Calling all dog gurus...please help

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Sorry I'm burning up the boards with all these posts...it's been quite a couple of days!

Our dog Nala, another cairn terrier, has been seeming lethargic for about 3 weeks now. About 5 days ago, she puked everyday for 3 days, maybe three times a day. And for the last 3 days she's had diarrhea. I've altered her food. Instead of her regular raw diet, I've been boiling up some chopmeat and adding rice/couscous to it. Today I gave her some pumpkin (that is said to help dogs with diarrhea). She is drinking water, though I checked her for dehydration and it appears she's nearly dehydrated, though like I said, she's drinking water and I always give her broth with her meals. I also broke down and gave her pepto bismuth today. That seemed to help for now. I won't know until midnight which is when she starts to pace and need to go out.

Tomorrow will be the end of the normal time period if she ate something outside we're not aware of and if that is what made her sick. If it's something else, she will still have symptoms.

I've checked various gastro-intestinal disorders and diseases and she really does not have all the symptoms. Her appetite is still very strong, which is usually the number one thing to go when a dog has parvo or distemper or other diseases. In a dog who simply ate the wrong thing, it has not affect on the appetite, according to the books I have on hand.

Does anyone have any ideas? I found a holistic vet, but I haven't met her yet. I don't want our first meeting to be under these circumstances. I was hoping to schedule Nala for a well visit with her. And I hesitate to take her to our vet, as you know with everything that happened with Sophie, he's nuts, will want to do all sorts of unnecessary testing and is exhorbitantly overpriced!

Thanks!!!
 

klmno

Active Member
Take her to the vet tomorrow- it could be something that can only be diagnosis'd by a blood or urine test. I wouldn't let it go on any longer since you've spent a few days doing what should be done for typical upset tummies and she's still sick.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Honestly, if she's had diarrhea for three days and if there is any chance she's dehydrated, I would get her in to see SOMEBODY pretty darned soon - don't wait! If she's that dehydrated, I'd be looking for an emergency vet right now! A dog can die from dehydration very quickly. If she's been lethargic for three weeks, vomiting and now diarrhea, she needs to be seen by a vet ASAP. That's a long time to be sick and there's all kinds of things it could be, including an intestinal blockage which can be very dangerous. If there's an emergency vet in your area you can call them right now and see what they say, if she needs to be seen right away or if it can wait till tomorrow. If they say tomorrow is OK, and if she will eat in the meantime, try giving her some plain boiled chicken and rice instead of the beef. It's very easy on the stomach.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
I agree with the others about getting her seen ASAP. There are some things here that worry me: possible pancreatitis, which doesn't always cause loss of appetite. Or, possible partial bowel obstruction. The diarrhea while still having a good appetite makes that stand out in my opinion.

in my opinion (and I am not a vet, just a former technician), this has gone on long enough and you can't fool with it.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Pepto is a no no for dogs......Kaopectate yes much better.

As far as pumpkin??? PACKED pumpkin - not pie filling pumpkin - (for those that don't know) and boiled meat and hamburger would help to calm the lining of the stomach, but then you should introduce her regular diet back after about a three to four day period IF the diarrhea is clearing up. If not? VET TIME.

Secondly - Get her to a vet - YES...in the mean time? Get her some PEDIALITE. Not cold either. Room temp or tepid is fine. If you don't have that then 1/2 some Gatorade (also cool but not cold) 1/2 water 1/2 gatorade. Also freeze some gatorade in ice cube trays, then take out, put in baggie, smash and force feed it to her if she will not drink water / gatorade mix.

CAN YOU?? Pinch the skin at the nape of the back of her neck and it stands? On the top of her paws? IN my humble opinion - if you can pinch the skin and it stands? She needs to get to the vet NOW. Not in the morning. She may not have until morning. She would need SQ fluids (ringers) now = basically it's sugar water to perk her up. You can ALSO -----(and I say this with extreme caution) give her a tsp of KAYRO syrup to give her a boost of energy. It's not a fix by any means - but it may give her a little energy to get her to the water bowl or to help her feel like eating.

What color are her gums? - Pink good - White - NOT good. Could be hook worms. They are so nasty.

Does she have a temperature? - Take rectally with a rectal only thermometer. Keep a log and take to the vet.

If she is running a fever?
Take some icey packs (blue goo) and wrap them in towels and let her lay on them. Don't have those? Fill 2 ltr. soda bottles 1/2 with water and lay on side - freeze - wrap with towels and (pappose) her with them to get her temperature down.

