Ask the Veterinarian/my dog sick

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Expert: - 11/8/2010


Question
Hello...my dog is a 10 year old Rottweiler/Shephard mix.  For the last few weeks she has had diarea and her stomach is bloated.  I tried giving her Pepto Bismol.  and for the last 3 days i fed her boiled rice & chicken.  I can't afford to take her to the vet since i have lost my job.  Can u give me any suggestions and whats wrong with her?

Answer
Hi Dee,
There are many reasons why her stomach could be bloated. Most common one that comes to mind is liver failure. If she isn't on heartworm prevention then she could have end-stage heartworm disease and liver failure is a sign of that. Diarrhea often goes hand in hand with this because the liver is unable to digest fats anymore and it just flows out with the stool making diarrhea.
Feeding her chicken and rice would help if it was a digestive issue but since you have not seen any resolution in three days I am afraid this might be more serious.

Check the color of the whites of her eyes. If they are yellow tinged or her tongue is looking yellowish then you will know if she is having a liver issue. The reason the belly bloats is because when the liver is the central filtering spot for the blood and if the liver isn't working properly the fluids that the liver normally filters out collect in the abdomen and cause what is known as acites, or the bloating that you see.

I am sorry but the only way you are going to find out what is going on with her is by taking her in to the vets. Only the vet can do the blood work that will tell you what condition her liver is in. Of course there are other conditions that can cause bloating but as I said, liver failure is one of the most common.

I hope you find a resolution to her problem soon and that it is not bad news. Please let me know what you find out.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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