Maddie is sick...

She woke us up throwing up at 4:30 this morning. She kept it up until about 10, at which time she started shivering and looking very, very pathetic. She wouldn't even play with her toy. About 2 I decided we needed to go to the vet...she threw up (on me) as we pulled into the parking lot. All she did was sit right by my feet at the vet. If you've met Maddie, you know how unusual this is - there were four vet techs who were cooing over her and all she did was stare at them with glazed eyes. The vet (a super nice, super young gal) requested x-rays which showed something stuck in Maddie's stomach, as well as an enlarged spleen. They are doing a barium series to try to pass whatever is stuck in her stomach, and they're watching the spleen. She asked me what Maddie could have eaten that would be in her tummy, and I couldn't think of anything. Then the vet asked if she eats Greenies. Why, of course! They are her favorite! NOT any more! Apparently dogs with strong jaws (i.e. Maddie) bite off big chunks that get stuck in their tummies, as Greenies are not digestible. They end up getting "trash gut" where the object can't get out either way. My poor dog...

I'll keep you updated as I hear more. I had to leave her there for the afternoon. And to all you strong-jawed dog owners - avoid Greenies and the other dental bones on the market. Who knew? I am obviously not ready to have a human child, yet.

Edit: After some internet research, it seems that the companies that make Greenies and other hard pressed dog bones DO claim that their products are digestible. The disclaimer is that the dogs must "properly chew and eat" them. So, they are digestible if they are in SMALL pieces in a dog's stomach. I have read about some lawsuits over this very thing, however in those cases the dogs died due to the obstructions. Several vets are quoted as saying they've found treats that have been in dog's stomachs for DAYS, and yet they are completely undigested and hard. I cannot believe I have missed all of this info. Horrible feeling.

UPDATE: Maddie will have the foreign object removed in the morning, hopefully endoscopically. If they can't get it that way, they'll immediately do surgery while she's anesthetized. She can't have a procedure done tonight because her tummy is full of barium.