Four Herrings In A Pond: Seamstress Bella

The saga of Bella and the “snake bite” has continued this past week. We thought we were all healed up and good to go. She went in for her follow up and she was healing up nicely and all looked good—should be no more problems!!

That was not the case though—a week later she swelled up horribly!! In fact her neck area was way bigger than her head!!! I got her in to the vet on Tuesday of this past week and we got her back on antibiotics (stronger ones this time). The vet also wanted to do a culture to know what kind of bacteria we are dealing with since it came back with such a vengeance!

That Wed. I checked out her neck and the area that opened before was like a golf ball and was purple, I knew it was about to blow—and sure enough within 5 min I looked over and blood was everywhere! We got a cold compress on her and cleaned up and I had pain pills left from the first round that I was able to get into her right away. She is such a trooper!!

Friday we had a follow up. The swelling had gone way down and I was so excited about that! The area that burst was still open and draining which I know is good, and it didn’t smell which is also good. There was however, higher up her neck area an area that was still swollen. I didn’t have to tell the vet—she started poking it to figure out what was up. She got a look of confusion on her face and said she felt something pokey in there—like a thorn or splinter. They took her back and when the vet came back, I really wish I would have thought to snap a picture of the look on her face—she was shocked!! She had in her hands a sewing needled she had just pulled out of Bella's throat!! NO wonder!!!! This was a first for her!!

Looking back now—Bella had breathing problems Memorial day weekend. I had been in touch with a vet through the weekend, and got her in that Tuesday and it was diagnosed as allergies. It made sense since she has hot spots and I had run out of Benadryl—so we thought it was affecting her breathing and it did clear up soon after the shot and Benadryl. We are willing to bet now, she swallowed the needle then! It was only by the grace of God that it didn’t make it to her stomach, as we have found out the damage that would have been and quite frankly, she probably would not have survived it. So this needle got lodged in her throat and eventually made it out through her neck!!! Amazing!! Even our vet said “this took help from above!”

They did an x-ray and there is nothing else in there. We increased her antibiotics for a longer time frame and are hopeful now that this is out she will heal up and there will be no such problems again!!!

We have the needle in the memory jar of course :) The most expensive sewing needle ever! I am relieved that it wasn’t a snake, as dogs who mess with snakes tend to be repeat offenders and that concerned me! Maybe she leaves them alone after all :)

Since Friday (it is Sunday now) Bella is doing great! The swelling in the needle area has gone down a good bit (not fully yet, but will in time). The hole in her neck where it broke open is healing up nice and all the rest of the swelling is down and she appears to be back to normal. She has been a trooper through this whole thing. Running and playing and having a grand time—you never would have known she had a needle jabbing it’s way through her throat! She never stopped eating either—I mean really??!!