Explosive Bloody Diarrhea Vet Says Hge

[Guest Eyeblaura]

So Wednesday night Enzo woke us up 3 x to go outside, he never gets up in the night and we usually have to call him down in the morning. Thursday morning I let him out and watched him in the yard and noticed he had diarrhea (completely liquid/watery). I didn't feed him that morning and about lunch time he was obviously hungry as he was scrounging for every crumb he could find. He wasn't vomiting so I fed him some rice and boiled chicken which he ate ravenously, I fed him the same at dinner and for meals on Friday. I offered him his normal kibble this morning and he didn't eat (which isn't unheard of) otherwise drinking fine and acting normal. Oh and he has had REALLY fowl gas.

 

This afternoon while walking him he had an episode of explosive diarrhea that appeared to be nothing but bright red blood. So off to the vet we went. I couldn't take a stool sample as there was literally nothing to take, it was all liquid. No fever, no vomiting, no weight loss, not dehydrated. Gums looks good, not pale or bleeding. She did a rectal exam and felt no masses or tears. He doesn't have any bruising or petechial hemorrhages or a tender abdomen. Was perky, tail wagging, and getting all the loving he could from anyone willing to give it to him.

 

So basically he is acting completely normal other then the bloody bowel movement.

 

She said HGE and since he seems to be perky and well hydrated sent us home with metronidazole twice a day for a week and Endosorb 3 x day for 5 days. A bland diet of rice and chicken. He ate and has had one dose of both meds and hasn't had another episode since 1:30 today when we headed to the vet.

 

After googling HGE it sounds like these dogs are really sick and the only symptom he seems to be is the bloody stool.

 

I am wondering if maybe it is more a colitis? I started feeding some turkey necks a few weeks ago (he has had a total of 4) and one turkey back but he hasn't had anything raw for about 10 days. When feeding the turkey necks his poops were really firm actually. Could this be related?

[Guest Eyeblaura]

So Wednesday night Enzo woke us up 3 x to go outside, he never gets up in the night and we usually have to call him down in the morning. Thursday morning I let him out and watched him in the yard and noticed he had diarrhea (completely liquid/watery). I didn't feed him that morning and about lunch time he was obviously hungry as he was scrounging for every crumb he could find. He wasn't vomiting so I fed him some rice and boiled chicken which he ate ravenously, I fed him the same at dinner and for meals on Friday. I offered him his normal kibble this morning and he didn't eat (which isn't unheard of) otherwise drinking fine and acting normal. Oh and he has had REALLY fowl gas.

 

This afternoon while walking him he had an episode of explosive diarrhea that appeared to be nothing but bright red blood. So off to the vet we went. I couldn't take a stool sample as there was literally nothing to take, it was all liquid. No fever, no vomiting, no weight loss, not dehydrated. Gums looks good, not pale or bleeding. She did a rectal exam and felt no masses or tears. He doesn't have any bruising or petechial hemorrhages or a tender abdomen. Was perky, tail wagging, and getting all the loving he could from anyone willing to give it to him.

 

So basically he is acting completely normal other then the bloody bowel movement.

 

She said HGE and since he seems to be perky and well hydrated sent us home with metronidazole twice a day for a week and Endosorb 3 x day for 5 days. A bland diet of rice and chicken. He ate and has had one dose of both meds and hasn't had another episode since 1:30 today when we headed to the vet.

 

After googling HGE it sounds like these dogs are really sick and the only symptom he seems to be is the bloody stool.

 

I am wondering if maybe it is more a colitis? I started feeding some turkey necks a few weeks ago (he has had a total of 4) and one turkey back but he hasn't had anything raw for about 10 days. When feeding the turkey necks his poops were really firm actually. Could this be related?

[a_daerr]

HGE sounds about right... it's just a temporary thing. Just a sudden onset of bad diarrhea with no real rhyme or reason. Colitis is more of a chronic condition. If he's done well on turkey necks before, it seems unlikely that it would suddenly start causing diarrhea. Is it possible that he got into something else on accident? Also, is he on Heartgard? I would continue with medication and the bland diet and slowly introducing kibble back only when the stools have firmed up. Hopefully it's just a fluke thing.

[Hubcitypam]

The bloody bright red blood runs happened with Rex.

After WAY too much multiple testing, multiple deworming and multiple poking and prodding it was diagnosed as colitis and was fixed by food change.

[Guest Eyeblaura]

His is on Trifexis monthly and is current on all vaccines. He had a routine exam and fecal in October that was all normal except for Capillaria which we did a round of Panacur for. He hasn't gotten into anything that I am aware of. We don't do dog parks but we do daily leash walking and he does have the run of a fenced in backyard and is not always supervised so in theory he could have gotten into something in the yard but someone would have had to put it in the yard. He does find rabbit poo a delicacy and will hunt it out in the yard.

 

He really seems to be feeling just fine, which is reassuring, but the blood was scary.

 

We'll get him back to normal and I'll probably try the turkey necks again after he's good for a couple of weeks on kibble and we'll see what happens I guess. I really like how well they clean his teeth.

 

Thanks.

[silverfish]

I've had one with HGE who looked very, very sorry for herself. She developed it at a kennel when we were away, actually on the morning we were due to return and they rang to ask if we wanted them to take her to their vet or if we wanted to wait and take her to ours. We chose to take her to ours since it would only be a couple of hours. I almost didn't recognise her when we opened the kennel. She looked shocked, and very, very rough. She got over it quite quickly though, in only about three or four days.

 

A friend's dog has had it recently. She thought he was going to die, and he ended up hospitalised with a drip. He's recovering nicely now.

 

You'll probably see how this develops. Either he'll get worse, or he'll recover, or he'll go on the same. If he goes on the same, I'd personally question the dx. If he recovers with the treatment or gets worse, then it's probably right. JMHO.

 

I hope he does well!

[Guest IrskasMom]

My Grand Dog had it and he is a little Guy ( Shihpoo ) He was close to dying . He spent a Night and a Day at the EVet . So not taken lightly .

[TheFullHouse]

If it's HGE, the antibiotics should take care of it. The danger is that most dogs become dehydrated with it. If he's well hydrated the meds should work within 3 days. Just make sure he's getting enough fluids. If he starts acting really sick I'd get him back to the vet.

[Guest Eyeblaura]

Thanks guys. He hasn't had a bowel movement since yesterdays episode and is eating the chicken and rice and looking for more. Still acting normally so hoping we are on the upswing and very lucky things aren't worse.

[GeorgeofNE]

I had a similar situation with my old dog. Angell Memorial intern wanted to admit him and put him on an IV, etc. Minimum cost, $500 a night. She suggested 2 days. I insisted on Flagyl and took him home. It never happened again.

 

Insert shrugging emoti here--I am too tired to look for it!

[Guest Eyeblaura]

He seems fine. Was just out running zoomies in the yard and is now snoozing in front of the fire. He still hasn't had a bowel movement but I guess he's pretty empty and has only had 2 meals.

[mychip1]

When my Dustin has belly flair ups, the diarreah is pretty scary. The flagyl (Metrondiazole) usually does wonders.

 

Keep us posted!