Accepted Answer

This sounds like it may have been an internal bleed of some sort that stopped resulting in her recovery that you saw.

She might have swallowed a non food item leading to this, it could be a pancreatic inflammation which you can read about here

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1580&articleid=335
Or a condition called Canine Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE) which you can read about here
http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/hge.html

A tumor on the spleen can cause collapse like this

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_splenic_masses.html

Just in case here are some groups that might help you afford the vet bills:

American Animal Hospital Association
http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/
" Through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, veterinary care is possible for sick or injured pets even if they have been abandoned or if their owner is experiencing financial hardship."

Angels 4 Animals
http://www.angels4animals.org/
"Our services range from financial aid to complete treatment
to those pets and pet owners in need."

Care Credit This might be workable for you and is fast to get if you qualify
http://www.carecredit.com/
A credit card company for health care, including veterinary care.
"With a comprehensive range of plan options, for
treatment or procedure fees from $1 to over $25,000, we offer a plan
and a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every
budget." They have a zero interest program if you pay within a certain time frame and they list the vets who work with their product.


God's Creatures Ministry
http://www.all-creatures.org/gcm/help-cf.html
"This fund helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help."

Help-A-Pet
http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html http://www.help-a-pet.org/
"Our efforts focus on serving the elderly, the disabled, and the
working poor."

IMOM
http://www.imom.org/
"We are dedicated to insure that no
companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker
is financially challenged."

The Pet Fund
http://thepetfund.com/
"The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that
provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need
urgent veterinary care."

United Animal Nations
http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html
"The m ission of LifeLine is to help homeless or recently rescued
animals suffering from life-threatening conditions that require
specific and immediate emergency veterinary care. We strive to serve
Good Samaritans and rescue groups who take in sick or injured
animals. In certain cases, LifeLine can also assist senior citizens
and low-income families pay for immediate emergency veterinary care." They also keep a list of local and national help resources here
http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=163

Expert:	NancyH
Pos. Feedback:	99.5 %
Accepts:
Answered:	3/29/2009

Pet Health Care, Rescue,Train,Breed

30+yrs pet vet care & nursing, rescue, behavior & training, responsible breeding, small animal care