One of the hardest parts of a veterinarian’s job is the fact that your patients can’t tell you what’s wrong. They may try to communicate in their own way, but oftentimes they’ll actually go out of their way to mask discomfort or hide pain. This is especially true for pack animals (like dogs) where standing out too far from the norm can mean being excluded; From a natural selection standpoint, downplaying discomfort means you still fit in with the pack and can continue to benefit from them. Luckily, the vet immediately knew something was wrong in this case because the patient kept exploding into piles of gold rings.