Both My Dogs Are Sick - Back From Vet - Post 12

[Rickiesmom]

All was well on Thursday. Then, in the wee hours of Friday morning, Rickie threw up, twice about 1h or so apart. Concerning, but not alarming - it happens once in awhile, though not usually twice.

 

He ate a little food and a little Ensure on Friday AM and I thought he was OK til that came up too, a few hours later. Waited awhile, gave him some Pepto Bismol, and he seemed to settle down, though without an appetite.

 

He ate a little rice cooked in chicken broth and a bit more Ensure at dinner, and those stayed down. He at this same this AM but hasn't much appetite and isn't drinking. My sense is that we may be through the worst with him, but dehydration is a worry.

 

Arlie was also fine Thursday night. Friday AM her poop was very soft - doesn't happen that often, but from time to time. Before we finished the walk she went twice more, and each time there was more gas, and less, but runnier poop. Her appetite and energy level were fine. Then in the afternoon she started needing to go out every hour or two - and this continued through the night. She acts like she needs to go, but it takes her awhile. Then when she does, there's a blast of gas and then a little really runny poop. Her appetite also isn't great this AM (very unusual) and she has been stretching a bit. I see no outward sign of bloat.

 

We see the vet at 11:40 this AM but I am stumped. These dogs are heavily supervised, not allowed alone even in the backyard, so I don't think they "got into something".

 

The only thing I can think of is that I gave them bully sticks on Thursday afternoon - maybe one of those had something wrong with it (they exchange often in the course of eating them).

 

Or maybe it's a bug of some kind? Any ideas?

 

9/6: PEPCID question: I have some from another time but have gone completely blank - do I have to give this to Rickie before meals and if so, how long ahead of time? For people the box says 1h before - is the same true for dogs?

Edited September 7, 2009 by Rickiesmom

[Guest Energy11]

A friend of mine's grey has had diarrhea, not drinking, etc. for about a week. She went to the vets, and they thought it was a bacterial infection, and gave her Flagyl. She is doing better.

 

Maybe it was the bully stick, OR they have a bacterial infection. I advised my friend to get a turkey baster, and mix half Gatorade, half water, and just give her grey water that way. It is working.

 

Good Luck, and hope all goes well at the vets!

[Guest kydie]

Please keep us posted

[CaliforniaGreys]

Please let us know what the vet has to say Mary, we'll be hoping for nothing alarming.

Wayne just had a bout with diarrhea big time, first time ever since he's been here.No known cause

Plain white rice took care of it

[beledi]

Hope it is nothing serious. Keep us posted.

[Guest SueG201]

My dogs had it about a month ago, Vet put them on Flagyl and it was gone in a few days

but my carpets suffered immensely from it

[GreyPoopon]

Since you walk them, they could easily have picked up some sort of bug. We've had problems here at GI Troubles R Us too--one weekend three of them were sick. A month or so earlier, one of them even managed to get giardia--she's still under treatment.

 

A vet visit certainly won't hurt, especially if you're worried about dehydration. Plus your vet can probably tell you whether they're seeing a lot of dogs with similar symptoms.

 

I hope they both feel better soon.

Edited September 5, 2009 by GreyPoopon

[Rickiesmom]

While I was waiting for our appointment time to roll around, I cooked some white rice, picked up some extra-lean hamburger to boil, and some pedialyte. Will let you know what the vet says, thank you for the good thoughts and ideas.

[PrairieProf]

I would really suggest fasting them for now -- that's the first thing my vet recommends. If their systems are that messed up they don't need to be eating. Last week Beth had diarrhea and I mixed chicken broth with her water and she drank that eagerly, so I wasn't worried about dehydration.

[Burpdog]

I'd be suspicious of the bully sticks since this happened right after.

 

Sending lots of prayers!

[Guest eaglflyt]

I hope they're both feeling much better soon. I'd be wondering about the bully sticks, too.

[Rickiesmom]

Back from the vet. Both dogs are on metronidazole. Also Panacur, prophelactically. Rickie had a lot of abdominal tenderness so vet xrayed - all he could see was a lot of gas, but no sign of a blockage. Got Rickie's blood results faxed over from the specialty clinic (bloodwork done on Thursday in anticipation of surgery this coming Friday). All looks OK except one value was elevated, sorry, can't recall which, could be a sign of pancreatic involvement but too non-specific to be sure. I declined the more specific snap test for now as it wouldn't really change the treatment approach, and my gut feel (no pun intended) is that Rickie has turned the corner.

 

I'll try to get fecal samples this afternoon, before we start the Panacur.

 

Came home with a few cans of i/d, some of which I mixed into rice along with some pedialyte - both dogs ate well, though Rickie didn't quite finish.

 

Now I have to hope that (a) they both poop before the clinic closes for the long weekend at 4 and ( that the symptoms start going away.

 

Thank you again for your input which is both helpful and reassuring.

[CaliforniaGreys]

[Guest Energy11]

Sounds like you are on the right tract, totally! Hoping for a good outcome!

[2hounds]

Hoping they both feel better soon!

[Guest PhillyPups]

for poop

 

Hope they both turned the corner and are now on the mend.

Edited September 5, 2009 by PhillyPups

[CaliforniaGreys]

Just checking in on Rickie and Arlie

[Rickiesmom]

Thanks Claudia. I thought everything was going better until Rickie threw up dinner a little while ago (and the metronidazole with it, presumably). Gave him some pepto bismol and will let things rest now overnight. Which will hopefully be uneventful for both of them.

[GreyPoopon]

that the drugs do the trick, and that if anything shows up in the poop, it's easy to fix.

[Guest LindsaySF]

I would suspect the bully sticks too. I hope they feel better soon.

 

 

[Rickiesmom]

Since Rickie threw up again last night, I was thinking of giving him some Pepcid today. We have some from another time but I have gone completely blank - do I have to give this to Rickie before meals and if so, how long ahead of time? For people the box says 1h before - is the same true for dogs?

 

[Batmom]

I usually give 30-40 minutes -- that seems long enough.

 

If he's still upchucking, you'll want to get him back to the vet for a repeat x-ray. Fingers crossed he's over that, tho!

[Burpdog]

What she said An hour is preferable but many times one doesn't have that kind of time.

[Rickiesmom]

Thanks both of you. I'll give the pepcid and then later try a small i/d only breakfast. If that doesn't stay down we'll go to the e-vet as my regular clinic doesn't open until Tuesday.

 

It's so odd - the pattern has been, breakfast stays down, dinner doesn't. No idea what that might mean. We'll see what happens today.

[Guest Energy11]

Hope the Pepcid helps! What's going on, does seem weird!

 

To me, the ID is one of the best things when the stomach is upset. Good Luck!