My dog Cairo's surgery today 5/16/05

Hello Everyone:



Today, Cairo made it thru his long surgery. The poor little guy has been extremely sick for one week.

His symptoms began last Monday 5/9/05.

He was vomiting (sometimes projectile) and could not even hold down water.


He got into a bag of "greenies" and kept on vomiting. The following day, I took him to my own vets who did x-rays and lab work. The x-rays were inconclusive and the lab work was normal.

She sent him home with instructions on keeping him NPO (nothing by mouth) X 24 hours and then if he did not vomit again, we were to begin giving him small feedings and start him on pepcid ac.

He woke up at 4am and vomited in extremely large amounts X3.

The next day I took him to the emergency vets office and he was then admitted.

More x-rays were taken as well as extensive lab work. The same results: Inconclusive. Again, they kept him NPO and started IV fluids.

They sent him home the next day with a diagnosis of: Gastroenteritis.

They began him on Carafate and Pepcid, & Hamburg and rice for 7 days.

Again, he woke up in the middle night with projectile vomiting.

We rushed him back to the vets the next day yesterday 5/15/05 and this time the emergency vet decided that he needed a barium test to see how his stomach was actually emptying.

After the test was completed, it was decided that an EGD Esophagogastroduodenoscopy which is an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum with a small camera (flexible endoscope) which is inserted down the throat

Should be done to rule out an intestinal blockage. He was placed under anesthesia for this test. When the test was completed, the results showed large amounts of hair (human) as well as dog built up around his entire stomach lining that could not pass thru the intestines. He apparently has had a SEVERE case of ulcers all throughout his esophagus and entire stomach. The doctor said his esophagus was SEVER LY bruised and scraped up due to the greenies, the doctor began giving IV pepcid and IV fluids and it was thought that he would make a complete but long recovery.

Today 5/16/05, I called the emergency vets office to check up on Cairo. Another vet came to the phone and asked if I was Cairo's owner? I said yes and she then went on to say that he vomited a large amount this morning and they need permission (as well as a large amount of cash) to do exploratory surgery because she felt that he had a blockage that the EGD did not see.

Without the surgery, if it were an intestinal blockage, he would die.

My family called each other immediately and we all rushed to the vets to sign the consent form (and give them a large sum of cash) and to see Cairo.

Believe it or not, his spirits were good and although he looked very thin, he was still smiling at us! (He has this very cute smile)

We all cried and gave him a kiss. My husband (Harry) actually cried more than I did. (They have this awesome bond).

Cairo was taken to surgery (for almost 2 hours) and YES INDEED he did have a 6-inch rubber (probable toy) wedged deep into his small intestines!

The vet was very optimistic that he NOW will make a FULL recovery.

Cairo still has to spend 2-5 days in the hospital for monitoring and IV meds but all I can say is THANK GOD he is going to be OK.

We love this little guy more than you can imagine!

It has been an extremely emotional and long week for all of us!



Sue



Copy and paste url to share Cairo:
http://www.dogster.com/?93062

 

Wow, how scary!
I hope the best for your puppy dog and a speedy recovery! :0018: :love_y_t_much:

 

I am so glad everything is ok.!! That is a pretty big piece of rubber, how did they miss that//

 

Thank you all for your kind words and thought on Cairo.
I asked the same question How did they miss that during an EGD? The vet said it was wedged deep inside his intestine and was beyond the scope.
I am going to visit him today. I shall update everyone on his condition. I just can't want to have him home again.
Sue

 

((((BIG HUGS TO CAIRO)))), poor baby, but sounds like he is on his way to recovery you so so lucky they found the object, let us know how he does

honeybear

 

Wow, that was quite a scare.

I hope he feels better soon!

 

WOW! How scary! I hope he's on his way to a speedy recovery. I have a friend who had a pit that destroyed and ate a Kong--a supossedly indestructible Kong. He had to have surgery to remove it and when they pulled it out, they couldn't believe it was a Kong.

