You may recall my post last week Wednesday and when I got home from errands that day I found part of an area rug chewed up. I wasn’t sure if Gidget or Kylie had done it, or if they were in it together.
While I had a hunch it might have been Miss Gidget, I also wondered if perhaps Kylie’s toe nail or collar got caught on a loose fiber. My mind conjured up an image of the rug “chasing” Kylie which would have surely scared her.
But it also brought back a memory of when my dachshund, Frankie had eaten part of a rug when Kylie chewed it up as a young pup. The clue something was amiss was that Frankie had thrown up several times after that. After getting her to the vet, putting the pieces of the puzzle together, and an x-ray, it revealed a carpet fiber in her stomach. She had to have emergency surgery.
I tried not to panic Wednesday seeing what looked like a repeat from over 10 years ago. If there is one thing these dogs of mine have taught me, is to not jump into worry mode! But I also just wasn’t sure who had done what and what, if anything, was eaten. So I waited.
As the hours, then days went by, Gidget and Kylie seemed fine. Though I did note that Gidget seemed a bit lethargic. I chalked it up to the “escapade” as the wrestling with an area rug likely tired her out. I also thought perhaps the sudden warm weather was making her a bit more sluggish as I can feel that way, too.
She ate. She napped. She was, for the most part, herself. But then on Saturday when I came home after being gone most of the day, she was in the front yard with John. When I got out of the car, she ran toward me, but her back legs buckled under. Though when she ate dinner a little while later she pulled up herself up on her back legs and was standing.
I wasn’t quite sure what to think. Sunday it was on and off with her walking and then and not walking.
Monday the same thing. I thought it best to have it checked out. Because she also takes med’s for seizures, which can cause ataxia (paralysis of hind legs), I thought perhaps this might be it what was causing the problem.
Off to the animal clinic I went for a technician to take her blood as it takes a day to get results. But I also set up an appointment to see a vet for a physical exam to rule out another episode of IVDD, but couldn’t get in until Tuesday mid- morning.
But a piece of the puzzle was about to be revealed an hour after I got home on Monday after Gidget’s blood draw. I set her by the front door so she could watch me while I planted the last pot of annual flowers. You know those dachshunds – always have to be part of the action!
When I looked up a few moments later I noticed something really strange beside her. We have a full length glass storm door but I couldn’t tell exactly what it was.
When I went inside I saw she had pooped and along with it came about 24-inches of carpet fiber!! A portion of it was knotted up.
Could this have caused her to have trouble walking? I wondered. She ate dinner fine and afterwards I did some range of motion for her back legs and also gave her a massage.
Our visit to the vet revealed that nothing seems out of sorts regarding her spine. So right now her the fact that she isn’t her back legs hardly at all remains a mystery. I could have opted for a CT scan, but it won’t change the outcome of what I do. So therapy, massages, and working out in the wheelchair is the plan.
She isn’t in any pain and shows no sign of discomfort otherwise. And she is her happy little self, so onward and forward.
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