Alexis going to the vets today

I have not slept all week.  Alexis, my 9-year old min-pin, has not let me sleep.  

Monday morning -  At around 5am I wake up to her walking all over my pillow, pacing all over the bed, then I hear her get off the bed by climbing down the step stool.  I listen and then I hear her throwing up in the hallway.  I get up, and she's acting all frantic.  I notice she threw up what looked like carpet fibers, thread and pillow stuffing!  She was pacing the floors.  Then she starts doing this weird inhaling and licking thing - all over the floor - picking up lint, dust, licking the carpets feverishly - whatever she can lick or eat, she does.  And she does this like wild.  I tried to stop her - I put her back up on the bed and tried getting her to relax but she just gets off the bed again and keeps doing it.  She then flew down the stairs.  I followed her down, and she had her nose in the doorway to the basement.  I let her out and followed her - she went outside and ate grass like crazy.  After eating grass, she came upstairs and curled up in her little bed and was fine the rest of the day.  Ok, that was weird.

Tuesday morning - Same scenario as Monday.  Wakes me up at 4am by pacing all over my bed & my pillow, gets off the bed and throws up in the hallway.  More carpet fibers, thread and pillow stuffing.  I have no idea where the stuffing is coming from.  I mean, I have boxes of polyfill in the house, but it is not accessible to the dogs.  Her stomach is growling so loud you can hear it across the room.  She wants to go downstairs and starts whining because there is a gate up to keep her upstairs.  I let her downstairs and outside.  Once again, she feverishly eats the grass outside for quite a while, and then comes back in and she's fine.

Wednesday/Thursday mornings - Same scenarios.  I've been watching her like a hawk - making sure she doesn't eat anything she's not supposed to, or lick the carpets, etc.  I did find a  pillow in the bedroom that had stuffing sticking out of it - so I'm assuming that's where she got the stuffing from.  I keep that pillow on the floor next to the step stool to break her fall if she falls off of it.  (had that happen once and she got hurt).  Pillow has been removed.  Both of these nights I did not give her any treats before bedtime and gave her a later walk, hoping it would help her sleep the whole night through.  But neither worked.

Friday morning - It's been a long week.  She has not let me sleep more than a couple hours this entire week.  I wake up to her pacing on my pillow and bed, whining, her loud stomach gurgling, her throwing up, wanting to run outside to eat grass, etc.  I have never seen a dog act like this and she is clearly in discomfort, although it does seem to go away once she eats the grass, and then she acts normal the rest of the day.

I just called the vet and asked to bring her in ASAP.   I was told the only opening was at 2pm today so I took it.  Please say a prayer that she'll be ok!   I'll update when we get back.

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Update 2:47pm
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Just got back from the vets.  Vet is concerned about blockage in her intestines.  Took an x-ray and vet wanted to keep her overnight, which really upset me since I've only been away from her overnight once in her life (9+ years) and that was when she was spayed.  Vet gave her some barium and let me take her home and I have to bring her back at 4:30pm so they can take another x-ray and see if the barium shows any definite blockage.  If there is blockage she will need surgery.  Vet also took some more blood for other tests, and to see if the meds she's been on is helping her thyroidism.


First things first.  I'm praying she does not have blockage and will not need surgery!!!!  This is SO stressful. My poor baby!  :(


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Update 8:41pm
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Alexis and I just woke from a much needed nap, which is why this update has taken so long.   I took her back to the vets at 4:30pm and while in the waiting room the tech took her from my arms to take another x-ray after the barium had been in her system a couple of hours.   I'm very emotional when it comes to my dogs, and I worry so much about them, I couldn't help the tears.   I was fine until the tech took her from me.   A few minutes later, the receptionist brought her out to me and said it would be a few minutes.    A few minutes after that, the vet called me in.  We went in and she put the first x-ray up showing me what concerned her about it.  Then she put up the new one showing the barium and where it was going in her system.  So far, the barium was going through fine, which means NO blockage!!  Thank GOD!!!  And, the vet said with the barium in her system, she was able to see things much more clearly and was able to rule out other things she was concerned about!!  I was so emotional I was crying in relief!!   Vet said she is not 100% out of the woods yet though - I have to bring her back at 8am tomorrow morning for one last x-ray to make sure all the barium left her system.   If that looks good then we are good to go!    Vet said she gave her an injection of something for what might have been causing her latest behavior (I didn't catch the name) and will give me meds for antacid (?) which may have been the problem if tomorrow's x-ray is ok. 




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Update11:05am Saturday
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Well I brought her in this morning at 8am.  She had another x-ray taken.  Vet called me in shortly after and said it was looking pretty good, the barium went through fine so there was definitely no blockage.  She did see a white spot still in her stomach though that she was concerned was an ulcer or laceration so she wanted me to bring her in on Monday to get one last X-ray.  I asked to see yesterday's x-rays again, as the 2nd x-ray after she had the barium did not show any white spot and asked her - wouldn't that have shown in yesterday's x-ray?  She got out yesterday's x-ray and said I was right - after she took the barium yesterday and it went through her stomach there was NO white spot where the spot was today, so she said she was able to rule out anything serious.  She thinks it's a little bit of polyfil (ugh) that she had eaten earlier in the week or something similar that is making it's way through her system.  She thinks Alexis will be just fine!!  And I don't have to go back on Monday now!

She did prescribe her some Famotidine (antacid) for her to take for the next 10 days along with her Soloxine for her thyroidism.

For the first time this week, Alexis let me sleep this morning.  She did NOT have a stomach ache this morning, there was no throwing up, she did not have a manic episode like she has had all week, and when I let her outside, she did not eat grass! 

I'm **so** relieved you have no idea!  My prayers worked!  Alexis will be ok!  Thanks to everyone who prayed for her and wished us well!