Need advice about sick dog. Please Help?
I have a dog who has been dealing with a number of symptoms since Monday night.
He started off vomiting 6 times in 24 hours, then he stopped vomiting and started coughing. He has lost his appetite, and only eats when I tempt him with his favorite treats. I took him to the vet Wednesday but she couldn’t give me a diagnosis. His blood work was normal.
This morning he vomited once so I called the vet again and she has suggested over the phone that he might have kennel cough. He was vaccinated 7 months ago, but he is now on antibiotics just in case. He got his first pill a few hours ago.
Now my dog has very very bad diarrhea (it is totally liquid and is explosive) He is not dehydrated at the moment (I am checking him gums every hour). I am worried that we are on the wrong track with the kennel cough since his symptoms don’t seem to fit that well…
Any one out there have any advice for me? I plan to head back to the vet tomorrow morning, but I am very worried and am wondering if I could be doing anything to help him and get him correctly diagnosed.
The diarrhea can be caused by the antibiotics, as well as only eating treats. Normal blood work is a good sign. Has your dog gotten into something he shouldn’t and eaten it? Clothes? Toys? Maybe he needs an x-ray to see if there is an intestinal blockage because of a swallowed foreign object? Until you can get into the vet, try to keep him drinking water (or even Pedialyte), even using a turkey baster or syringe (depending on the size of your dog), especially since he’s have diarrhea. A bland diet (boiled rice and cooked ground meat) with cottage cheese or yogurt might help once he has fasted for 24-48 hours and seems improved. Good luck!
December 9th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
It could be lots of things. My Border Collie went though what sounds awfully similar, and after ages at an emergency vet (days) he was diagnosed with "a virus" Yeah. Helpful.
What he needed more than anything was an IV.
Stop tempting him and feeding him with treats. It’s not helping. Let him empty his belly. Make sure he’s drinking water, and watch him closely all night.
If I were you, I’d get him to a 24 hour emergency vet tonight. Bring with you what you’ve been given from your regular vet, including paperwork, and the exact antibiotic he’s on.
References :
December 9th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
The diarrhea can be caused by the antibiotics, as well as only eating treats. Normal blood work is a good sign. Has your dog gotten into something he shouldn’t and eaten it? Clothes? Toys? Maybe he needs an x-ray to see if there is an intestinal blockage because of a swallowed foreign object? Until you can get into the vet, try to keep him drinking water (or even Pedialyte), even using a turkey baster or syringe (depending on the size of your dog), especially since he’s have diarrhea. A bland diet (boiled rice and cooked ground meat) with cottage cheese or yogurt might help once he has fasted for 24-48 hours and seems improved. Good luck!
References :