A tongue-less Beagle?
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 9:25 am
Well, I figured I'd post my story as some might be interested in it.
We started out hunting Saturday morning as usual on a new tract of land that looked good for bunnies. Right off the tailgate my one male, Mack, jumps a rabbit just like he normally does. We hunted from about 8am til about 1:30pm or so. I believe we counted 10 rabbits jumped, Mack jumped 8 of them. The last run in particular was tremendous. We had 3 dogs down, my two males and a 11 month old female. Whatever the reason, Mack took over the race and he was doing it right, as fast and as hard as he could. Almost check free for 45 minutes before the rabbit holed. It was something to listen to, the other two were there, but he told them to take a back seat, he was after it.
So I gave the dogs some water and we head home. I kenneled my two males and fed them. I look down an hour later, Mack is still standing there looking at his bowl. I go down, didn't touch his food. Take him a piece of bologna, won't touch it. I know something is wrong now and I see a little swelling in his neck. I took him inside, wouldn't eat or drink but just laid on the couch and slept til the next day. Sunday afternoon he takes a little soft food and some water on his own, so I figure he was just beat up so I put him back in his kennel.
Monday morning I get a call from my dad, I think your dog is dying you better get him to the vet. I see my dog and his neck, his lips, and his tongue are huge. It all happened over night. Got him to the vet 48 hours after we quit hunting, and we take an x ray. Nothing shows up but some air in front of his esophagus. He's pretty weak at this point so I told them to put him on IV's. He is getting antibiotics and steroids through the evening/night on Monday.
Tuesday morning I call the vet and he says the dog is a lot worse. His tongue is to the point it's hanging out his mouth and he had a temp of 105. The vet knocked him out so he could get inside his mouth. He found a little white sac under his tongue, when he touched it, it exploded in pus. He drained that all out and checked for any objects. All looked good now, packed it full of antibiotics and still on the IV. Put him back in his kennel where he was awake and alert. The hole under his tongue was from a stick/thorn bush/etc that he ran in under his tongue and went 6 or 7 inches down into his throat (hence the air we saw on the xray)
I call wednesday morning for an update, thinking we are coming down the homestretch. The vet tells me that my dog's tongue is now gone. I said so the swelling is gone, and he said no, his tongue is literally not in his mouth anymore. It was so swollen and infected that they think he bit it off. When the tech checked on him Tuesday night at 9pm, his kennel was full of blood and his tongue was laying there. He said we'd know more in the next 6 to 12 hours.
I was completely baffled and confused so I leave work to go see my dog. He comes running up to me happy as could be ready to go home. I asked the vet if he was in pain or suffering, thinking the worst. He told me as long as he figures out how to eat and drink with no tongue, you can have him tomorrow! My jaw dropped. He then put a bowl of wet food in front of him, he starts biting the food and jerking his head, throwing the food back to what is left of his tongue and eating it. He hadn't tried water yet b/c the IV is keeping him hydrated but he expects he'll figure it out just like the food.
I called this morning to see how he was doing. They said he is still eating like crazy and he'll be ready for me to pick him up this afternoon. The vet told me to let him get his strength back but he sees no reason he shouldn't hunt just like he did before (even though he might sound different). I may have to carry a sports bottle of water in the field to shoot into his mouth so he can drink if there isn't a pond nearby but he said there should be no effects whatsoever as long as the dog learns to live without it.
I am completely amazed at what the dog has done and gone through and might still make it out alive, let alone hunting again. Now even though this is my best dog and want him back so bad, if the vet gave me any indication this dog would be suffering or not the same as before, I would have done what I had to. But for now, that seems like it won't be the case! The heart and desire of this little dog never ceases to amaze me. We shall see....
We started out hunting Saturday morning as usual on a new tract of land that looked good for bunnies. Right off the tailgate my one male, Mack, jumps a rabbit just like he normally does. We hunted from about 8am til about 1:30pm or so. I believe we counted 10 rabbits jumped, Mack jumped 8 of them. The last run in particular was tremendous. We had 3 dogs down, my two males and a 11 month old female. Whatever the reason, Mack took over the race and he was doing it right, as fast and as hard as he could. Almost check free for 45 minutes before the rabbit holed. It was something to listen to, the other two were there, but he told them to take a back seat, he was after it.
So I gave the dogs some water and we head home. I kenneled my two males and fed them. I look down an hour later, Mack is still standing there looking at his bowl. I go down, didn't touch his food. Take him a piece of bologna, won't touch it. I know something is wrong now and I see a little swelling in his neck. I took him inside, wouldn't eat or drink but just laid on the couch and slept til the next day. Sunday afternoon he takes a little soft food and some water on his own, so I figure he was just beat up so I put him back in his kennel.
Monday morning I get a call from my dad, I think your dog is dying you better get him to the vet. I see my dog and his neck, his lips, and his tongue are huge. It all happened over night. Got him to the vet 48 hours after we quit hunting, and we take an x ray. Nothing shows up but some air in front of his esophagus. He's pretty weak at this point so I told them to put him on IV's. He is getting antibiotics and steroids through the evening/night on Monday.
Tuesday morning I call the vet and he says the dog is a lot worse. His tongue is to the point it's hanging out his mouth and he had a temp of 105. The vet knocked him out so he could get inside his mouth. He found a little white sac under his tongue, when he touched it, it exploded in pus. He drained that all out and checked for any objects. All looked good now, packed it full of antibiotics and still on the IV. Put him back in his kennel where he was awake and alert. The hole under his tongue was from a stick/thorn bush/etc that he ran in under his tongue and went 6 or 7 inches down into his throat (hence the air we saw on the xray)
I call wednesday morning for an update, thinking we are coming down the homestretch. The vet tells me that my dog's tongue is now gone. I said so the swelling is gone, and he said no, his tongue is literally not in his mouth anymore. It was so swollen and infected that they think he bit it off. When the tech checked on him Tuesday night at 9pm, his kennel was full of blood and his tongue was laying there. He said we'd know more in the next 6 to 12 hours.
I was completely baffled and confused so I leave work to go see my dog. He comes running up to me happy as could be ready to go home. I asked the vet if he was in pain or suffering, thinking the worst. He told me as long as he figures out how to eat and drink with no tongue, you can have him tomorrow! My jaw dropped. He then put a bowl of wet food in front of him, he starts biting the food and jerking his head, throwing the food back to what is left of his tongue and eating it. He hadn't tried water yet b/c the IV is keeping him hydrated but he expects he'll figure it out just like the food.
I called this morning to see how he was doing. They said he is still eating like crazy and he'll be ready for me to pick him up this afternoon. The vet told me to let him get his strength back but he sees no reason he shouldn't hunt just like he did before (even though he might sound different). I may have to carry a sports bottle of water in the field to shoot into his mouth so he can drink if there isn't a pond nearby but he said there should be no effects whatsoever as long as the dog learns to live without it.
I am completely amazed at what the dog has done and gone through and might still make it out alive, let alone hunting again. Now even though this is my best dog and want him back so bad, if the vet gave me any indication this dog would be suffering or not the same as before, I would have done what I had to. But for now, that seems like it won't be the case! The heart and desire of this little dog never ceases to amaze me. We shall see....
