The Rock that Rollie Ate

Question: What to you get when you take:

one 9 month old Doberman named Rollie (see below)

Plus
one golf ball sized rock (see below)

Answer: An Enterotomy (gut surgery) and a 5-day stay at the vet!

Doesn't that sound like a grand old time?? This all happened the day before we were due to leave for WI (at 5:00 AM too). Rollie wasn't acting like his usual self, vomiting, wouldn't eat or drink, so we knew we had to get him to the vet and figure out the diagnosis before we left. We were off to WI the next morning to surprise Afi David for his retirement and birthday party. So off we went to the vet (where I work). An x-ray proved Rollie isn't as dumb as a rock...the rock is way smarter! The vet thought we should proceed with surgery immediately - so Rollie was booked into Hotel Burien Vet Hospital for a pleasant 5-day stay. We now own a $500 rock.

We had a good flight into Minneapolis where we transferred to fly into the Central WI airport. I won $1 from Kris for keeping the baby quiet on landing! (I'll save that dollar for any necessary batteries.) Amma Mary picked us up and whisked us off to the Holiday Inn in Marshfield so David wouldn't know we were in town. Lilja was to be his last patient the next day. Great grandma Katherine visited us that night along with all of the aunts from Canada - Margaret, Carol, and Linda (they too were a surprise for David).

Great grandma Katherine

Just after we surprised David!

Amma Mary threw a fabulous party. Lilja was the belle of the ball in her fashionable new party dress that Mary bought her. (I'll have to post a picture at a later date.) The weekend flew by and we were headed back to Seattle and poor Rollie. It was a good time in WI - I'm so glad we were able to surprise Afi David and visit with all of the family and friends.

Rollie: "If you want some extra attention, may I suggest eating a rock."
Lilja: "OK...but you also get a lot of notice when you poop all over a guest at a retirement party!"