Early yesterday evening couldn't have been more perfect. With all my weekend chores complete, I ended up resting in the easy chair in my room with a snack and drink on the table next to me, my two dogs mildly wrestling on the rug, and a good movie on the tube. It was warm outside, and it was also lightly raining. The candles in my room gave it a warm glow, and I couldn't have been more comfortable. It was one of those moments that are all too fleeting, and I sat there trying to savor every second of it. It was glorious.
Then I looked down, and saw that Jacqueline was chewing on something shiny. It immediately struck me that little dogs shouldn't be chewing on anything shiny, so I wrested myself out of my chair, and took the shiny object away from her. At first I thought it was a piece of tinfoil. It was a shiny, silver material that was well chewed as evidenced by the tiny teeth marks all over it, but it seemed too stiff to be tinfoil. During the chewing process it had folded over on itself a few times, so I unfolded it to see if I could further identify what the mystery material really was. As I did so, I found a small chunk of wax, and immediately I knew that Jacqueline had ingested a tea candle.
I didn't think eating candle wax could harm her, but she chewed up the little foil cup that it comes in so badly that I figured she probably got some of the metal down along with the wax. I also discovered that the wick was missing, and along with it, the small, metal button anchor that keeps it from floating off when the candle is lit.
I called the local pet emergency hospital where we had taken Jacqueline when she fell. They said the wax shouldn't be a problem, but if I suspected she had ingested some of the metal, I should bring her in. I called my wife, told her what had happened, and then promptly drove Jacqueline to the hospital.
Once at the hospital I gave the attendant the chewed up tea candle as well as a pre-chewed example. The attendant said she would take Jacqueline to see the vet in the back, and would show her the candles as well.
Before I could finish filling out the paperwork, the attendant returned. She said that the doctor felt that, given the evidence, Jacqueline would be fine, but if I wanted to be sure they would induce her to vomit which would not only definitively prove whether or not she ate the candle, but might also eliminate any metal garnishes. I asked the attendant if she had shown the doctor the metal button wick anchor. She said she hadn't, and asked if I found the wick at the scene of the attack. I told her I hadn't, and that is why I was concerned she might have eaten it. I know it isn’t made out of the same flimsy material as the foil cup, and if it had made its way down Jacqueline's gullet, it could cause her some trouble.
Together the attendant and I removed the wick from the good candle, and she took it back to get the vet's opinion of its potential effect on Jacqueline.
The attendant returned, and said the doctor felt that the anchor was just big enough to plug up Jacqueline's plumbing, and that they should induce her to vomit in an effort to get it out of her. I agreed.
A few moments later the vet came out and said that Jacqueline vomited up some dandelion parts, her dinner, and something that had the aroma of paraffin about it. She did not barf up any metal objects of any kind, nor did she barf up a wick. However, she did say that when a dog is made to vomit, only about 80% of the stomach contents actually come up.
I asked if it was reasonable to assume that her stomach contents would come out in the reverse order that they went in. (Last in, first out.) The doctor said yes, that it did work that way. I said that Jacqueline ate the dandelion she found around 4:30, and her dinner at about 5:00. She tossed back the candle just before we went to the hospital, which was around 7:00. Given that timeline, she should have tossed up something associated with the candle.
The doctor asked me if I actually saw Jacqueline eat the candle. I said no I hadn't, but she has the mentality that if an object fits in her mouth, it is edible, so when I found the mangled candle body I naturally assumed it was she who ate it. The doctor asked if we had any other dogs, I said yes, we had another dog, but he's a good boy, and would NEVER eat something like the candle.
However, the more I thought about it, the more I felt that perhaps Angel DID eat the candle. I asked the doctor if her main concern over the metal wick anchor was that it might not fit through Jacqueline's plumbing. She said yes. I asked if Jacqueline weighed, oh, say 18 to 20 pounds, would she have the same concern? She said no, a dog that size should pass the object with little or no effort.
I thanked the doctor, paid the hospital $128.00 to make my dog barf, collected Jacqueline, and went home.
When I arrived back home, I found Angel just where I had left him, resting on the rug at the foot of my chair. I could swear, however, that he was looking at Jacqueline with a nasty grin on his little face.
Oh poor Jacqueline having to barf, but it's better then not knowing. Is she still doing well?
I always thought if I didn't have kids I wouldn't have to worry as much about stuff on the floor. Boy was I wrong. Growing up our pets weren't always into everything, but now all my pets have wacky behaviors. One eats cat hair from the other cats, the dog eats anything at could be food and one cat likes glue products. I swear before I leave every room I have to give it the once over. Otherwise who knows what the will find.
Posted by: cindy at October 19, 2005 11:52 AMCindy,
Jacqueline is fine. So is Angel. I have been checking their poop for any odd material(s) that shouldn't be there, but have found nothing.
I think the candle was probably a used one with a tiny amount of wax still in it.
You're right, though. It is better to know for certain.
Posted by: Jeff at October 19, 2005 3:20 PM