[Dailydrool] Update on Bo from Hawaii, plus drool to others

[Val Brewer]

Thank you everyone who wrote to me about Bo.  He has just come home from the hospital, a new member of the zipper club, and is sleeping in the livingroom of our new rental.  The vet anticipates a full recovery. The surgery removed blood clots which were blocking his intestines; there is no ongoing internal bleeding; and the bruises to his bladder, prostate, and colon are expdected to heal on their own.  I don't suppose we will ever know what caused these injuries. The vet said this pattern is what is found when someone kicks a dog in the groin or side, or a dog is hit by a car, but I don't think these things happened.
 
After wracking my brains, I have reconstructed a scenario that I think could have happened--CSI here I come.  I think the injury occurred before the plane flight. Bo was not himself the morning of the flight. On the way to the airport he vomited all over me several times (I put this down to stress--inaccurately, I now think). Bo's severe symptoms started after the flight. Since the surgeon said that "clot" (not fresh bleeding) caused the problems, I think maybe Bo had a slow bleed for a few days before the flight, which built up, and the clots blocked his intestines coincidentally the day of the flight.
 
I think the injury may have occurred at my previous vet's actually, quite by accident. Three days before our flight, Bo and Harley had to have a pre-flight check-up to get their health certificates in order. I had their nails trimmed on that occasion too (both of them, like many bassets, hate this procedure).  The vet tech took each dog to the "back room" for the nail trimmings and blood drawings.  This is a large room where a lot of animals have procedures done at the same time--a sort of Grand Central.  While Bo was back there, there was a commotion and someone screamed. I assumed this had nothing to do with Bo. When Bo came out, he was limping with both back legs for just a minute, then he was fine. I asked the vet tech if she had quicked his nails on his back feet by accident? She said no. This is where facts end and my speculations begin.
 
What if, while Bo was having his nails trimmed, he backed off the examining table? Someone screams. What if the vet tech. or someone else prevents him from falling to the floor by pressing up against him, halfway off the table?  What if the corner of the examining table presses into his groin, causing a slow bleed and momentary limping? What if no one thinks there is a problem (including me) until enough blood has built up and clots start to be digested and move into Bo's intestines and block them three days later? What if the plane flight is basically an irrelevent coincidence?
 
This seems like the most likely scenario to me. I can't really envision a baggage handler taking Bo out of his crate to kick him, or Bo escaping on the runway and getting hit by a baggage cart.  His crate had no scratches, and there was a four inch thick mattress on the floor.
 
So, that's my best guess. And Bo has health insurance (that we've never used before--woo hoo).  Thank you so much to everyone who has sent drool--I think we're all on the mend--even me.
 
And I want to send all our spare drool to Nellie's family and to Bev's family for Mitchell. Boy, this thing called life is so fragile. I love you all. Val


      
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