Mr. Lennon was a wise man.
Before I tell my tale I’ll let you know that at this moment Luka is sleeping at my feet. This will become important in a moment.
Last weekend started out just like I had planned: a long hike and some swimming for the dogs on Saturday morning. By Saturday evening my plans were chugging along (watching a movie and knitting). Then, as midnight approached my plans went off the rails.
At 10:30 Saturday night Luka and I were speeding to town. Our destination: the animal emergency clinic.
He was admitted around midnight and at 4am Sunday he was in emergency surgery for an obstruction in his stomach. It turns out that what I thought was a scattering of garbage can contents on Thursday had really been an all-you-can-eat buffet. The paper products in my bathroom garbage can got stuck in his stomach. The vet said it was the second most difficult surgery of this kind she’d ever done.
That’s my boy: an overachiever.
Luka came home last night and today I’m living a new reality (at least for the next several days).
I’m working from home. (Thank goodness my workplace was supportive when I explained what had happened.)
My furniture is barricaded against Luka jumping on it.
I’m spoon feeding my boy small amounts of fancy pants food several times a day.
I’m well on my way to starting my own pharmacy.
The schedule for these drugs is so detailed that I’m using my phone to alert me when it’s time for a dose.
Finally, my new reality includes living with a cone-head.
Luka is also wearing a T-shirt to prevent Sadie from messing with his stitches.
Luka has accepted the cone and has quickly become adept at moving throughout the house and sleeping in it.
Milo, however, is taking no chances. He was nearly scooped up in the cone earlier today and quickly retreated under the table.
Milo did venture closer to hang out with his buddy.
Sadie has been comforting Luka, too.
Once this is crisis over I’m going to owe Sadie some special attention. My total focus right now is on Luka (I’m literally not letting him out of my sight) and I know she’s getting the shaft in terms of my time. She’s also sleeping in a crate instead of on my bed. Luka won’t fit in his crate with the cone on and I don’t trust Sadie to leave his stitches alone overnight. She is NOT happy sleeping in there but I’m taking no chances.
Life around here should be back to normal in a few weeks. I have a feeling they will be very long weeks.
I know that most of my readers have dogs. Are your garbage cans out where your dog can get to them? If they are: please, please, PLEASE secure them where the dog cannot get to them. Luka had never eaten garbage before and the first time he did it could have been fatal. Please learn from my mistake and put the cans away where your dog cannot get to them.
Finally, (to end on a humorous note), I have to ask: is Luka happy or is it the drugs?
Runs With Needles 
Luka Luka you silly cone head! Was he trying to vomit it up? How did you know it was time to take him to the vet?
So glad all is well and your Luka bear is on the mend. Poor Sadie looks so sad in that picture. It looks like she’s feeling Luka’s pain right along with him.
The main thing that made me take him to the vet was a nagging feeling that something was wrong. I’ve had Luka for 17 months and, until Saturday, he had never vomited. On Saturday he threw up everything he ate (but didn’t throw up any of the garbage). I thought I was overreacting by taking him to the doggie emergency room, but some voice in my head kept telling me that something was wrong. I’m so glad I listened to that voice.
Oh my gosh!!! I’ve been in the “rush to the emergency vet in the middle of the night” position before, and it’s so awful. Plus, I’m a crier, so there’s usually a lot of blubbering while trying to talk to the vet.
I’m so, so, SO glad Luka pulled through. And he doesn’t look all that miserable in the pictures. He may be feeling it later today, but I know he’s in good hands.
And the green shirt looks cute on him.
I wish him a very speedy recovery!
OH MY GOODNESS!!!
I’m so glad that you got him to the vet in time and that they were able to remove the obstruction.
keep us updated on his progress and it looks like even though Sadie may not appreciate it now, it will mean that Luka is back to normal that much quicker with your attentive care.
big hugs to you and all the furbabies. xoxoxo.
I’m so glad he’s with you. I was close to tears reading this post, but had to laugh out loud at the end. I love the last photo!
We have our garbage put away, because I just know Denny would stick his nose in it, if he would get a chance.
All the best to you and Luka, and the rest of the family! Hang in there!
Holy cow, how TERRIFYING. Big hugs to you and Luka and all my wishes for fast and complete healing for you both.
I don’t currently have any garbage can tacklers, though my old Ivan dog did that once or twice. I’m ALWAYS having to take paper away from Jasper, though. He loves chewing on it.
(((hugs)))
Wow! So happy to see that things worked out for the best. Luka = lucky! My dog is a bit of a trash eater so we’ve got it out of his reach. Here’s to a speedy and healthy recovery!
I’m so sorry. I am glad that Luka is on the road to recovery! Wookie will try to eat garbage, so it goes up on a shelf so he cannot get to it.