 

Well, Now I am on a public awareness role. Today the local newspaper did a story on the danger of dental kongs. Here it is.

http://www.warwickonline.com/news/searc ... sp?ID=8350



WARWICK
06/09/2005
Pet owner discovers hard way dog toy not indestructible
By KELLY SMITH
Dog owner Susan Parker wants to warn fellow dog lovers about what she says could be a dangerous toy for some canines.

Last month, Parker noticed her dog Cairo, an American Staffordshire terrier, was sick and vomiting violently. Concerned, she took the dog to Oaklawn Animal Hospital, and after x-rays showed nothing in his stomach he was sent home under the assumption he was sick from eating too many “Greenies,” a dog treat.

However, the vomiting continued, and when Parker returned to the veterinarians at Oaklawn, they sent her to Warwick Animal Hospital on Elmwood Avenue, telling her it had more advanced equipment to better determine what was causing the problem.

Long story short, after several x-rays, a barium swallow and an EGD (an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach and upper duodenum with a small camera, a flexible endoscope) showed nothing in the dog’s stomach but the vomiting persisted, Dr. Seychelle Ricard decided to perform an emergency operation on Cairo. A few minutes into the surgery, the four-year veteran veterinarian discovered a large, hard lump in Cairo’s small intestine.

“I didn’t know what it was at first,” said Ricard, adding it wasn’t until Parker told her it was part of the dog’s chew toy, a Dental Kong, that nearly killed him.

“I took one look at it and I knew right away what it was,” said Parker. “I couldn’t believe it. I never thought it could’ve been the Kong. I always thought they were indestructible.”

Kong toys have been around since 1976 after Joe Markham, desperate to keep his German shepherd from chewing on rocks while he was working on his van, tossed the dog a suspension part. After the dog showed an interest in it, Markham refined the rubber design into a strong chew toy for large dogs. Since then, the company has created several different toys for dogs and other animals as well. Based in Colorado, Kong products are sold worldwide.

An active advocate for sheltered dogs, specifically pit bulls, Parker said the Kong toys are commonly used and known by many dog owners as virtually indestructible chew toys. However, the Kong Company does not claim the toys are indestructible.

“No dog toy is indestructible,” says the company’s Web site at www.kongcompany.com. “Supervise your dog’s use of Kongs until you are confident they can be used safely without supervision.”

The site goes on to say dog owners should check and inspect Kong toys frequently.

“Look for cracks, separations and/or missing pieces,” it says. “Flex your dry Kong and inspect it from all angles. Loose pieces larger than a food nugget can be harmful if swallowed. Worn and damaged Kongs must be replaced immediately. Your dog’s safety is your responsibility. If you think your dog has swallowed a toy fragment (for example, if the toy was damaged and you cannot find every piece larger than a food nugget), promptly inform your veterinarian.”

Having read this herself, Parker said although it’s good the company has this disclaimer on their Web site, the toys are known by dogowners everywhere to be “one of the safest toys you can give your dog.” Saying she did inspect Cairo’s toys often, Parker is now concerned for other dogs out there. Expressing how grateful she was to Ricard and the staff at the Warwick Animal Hospital, Parker said Cairo would’ve died were it not for them, and she wants other dogowners to know that not only did the hospital do a “phenomenal job saving Cairo’s life,” this danger does exist.

“I want people to realize the Kongs are not as indestructible as they think there are,” said Parker. “I’m sure the average person doesn’t know this, and I want them to know.”

Ricard feels the original Kong toy or Extreme Kong are good chew toys for even the largest of dogs and most aggressive chewers, but said she would not recommend the one Cairo swallowed for larger dogs.

“I think the important distinction is what Cairo ate is one of the Dental Kongs and one of their newer products,” said Ricard. “The material it’s made out of is squishy. I’ve never seen a dog that was able to chew [apart] a regular Kong.”

Ricard said Cairo’s dilemma was her first encounter with the Dental Kong, which has paste squirted in it and is meant for dogs to “brush” their teeth as they are chewing on it, and had she seen one sooner she “definitely would’ve been concerned.”

“And not because there’s anything inherently wrong with the toy, but strong dogs, strong chewers – and a pit bull is at the top of that list – can chew apart just about anything that isn’t nail-bound,” she said, emphasizing she believes the regular Kongs are pretty sturdy.