Does she have blood in her stools? This could be Coccidiosis. (nasty bug but treatable if caught in time)

I mean it's nearly impossible to diagnosis her without seeing the stool, smelling it - seeing the vomit - and getting some blood work. Lethargy without the rest in these temperatures could just be heat - but not likely. How old is she? Has she been coughing? Like a dry hack? (Could be bordatella) Blood coming out of both ends with the most foul smelling diarrahea? Parvo....parvo works it's way from one end to the other - eats the lining of the intestines and thus blood from both ends....it's a horrible death, and smells like death.

Whatever she has? Where ever she has pottied? Clean it up with a mild solution of bleach water and rinse. Do the same for the bottom of your shoes - keep a spray bottle outside your house back and front door - dogs can wander in and out of your yard....you can track stuff in to your animals and not even know it. Parvo is airborne, but this is all the more reason any time you visit anyone else with a dog, or a kennel, or dang near anywhere -to come home to your kids? To spray your shoes or offer a foot/shoe wash before entering your house. (yeah not so germophobe now huh?)

Let us know how the Carin is. Hugs for her
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Thanks everyone. Nala seems to be doing better this morning. No diarrhea since yesterday midday and I checked her hydration - she's doing well. She drinks water all the time anyway, so there was no indication of excessive thirst except for yesterday. I tried to get a stool sample to take to the vet, but of course, when I want her to poop, she won't. And then when she does, I'm not the one with her and she scoots into the woods like the good girl she is - H is clueless about these things and thinks I overreact!

We took the dogs to a local park that she likes to see how she did and she perked right up and even went swimming in the brook, had a really good time, though it was apparent she was wiped after that. This morning she went back to her normal food as I wasn't awake yet and, again, H is clueless. But she did okay. easy child and difficult child are home and I told them to watch her closely.

Star, pepto is okay for dogs. The dose is 1tsp for every 10lbs. I have a holistic health book of reference for basic dog/cat ailments and that's what it said to give her. Also, I practice homeopathy and I have another book for that with animals as well. I'm up on that kind of stuff - lol! I also think that pumpkin helped her a lot. It is like magic - it's always helped my pups with short bouts of diarrhea. Did you know it also helps with constipation? Weird how that works, but it does. And no, you can't use the pumpkin pie filling, only the pak. I always have it in the house for this very reason...and also to make pumpkin pies and to make those one point cupcakes using pumpkin pak, yum!

Anyway, thanks everyone - we will see how she does during the day today and if need be, my vet is at his office till 7PM and I can take her in.
 

klmno

Active Member
I'm concerned it might be her pancreas. I really think you should take her to the vet. They can get stool and urine samples- you don't have to take them in.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
I am SO GLAD to hear she's feeling better!!!! I

I did not know about the pepto - our vet is anti-pepto -lol. Maybe he just hates pink. lol.

My sister does the whole holistic vet thing - crystals and all - I'm not, and it's okay that we agree to disagree. The first time her vet scribed for the ailment when her shelties butt was raw and bleeding? I was completely turned off. The prescription was pumpkin and sitz baths. I just figured the woman wasn't a good holistic vet - but there are good and bad in everything.

-I went in with an open mind - and came out with a closed mouth. My sister still goes to her.
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Omg, Star. I could not have kept my mouth closed if I was in the room with your sister's vet!! I would have busted out laughing. I know that there are natural cures and remedies and I am for that. But who could get a dog to sit in a sitz bath? Sophie recently had an anal gland that burst and was infected (2nd time - the dog is a reject but we love her!) and the script was hot compresses and antibiotics. I can live with that. I suggested to difficult child that she handle the hot compress part - Hahahaha.

I am pleased to report that Nala is back to her little arrogant, stubborn terrier self this morning. She was excited for her walk and ate breakfast like a champ, pooped okay, etc. She's looking bright eyed and I checked her skin for signs of dehydration - NONE. I think she must have eaten something bad, that's all. We have an apple tree that drops malformed apples and often ants and bees get into them. She may have chewed up a rotten one, I don't know.

Thanks for all the well wishes. KLMNO, I don't think it was a pancreas thing. Our first cairn had pancreatitis and had very different symptoms - we had to give him daily enzymes with every meal, it was sad. Nope, I think Nala's on the mend but I am keeping a very close eye on her.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
The better look was the one on my MOTHERS face - YEAH THAT WAS PRICELESS. Remember my Mom? Dog breeder, trainer, no BS'er.

She asked as I was pushing her out the door "just how many times had she missed with that swinging rock on a rope and hit herself in the head?" :tongue:

yeah I'm sure I get my sense of humor from her. My sisters expression at that moment was as dry as a popcorn fart.
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
Careful about the swimming. There is a toxic algae that is killing dogs who swim in our area lakes and streams.
 
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