# Beware of Marbles!



## herrick51 (Mar 4, 2008)

Yes, he'll eat anything. . .Brody got onto the patio table , knocked over a vase with marbles in the base, and found the one that we missed on the porch floor. He started vomiting the next day, couldn't keep anything down, so off the the emergency vet clinic at 9PM (2 hours from home). The x-rays showed the marble in his stomach, so off to surgery to remove it. $2200 and 2 weeks later, he's happy and active as ever, but has been renamed "Frankenpuppy"!
Beware of the small objects around the house!


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

Ouch poor freankenpuppy! So glad that Brody is doing well the little stinker!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

That's terrifying. I always had that problem with Milo. Thank goodness, so far, Bailey seems more interested in food and toys. We'll see.

So glad you baby is all better.


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

That's is scary. It is great that Brody has recovered well from the surgery.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

I'm glad Brody is all better now. That is scary. And expensive!

I thought marbles would be vomited up or passed. Yikes.


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## herrick51 (Mar 4, 2008)

Thanks for the kind words. . .we felt so guilty seeing his poor little tummy incision. The vet said he is a little too small (even at 14.4 lbs) to either vomit it back or pass it through the sphincter into the bowel - in fact it could have been much worse if it had caused a bowel obstruction. I'm really paranoid now, but the little stinker tries to eat EVERYTHING!


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

Brody's Mom, that's really terrible! I'm glad he's feeling much better now that he's emptied your vase AND pockets ound: Pablo loves to put EVERYTHING in his mouth as well, but he rarely swallows it, even if it's tiny as can be, he just seems to play with it. BTW, Lisa, that's how I found 10 of his teeth, cause he carried them around, sucking on them like candy. :laugh: Obviously he's never allowed to do that but he sometimes hides, stinker.


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

Youch . . . $2200!! That hurts as much as the marble probably did! I always worry when I am trying to dig something out of Jackson's mouth that he will swallow it by mistake. Sorry everyone had to go through that, but glad Brody is all better.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Oh my goodness, poor Brody!! That is so scary! There are so many little things like that under all our couches, and refrigerators, and playrooms - I cannot believe that he actuall ATE it!!!! I am so glad that he is ok now. You need to send him out to get a job to pay that vet bill!! Hmmm maybe he can go on a lecture tour to teach others about the "dangers" of marbles


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Aww, poor Brody, glad he is ok. Actually poor you and your wallet.


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*ouch...*

thank goodness everything is okay.

Riki ate a portion of a pillow interior when he was a puppy.
Daisy was at the emergency vet for another reason (I put tea tree oil on an itchy spot, and it causes poisoning), and there was a bull dog there who had eaten a cactus. Dogs, like little kids, put all sorts of things in their mouths.

Wow...that must have been something for you to go through.
Linda


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## isshinryu_mom (Mar 23, 2008)

Awww... get well wishes for Brody (and hugs for you.) Roxie is "orally fixated":biggrin1: and tries to chew on everything. I'm going to watch her even more carefully after hearing of your experience. I feel your pain over the vet bills too... Roxie's broken leg has cost me nearly $1000.00 so far!!


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## herrick51 (Mar 4, 2008)

Thanks for all the support. . .it's a good thing he's so much fun, since we'll be staying home this summer while the vet has a nice vacation with our $$! 
It was terrible timing, since he started vomiting in the evening, and we live in a very rural area, so the only option was the emergency vet in Portland. The Dove Lewis Clinic is excellent (but not cheap), and he had to be admitted to the "pet ICU" for almost 24 hours after surgery. . . cha-ching, cha-ching. (The tax rebate was spent before we ever got it!)
The only sad thing is the incision. The surgeon made a 6" opening, so she could also make sure he had nothing in the bowel (it's standard of care to check everything when they open for this type of problem.) So his cute tummy isn't perfect anymore:
Oh well, he's still a cutie. . .even is he wakes me at 530 every morning to go pee!


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## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

Iam so glad Brody is OK...the vet bills now a days are just so high compared to what the use to be.


