Sock Eater???

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

2 blogs in as many days... its been an exciting last 24 hrs., to say the least. Yesterday after a long walk with Lucy I came in the door and took off my shoes and socks. I placed the shoes on the nook table and stuffed a sock into each shoe, thinking I'd take care of them later. I'm usually very good about putting things away and out of sight/reach of the Luce-Monster. But DH wasn't coming home for dinner (late sales meeting) and I was on my own and wanted to BBQ some chicken on the grill, so I got busy right away (no excuse, I know). In my focus to get dinner prepared I didn't think twice about Lucy. BIG mistake. Much later, after both our dinners (mine and Lucy's) I went to put the shoes away, and noticed one sock was missing from one shoe. I made a mental note to check the upstairs landing for the sock, since that's where Lucy takes her treasures. After DH got home I remembered the sock and went to check the landing. NO SOCK. I freaked, then checked every single spot that sock might have gotten off to. Still, NO SOCK. I called the after hours ER pet clinic in town and they said to bring Lucy right in, that they could induce vomiting and possibly get the sock up before it became a real problem. So off we all went. After inducing vomiting, the sock didn't appear, so they took an X-ray. It showed what appeared to be fabric type material in her stomach, so they induced vomiting again. Still, NO SOCK. They sent us home, minus Lucy (for observation and further X-rays a few hours later) thinking they'd probably do an endoscopy retrieval of the sock, but the main surgeon on call looked the earlier X-rays over and didn't think the mass was a sock. So everything was put on hold. By 3AM another X-ray showed the mass in her stomach had diminished. Her intestines all looked normal, with no visible distention. So, no endoscopy. So where is the sock??? Its a big mystery to us, as it still hasn't surfaced. Lucy seems active and normal and is eating frequent small meals. She's been eliminating normally too. We're to keep an eye on any changes in her eating/eliminating habits, but for now, it seems like a big non-issue. Oh, BTW, our little jaunt to the pet ER cost us over $800. Thank god we have pet insurance!

 

UPDATE: Mystery SOLVED... When DH came home this evening he said it would be the greatest thing if we could find that sock. I told him I'd gotten up at 3AM to look in the formal living room, a place I'd never think of taking a sock. Then I thought (aloud), that the only place I hadn't looked was in the kitchen garbage. He high tailed it out to the garage where the bag of garbage waited to be taken to the can, and after a few seconds I heard, "DEBBIE!!"

"Did you find the sock!?", I yelled, as I ran to the garage. I found him pointing to a white mass through the garbage bag plastic and then he tore through it to reveal, to my disbelief, the missing SOCK! Whew, what a RELIEF! I told Lucy over and over what a good dog she was, and how she had been an angel all along, and how stupid was mom to throw the sock out with a handful of other garbage. Now we can breath easy, and enjoy the next few days, rather than worrying each morning if this would be the day we'd be taking Lucy in for obstruction surgery. So, what's the lesson to be learned here? If something goes missing, check the garbage FIRST.

[Jess and Pippin]

Oh, glad to to hear that Lucy is OK.  Pippin LOVES socks, and the stinkier the better.  I'm always concerned about him eating them.  BTW, I've never had a house that has been better picked up than since we've had Pippin.  I guess that is one great thing about living with a doodlethief!  :)

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

So glad Lucy is okay!!

[Donna K & Quincy]

Glad things turned out well. It would have been more upsetting if you did not have insurance. I don't have insurance and am happy that my trip to the vet last night only cost $143, that included 2 prescriptions and a cleaning solution for the affected area. What the heck is it with doodles and socks, Quincy hasn't swallowed one but he sure had chewed holes in lots of them.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Susan and Sasha:

I DID have a relaxing evening with BBQ and a margarita. I didn't discover the sock was missing until DH got home around 10pm. That's when all hell broke loose... lol..

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I don't have a clue what that was on the first x ray, but it went away with time (it didn't show up on the last x ray). I'm fairly certain her stomach was empty after 2 rounds of vomit-inducing medicine. Lucy has always been a dog of opportunity. We use to catch her all the time snatching something she shouldn't have, but over time she's become very sneaky about getting those things. She knows when our attention is elsewhere.

Hey, I just thought of something... maybe this explains where all those unmatched socks go, that always seem to disappear in the wash... whacha think?

[Jennifer and Jack]

I am so glad you have pet insurance, it takes one incident to make it all worth while paying the monthly fees. Jack is not an eater of anything really, I can barely get him to eat a treat or his food. Mr Picky Pants, but we are getting another puppy in a few weeks and I am imagining she is going to be the trouble maker of the family since we have yet to have one, (besides for me)

 

I am glad she is well, no sock eaten, I wonder if what they saw on x ray was poop mixed in with some other item she chomped? or so undigested food?

[Susan and Sasha]

Oh Debb...

I'm so glad thankful that Lucy didn't eat that ole sock!!

Just wondering what it was that showed up on the first x-ray though??

Well...you didn't think you would be able to have a relaxing evening...do some BBQ...maybe some wine...and wait until your DH came home did you? (smile)

Great news that you had Pet Insurance...that was a Lot of money!!  Yikes!

I just wish it was you that found the sock and not the DH!!

None would be the wiser...and Lucy would be safe!    Lol...

[Penny, Comiskey & Beemer]

That is wonderful news....the doodle that lives behind us...swallowed a sock, they did not know this and the dog was just hours away from death....the emergency surgery was successful....dog is fine....a few days later....they found he had a big smile on his face....no...he had a coaster in his mouth.....needless to say....he no longer has any of his toys or his little stash spots unless he is supervised.  Oh, yes...I should also tell you that they are no longer fond of me either...I recommended they get a doodle.....happy all is well....

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I think that sets a record for the most expensive sock ever. Glad she did not swallow the sock.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Thank goodness you found it!