Species: Dog

Age: 9-ish

Sex: Female/spayed before 6 months

Breed: Australian Shepherd/Blue Heeler mix

Weight: 50 pounds? (I don’t have this information. Healthy weight with a touch of middle-aged spread)

Located in semi-rural north Texas

History:  Maggie is (was) a healthy and reasonably active middle aged dog. Has free reign of the large backyard, no livestock duties. Lives with chickens and cats. Is almost never alone or unsupervised. Does not have a destructive chewing habit. Generally somewhat anxious.

Onset:  Maggie is my parents’ dog. My father noted that he felt she was “puny” for maybe 10 days, but this was intermittent and she was just vaguely off. My mother did not notice these symptoms but spends less time outdoors with Maggie. Two nights ago, Maggie behaved oddly around bedtime. She did not go to bed with dad as normal and seemed anxious. She eagerly went outside when offered and urinated a seemingly abnormal volume. She did not finish her evening meal. The next day, she was completely off her food. No vomiting. Do not believe she defecated. Noted lethargy. No whining or yelping and she is typically vocal about pain. No panting or drooling. No obvious bloating. Still drinking and urinating. Allowed dad to touch her abdomen, he reported no tightness or other obvious abnormality. Refused a treat, which is unheard of.

Vet Visit: This afternoon. Vet’s initial thought was pancreatitis. Blood work ruled that out. White blood cells not elevated. Vet relayed that the only abnormalities in the blood work were markers for stress. Has a fever. When lifted from the abdomen did signal pain. X ray (looked at by vet and off site radiologist) show a mass in her stomach that neither could identify. I was not present at the vet visit and do not have images available.

Currently: Maggie is at the animal hospital overnight with an IV and pain medication. They will do another x ray. They have suggested exploratory surgery as the next step if nothing is revealed. There was no suggestion of an ultrasound or other additional diagnostic measures.

Question:  With no history of destructive chewing and no vomiting, how likely is a foreign body? Is it likely that a foreign body in the stomach would be unclear on x ray? Mom confirms that the vet said the mass is *in* the stomach. We are 100% focused on quality of life for Maggie. Under no circumstances would we want to put her through surgery for a few months of low-quality or even mid-quality living. I do fully understand that we will not know if the mass is cancerous without surgery. I would be grateful for even some specific terms to research or specific questions I should have them ask at the hospital.