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## MopTop Havanese (Sep 25, 2006)

Oh no! I am so sorry this happen, but so glad the surgery was a success and he is on the road to recovery~!
And I agree with what you said about the vet bills...I think I have paid my vets house payment a couple times over in the last month with my dogs surgeries!


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Oh how scary! I'm sorry about poor Brody and about how expensive fixing the problem was. What are you gonna do? It's hard to keep things out of his mouth so I imagine you are pretty stressed about it. 

Sammy puts things in his mouth, but Ricky never does, never did. We haven't had any trouble with that, touch wood, and I'm grateful.

I hope Brody heals well. I imagine that now, two weeks later, his stitches are all gone?


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

I'm sorry to hear about Brody and I'm glad he's on the mend. Poor guy. I can sure relate to the high cost of emergency care. Yikes. 

Susan


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## Mijo's Mom (Apr 19, 2007)

Aww, sorry to hear about the operation. Glad he's okay now. I too can relate as Mijo is very sneaky about things he finds and puts in his mouth! A big hug to your little guy!

Connie


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

How scary! I'm so glad he's ok now and you were able to get him somewhere fast enough. OUCH about the $$$$!!!! Darn it. 

Linda, I didn't know that about tea tree oil! Glad you posted it so I don't make the same mistake...I always have that stuff around.


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*Tea Tree Oil Poisoning*

This was absolutely horrible.

Last summer Daisy was itching all over. She gets little bumps out of nowhere, I think some sort of allergy to grass. Could even be sand fleas. She has no fleas nor flea bites...just some sort of allergy that makes her itch till she makes herself bald or matts herself into a mess from the biting and licking. She does take benedryl and now takes an allergy pill.

But I didn't know that last summer...I read holistic websites and many people suggested dabs of tea tree oil. Well I did this, she licked it off...and then was lethargic. Then she didn't come when I called her...and then she couldn't move her legs. We took her to the emergency vet while I was sobbing that I was losing her. She looked as if she was slowly dying.

They had to call poison control as they had never heard of this either. They had to completely flush out her system. It causes temporary paralysis in some dogs and cats. She could have died. It is in many shampoos, hopefully much more diluted.

Don't use it full-strength, don't even use it at all if you can avoid it. Tea Tree oil is like a paint remover in strength. It can be very very toxic for pets although it does miracles for humans. I guess we don't lick out wounds.

I still believe in holistic treatment. I just want to be careful with what I read on the net. You can imagine a tiny little girl looking at me with huge brown eyes unable to move her back legs. It still makes me sob.

Linda


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

Oh my gosh, Linda, what a story! I have tea tree oil everything as I am a member of melaleuca.com. All their products are without chemicals so, of course, we think of them as non-toxic. I'm so glad to know this as Ollie has itchies too and who knows when it might have occurred to me to try tea tree oil? Now I know better! It is in my own shampoo, my laundry detergents, many of my household cleaners....wow! You're right, it works miracles on humans, but luckily now Oliver will never have it used on him! That must have been really scary for you.


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## herrick51 (Mar 4, 2008)

*Poisoning Risks!*

I had to respond, as a recently retired poison center nurse. I spent the last 23 years as an emergency advice nurse in a regional poison center. Although we were a human service, we did our best to assist pet owners and referred them to the ASPCA Animal Poison Center if we felt we could not safely help. The important thing to remember: DOGS ARE NOT PEOPLE! (As much as we love our babies, they are physiologically different.) There are things that are perfectly fine for us, but very poisonous to them. 
A great resource is the ASPCA website at http://www.aspca.org/apcc
If you think your dog has been exposed to something toxic, you can first call your human poison center at 1-800-222-1222 (free service, this number works like 911 to route you to the poison center covering your area.) If your center doesn't handle animal calls, they will likely refer you to your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Center at 
(888) 426-4435. This service is staffed by specially trained vets; they do charge for services, but may be able to answer withour charge if they have a contract with a company (like a drug company) to handle emergencies. They are terrific (I've worked with the director in national meetings). 
Obviously if an animal is in severe distress, go straight to an emergency vet clinic, but don't be afraid to ask them to consult with the Animal Poison Center if the vet seems uncertain about what to do.


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