Could My Old Dog Have Survived Surgery for a Leaking Bowel?
by A reader
Reader Question
My dog, a female Doberman 13 yrs. old & in very good health one day, was euthenized within 3 days of suddenly vomitting. She vomited her morning meal, treats & all. Then only drank water & almost immed. vomited that up. No vomitting after initial 5 or 6 times on that one day. Next day no vomiting. Drank small amts of water and no vomiting. That night ate food. No kibbles. Canned chx brst. No vomiting. So far no diahrrea Next day small amts of soft food & small amts of water. No vomitting & 1 episode of diahrrea (spelling?) Afternoon she was standing in backyard, head down & not moving. Obviously in great distress. Taken to a university vet hospital. Several hours later she was gone. Bowel obstruction caused leakage into Abdomen & Bacteria was detected in Abdomen . They said she was critically ill & the prognosis was dire. Surgery was unadvised as the prognosis was grave during & after surgery. My question... I am feeling overwhelmingly guilty & sad. Could she have survived the surgery & could she had recovered. They said the odds were defintely against her. I believe them. I just need to hear it from another learned source. I need help in handeling this loss. Thankyou
Answer from Our Team
I'm so sorry for your loss. When the bowel leaks into the abdomen, bacteria spread into the belly lining (septic peritonitis), and dogs can become critically ill very fast. Even with surgery, survival in older dogs who are already in shock is low, and recovery can be long and painful. The team's advice was based on what they saw, and choosing not to put her through surgery with a grave outlook was a loving decision.
Vomiting that stops for a day or two and then a sudden crash is common with these problems, and it's very hard to spot ahead of time. You noticed something was wrong and got her to a hospital quickly. Nothing you did caused this.
Grief after a sudden loss can be overwhelming. Many veterinary schools run free pet loss support lines, and talking to people who understand can help a lot.
See bowel obstruction in dogs.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.
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