Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 7/17/2008

Question
My 13 yr old Maltese recently began walking funny so I took him to the vet who said he had severe arthritis in his hip, it isn't joined anymore, and his spine has 4 'cloudy areas' on the Xray. She said if he were to go on any steps he could slip a disc and sever his spine. They gave him meds on Monday; torbugesic sa 10 mg injection, dexamethasone sp injection, cimetidine injection and the prednisone and sucralfate he trakes daily. Tue night he had diarrhea in the house, which he has never in 12 yrs done. It continued, he had it maybe 5 more times today but I watched for signs and took him out (bad gas, noisy stomach). When I got home tonight he had gone inside and it wasn't even mushy, it was black water with whole peices of food in it. Do you think it could be the meds or is he just not digesting anymore? Should I keep his Monday appt or take him immediately?

Answer
Amy -

Take him him to a doctor as soon as you can.  The black water you describe may indicate severe stomach problems; perhaps the prednisone is really giving his stomach a big problem.  The sucralfate is a stomach protectant but there is a possibility that the pred may be too much for him.   Request that your vet have some bloodwork done to check liver and kidney function.  Because he is thirteen it is important to evaluate liver and kidney as the organs in a animals' body age much more rapidly than the human body.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM