2020 Success Story Zeus

Meet Zeus, a 1-year-old Husky/Heeler mix (boy, does that mix spell trouble with a capital T, you’ll see).
 
Zeus’ parents were cleaning the garage one day and noticed that a towel was missing. They had hoped the other parent threw it away, but shortly after, Zeus started acting really sick. He was throwing up, not wanting to eat, and his moms knew something was very wrong with their boy.  
 
Zeus' moms love him dearly, so they took him to the vet for an exam. Zeus had to go through some x-rays, but the vets weren't sure if what they were seeing on the screen was an object that didn’t belong in his belly/intestines, or just a gas bubble. So, the vet told his moms to watch Zeus overnight and bring him in the next day if he didn’t get better.
 
Unfortunately, he was worse the next day, so the vets did surgery where—sure enough—they found the missing towel!
 
Zeus had what is called a bowel obstruction, which is caused when a dog ingests a foreign object such as a towel, toy, rock, stick, bone, blanket, and sock, among a host of other things. Bowel obstructions are really a very common canine issue—after all, dogs are curious critters and have the desire to eat or chew nearly everything!
 
These objects become lodged and are not able to pass through the intestines—sometimes, the can also cause a perforation (or hole) in the stomach or intestines. Obstructions are medical emergencies for dogs. If left untreated, it could result in sever fluid loss (because the dog doesn’t want to eat or drink), intestinal rupture and even death.

According to the American Kennel Club, symptoms of a bowel obstruction include: 
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Dehydration due to inability to hold any water down
• Bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Hunching or whining

Zeus possibly eating a towel couldn't have come at a worse time. One of his moms is waiting on Social Security Income for an injury, and his other mom had to be in two-week quarantine due to COVID-19. They applied to Fur Kids Foundation for help with their emergency veterinary visit. 

​If you every believe your dog has an obstruction, Fur Kids Foundation encourages you to take them to your vet immediately. 
 
Zeus is at home recovering, and his parents are working with him on what are safe toys for him to chew on. We hope for his sake he's learned that towels aren't toys!
 
About Fur Kids Foundation
Fur Kids Foundation is 100% run by dedicated volunteers who give their time to help the Foundation raise money with events, take applications, and spread the word about the good work the Foundation does in Campbell County, Wyoming. If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help local families with animals afford emergency veterinary care, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via PayPal or signing up to become a volunteer. Check out more Success Stories.

---