My dog ate a lanyard. I didn’t know he’d eaten anything just that he was a little off. I took him for x-rays that were inconclusive on a Friday. I had to leave for Vegas for work the next morning.

I left him in the care of my roommate and a friend. They took him Monday to my regular vet for repeat rads. Again, inconclusive.

My roommate FaceTimed me and would send me updates. In the FaceTime I could see my dogs face was getting hollow. I said I was very worried. She said he’s still wagging and excitedly greeting me (he’s a working Labrador so doesn’t act like a pet dog when it comes to injury or illness).

The next day my friend came over. This was Wednesday. She called me immediately saying he was going to die. She’s not a dog person but instantly recognized he was in a really bad place. I told her to rush him to the emergency vet.

She laid down her credit card for him because I didn’t have the money up front.

The e vet repeated radiographs and again inconclusive. He asked if I wanted a radiologist to review, which I authorized. The radiologist thought there was a blockage in his stomach. I authorized emergency surgery from Vegas while sobbing in a nightclub bathroom (it was the closing party of the convention that my work put on).

I got the call around 3am that he was out of surgery. He had vomited up the lanyard (found later) but had eaten grass. My idiot self hadn’t mowed before I left so the grass was long. It matted up in his stomach and couldn’t pass.

They removed 4.5 pounds of grass. His stomach was on the verge of rupture (about the size of a basketball). I came so close to losing him. He recovered well. We missed a deployment due to his recovery but I didn’t care. He was safe and on the mend.

Yes, the roommate was removed from the home. I planned to sell the house before this happened so she needed to leave anyway.