Ask the Veterinarian/My Dog is sick!

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Expert: - 6/12/2010


Question
My dog is a boxer/bulldog mix...she is less than a year old and she usually eats very well and is a very hyper acting female.  the past few days she has not been eating and has thrown up several times..at one point she had some diarrhea.  What can I do at home to sooth her symptoms as the vets here are closed and the closest vet hospital is a few counties over?

Answer
Well she has gotten into something that is making her sick. This can be a passing problem or it could be that she has gotten into something very serious.

If she has vomiting and diarrhea she could even have parvo. You don't mention vaccinations so I am guessing.

Vets are everywhere so look in the phone book and call one close to you. Many veterinary hospitals have after hours phone service so that you can at least talk to them. She was sick when they were open a few days ago- I would not have waited two or three days to have sought out help for her.

If she has been sick this long and is still sick she is very ill indeed. Conditions such as pancreatitis can be fatal and parvo can be as well.

If you give her anything orally at this point it's only going to make her vomit more.

If she is on her third day of vomiting she is also getting dehydrated as well and losing her electrolytes. All of this might escalate and she will not do well.

Please call your vet or a vet as soon as you can.

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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.

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

Education/Credentials
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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