Jack’s Walk


Angus is a lucky boy, ©voyager, all rights reserved

This is not Jack. This is Jack’s best friend, Angus, who is a very lucky dog today. Earlier in the week Angus ate part of a carpet that got stuck in his gut. He was sick for a few days before we figured out what happened and we only figured it out because by accident I found a bit of carpet fiber vomit in the long grass at the back. I’m sure that’s already way too much information, but here’s a few more details. The vet gave poor Angus barium and then for two days we fed him mashed potato in little bits to help push it all through. He was scheduled to have surgery today if it didn’t work. Well, early this morning it worked! Out came about a meter of wound up carpet fiber and now Angus seems almost back to normal. He’s weak, but hungry and for the first time in 5 days he barked. I have to admit I’m surprised it worked, but it’s hard to argue with success. Welcome back, Angus.

Comments

  1. says

    I knew a dog that used to eat rocks. Obviously, a bad idea, but that’s what he did. He had surgery 3 times and finally that was the end of him. It was odd -- as if the dog’s ability to establish cause/effect was limited to 15 minutes or something. “Wow, eating that rock was fun!” (4 hours later) “I wonder why I am having a problem down there?”

    Glad Angus made it! Good catch noticing the fibers.

  2. Ice Swimmer says

    It’s good to hear that Angus was able to get rid of the carpet.

    He looks dapper in the picture.

  3. Nightjar says

    Good to hear! Looks like the vet had good reasons to be hopeful. I hope Angus has learned the lesson that carpets are not edible stuff.

    That’s a beautiful photo.

  4. kestrel says

    Hooray for Angus! And for you, for noticing!!

    I grew up with dogs (although I myself am allergic to them) and it’s been my observation that dogs will eat just about anything that seems exciting to them. And alas, lots of things seem exciting to a dog. My family had a dog who had eaten 4 Clorox bottles, 5 pairs of high-heeled shoes, and about 80′ of garden hose. He did not eat the metal caps, the metal tips on the high heels, or the metal ends of the hose but he ate everything else. He ate so much garden hose my father was trying desperately to find some way to make him stop, but none succeeded.

    Usually their amazing digestive system is up to the task but not always! So WHEW glad it all came out OK… so to speak…

  5. jazzlet says

    Oh that is good news! Hello Angus, try not to eat such an indigestible thing in the future.

    Our spaniel ate a soft toy skin, ie the furry bit after the toy had been de-stuffed, and eventually had to have an operation to remove it. The enormously frustrating thing was that she half threw it up a couple of times, but gobbled it back down again before we could get to her. Dumb spaniel.

  6. rq says

    Fewf, you’re lucky, Angus!
    I knew a dog who would eat plastic bags. They come out undigested, if you care to know.

  7. says

    I’m glad Angus escaped surgery.
    My sister’s dog (a cocker spaniel, what can I say) used to eat about everything. His most amazing feat to survive was to eat a whole box of Mon Cherie, chocolates(!) filled with cherry liquor and a cherry. Including the wrappings.

  8. lumipuna says

    Marcus -- being “willing to eat small rocks” is literally a Finnish idiom for “being very hungry”. My sister’s 5-month old whippet puppy does sometimes literally eat pebbles, while being relatively picky on actual food.

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