Aside from Kongs, Ricard suggested rawhides, which are digestible if swallowed, as chew toys and even said she’s known of people giving their pit bulls truck tires to chew on, saying, “That’s how tough they have to be.”

Ricard said dogs investigate with their mouths and noses and as puppies they develop chewing habits when teething. Providing them with safe chew toys is very important, and the stronger and more aggressive a chewer the dog is, the more careful owners must be when choosing toys.

The bottom line, said Ricard, is to not use the Dental Kong on dogs who are aggressive chewers and take care to inspect your dog’s toys regularly.

As for Parker, $3,600 later, she said she’s not giving Cairo any more Kongs, regular, Dental or Extreme.

“He misses his toys,” she said, “and he eats a lot of cheese.”

 

That must have been very scary. Hugs to you and your family and best wishes to Cairo on a speedy recovery.

 

Susan, so glad to hear you were able to get this out there. I am going to crosspost it.

Now Did Cairo chew it apart or swallow it whole?

 

Hi:
Thank you everyone for your kind words.
Honeybears, he swallowed a big piece whole.
Here is a copy of the letter I sent the Kong company today.
I sent it certified.
I can't wait to share their reply with the auspet board.
Sue

June 9th 2005


The Kong Company

16191 Table Mountain Parkway

Golden, CO 80403


To whom it may concern:

I work as a dog trainer in the state of Rhode Island. I specialize in pit bull shelter dog training. I also am a proud owner and advocate for American Staffordshire Terrier/American Pit bull terriers.


I was always lead to believe that Kong toys were safe to give to Pit Bull/ American Staffordshire terrier dogs. .
Well, myself, my family, my veterinarian, and my dog found out the hard way that they are not.


On May 16th 2005 in Warwick RI, My American Staffordshire Terrier dog named Cairo needed exploratory surgery to get to the root of his problem. He kept vomiting and originally we thought that he maybe had gotten into a bag of "Greenies” Possibly one may have not dissolved totally and may be stuck inside his intestines? It turned out it was not the "greenies” at all.


Long story short, after several x-rays, a barium swallow and an EGD (an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach and upper duodenum with a small camera, a flexible endoscope) showed nothing in the dog’s stomach but the vomiting persisted, Dr. Seychelle Ricard decided to perform an emergency operation on Cairo. A few minutes into the surgery, the four-year veteran veterinarian discovered a large, hard lump in Cairo’s small intestine. The amazing results?
What they took out of Cairo's small intestines was a big piece of Kong Dental Stick!


“Kong Dental Stick's unique is shaped to clean your dogs back teeth. Made of soft, durable Kong rubber, fill with Stuff N Paste for a real treat”.

Yes, some treat for my dog. I recognized it right away. The dental Kong almost killed my baby! The Kong was the culprit the entire time.


My veterinarian gave my family the actual piece of Kong that did this horrific damage on my dog. I saved it to show all. I also have copies of all his vet records from start to finish.


PLEASE BUYER BEWARE this toy almost cost my dog Cairo his life and cost my wallet $3,600.00.



Although it’s good your company has a disclaimer on your Web site, the toys are known by dog owners everywhere to be “one of the safest toys you can give your dog”. I did inspect Cairo’s toys often.



I now am quite concerned for other dogs out there. If it were not for the staff at the Warwick Animal Hospital, Cairo would’ve died. I now want other dog owners to know that this danger does indeed exist with dental Kong's usage.

In the future, my goals are to properly educate dog owners on the dangers of dental Kong’s and make sure the public is aware that the Kong’s are not as strong as most people think they are. I’m sure the average person doesn’t know this, and they need to be aware of the danger that can result from purchasing “Dental Kong’s”.

I would like to speak to a representative from the Kong Company about this problem that almost killed my dog.

My concerns are to make sure that this does not happen to another family pet or shelter dog awaiting their forever home.

I anxiously await your reply.



Thank you for your immediate concern to this important matter.


Sincerely,



Mrs. Susan Parker