the Vet under observation.

Long story short, my wife and I are getting more worried about his health.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

be happy it's just an obstruction. watch the bones and sticks and the like he can get into. Our setter wasn't feeling right a bit over a month ago. we took him to the vet and found 2 huge tumors on the spleen. He never came home again

butchloc: I also had that happen with a German Short Hair Pointer that I had. Not a pleasant experience. Here's to hoping that Mark's lab heals up.

Let's not castrophize (my wife's new word). Did he manage to eat a kid's toy, chicken bone or somehting similar? A ten year old dog wouldn't be expected to eat something plastic -- I'd think chicken, fish or other bone. Best of luck.

What news?

That just rips the soul out of you, been there. Hope your pooch gets better.

Friends-

Thank everyone for their concern. My Labrador, Kodiak, is recupperating nicely from the surgery he had on Thursday, December 6, 2012. He did have a blockage in his lower small bowel which turned out to by my Grand-Daughter's pacifier. He has his appetite back and is well on his way to being his old precocius self.

While not completely out of the woods he is mending well.

December 6th coincides with my wife's birthday. When Kodiak was coming out of general anesthesia, our Vet, called us and told us that the surgery went well but, he asked us to come by and he would explain the procedure in more detail. We got to the Vet, who has always been close to our family, my wife and I were ushered into an exam room. After a couple of minutes, in walked our Vet, his son, a Vet himself, and the entire staff. As I looked on their faces everyone was trying to have their best poker face on, but, the corners of everyone's were turned up. Doc was holding a gift bag that, in big letters, wished my wife a Happy Birthday.

Upon opening the gift bag there was a Texas A&M bandana that was tied into a loose knot. Within the bandana was a plastic zip-lock bag containing our Grand-Daughter errant pacifier.

Laughs and tears were shed by all there. I believe Christmas came early for our household.

Thanks again.

What good news. Merry Christmas!

FWIW, I still have a little box of rocks from a similar problem, though the rocks were a lot easier to see in X-ray than a pacifier would be.

That is really good news and will, I'm sure, add to the joy of the holidays. Great birthday present, too.

Happy to hear your good news!