Pet Owner's Urgent Rescue: Labrador Faces Health Crisis

Rabbit Nearly Kills a Labrador Retriever Puppy

What I'm about to share with you could save your dog's or cat's life in the future. I'm very familiar with this story, because it happened to my 8-month-old Black Lab "Drake".

Last Thursday evening, we traveled to our lake cabin near Webster, South Dakota. When we reached our lake home, my 8-month-old pup had vomited all over his kennel. He seemed normal, besides the enormous amounts of food he just barfed up. The next morning, Drake had thrown up once again, but this time it was a green bile liquid. This lasted throughout Friday, and I knew it was time to call the vet. I was concerned.

Saturday morning, Drake was sick as a dog, and we scheduled a visit with the veterinarian in Webster, South Dakota. She suspected parvovirus, and he tested positive for parvo with a mild case, in her words, even though he was fully vaccinated for this deadly disease in puppies. She gave him some antibiotics and fully expected our dog would snap out of it by Sunday morning, and we were on our way. We discussed taking X-rays, but decided against it, thinking we had figured out the issue.

Sunday came, and Drake was even worse. Barely moving, and would not drink much water. We feared dehydration and brought him back to the vet in Webster on an emergency visit. I could tell she was concerned with Drake's condition, and she really thought he would improve with his mild parvo diagnosis. I suggested we do X-rays.

What the X-Rays Showed

Looking at the X-rays, there wasn't anything definitive that showed an obstruction in my pup's stomach or intestines. There was one spot where the vet wasn't sure if it was gas or what. Again, I could tell she was concerned.

In the meantime, we hooked him up to get some fluids, since Drake wasn't drinking a lot of water. She suggested we get him to an animal hospital in Bismarck first thing Monday, if there was no improvement.

When we returned to Bismarck Sunday night, Drake began to throw up again, that same green bile, and I could tell he was fading fast. At this point, he hadn't eaten in three days. We had been researching so many scenarios on the internet with the parvovirus and what to and not to do. I really feared he wouldn't make it through Sunday night. I rubbed some honey on his gums to try to keep his blood sugar levels up, something I read on the internet.

My Pup was Fading Fast

Monday morning, after no sleep for me, scared to death for my four-legged friend, I got Drake to see his vet at Missouri Valley Vet-Pinehurst. She tested Drake again for parvo. This time around, it came back NEGATIVE. It was a false positive. This was probably a good thing, as parvo can be very fatal for puppies. She suspected an obstruction, as did I. We took X-rays again, same thing, nothing for certain, but a spot in the lower intestine that looked suspicious.

Drake was then hospitalized, put on an IV, and the plan was to take X-rays again on Tuesday morning. If it showed the same thing, she would conduct emergency surgery. Drake was still not eating at this point, and I feared he wouldn't make it until Tuesday morning.

The Turning Point

Tuesday morning, I received a call from Dr. Crystal, and the x-rays showed the same mass in the small intestine. She couldn't say for certain it was an obstruction, but she believed it was. That was good enough for me, and I told her to go ahead with the surgery. At this point, it had been nearly 5 days since my dog had eaten. I had to try to save my little "Drakey," as I affectionately call him. After a ton of prayers from my family and friends, I received a somewhat shocking call. several hours after the surgery.

They found the obstruction; it was a small rabbit, with lots of grass and hair behind it. Drake was totally backed up. His stomach was full of bile, and they removed nearly a litre.

The Rabbit Incident

I had been talking it over before the surgery with my family, and an incident came up from a couple of weeks back, and we recalled a time at the lake two weeks prior, where a small cottontail rabbit took a wrong turn into our outdoor kennel, while we were raking some leaves, and before I could get to my dog, he swallowed it whole. Not even a bite. We didn't think much of it at the time (other than that poor creature), but figured Drake would pass it. As it turns out, fur and hair don't digest very well. In this case, not at all. Take a look at the picture below. WARNING: A little gross.

My poor pup had been living with this gob of fur in his gut for over two weeks, and it nearly killed him. If it weren't for the instincts of Drake's vet, Dr. Crystal, he would likely not be here today.

A Full Recovery

After a few days in the hospital, we brought Drake home late Wednesday afternoon this week. I stopped by to visit him several times during this whole ordeal, and what a difference a day after surgery. He was eating again (soft, bland food, and absolutely no rabbit) and was full of energy. Thank God, it looks like Drake will make a full recovery.

I'm sharing this with you because it could happen to anybody. Our pets are always bringing home something dead. Whatever you do, don't let them swallow fur, or you could have something similar happen to you.