AboutPatti Expertise To date, I've owned 7 dogs, all of which have lived into old age.
Having cared for them in all stages of life, I feel I can offer sound advice to other pet owners, and people considering getting a dog.
I am knowledgeable about the AKC (American Kennel Club) dog breeds, training and exercise, caring for sick and elderly pets, feeding, as well as many holistic treatments pets can benefit from.
My only request is that you write me using standard English and punctuation.
Experience My life experience in this field is more like "on the job training" rather than an actual degree in animal welfare. You may benefit from my experiences over the past 30 years.
Aside from the dogs I've owned, I'm also involved in "breed rescue" and have fostered several dogs, all of which have been adopted to wonderful "forever homes".
I find helping people who want a dog very rewarding.
Question Hi Patti
I will try to be short but my problem is puzzling. I have a 4 Y/O Blue tick coonhound. It seemed once or twice a year she would loose her appetite for a day but resume eating soon after. In January 07, she lost her appetite and vomitted a few times which was odd so I took her into our vet. They did some blood work (some levels were high not by much)and the vet wanted to admitt her for 2 days. When we picked her up they said her levels are back to normal. They said it could be Hemmorhagic Gastrointeritis or Pancreatitis though they could not say for sure. We put her on Raglyn & Amoxy for 2 weeks. She ate but when we went off after 2 days, she stopped. We contacted our vet and we went back on the same routine for another 2 weeks and the same thing happened. We then only gave her a 3rd dose of Raglyn but she slowly stopped eating. I put food out for 4 days and she did not eat a thing. Wanting a second opinion, we took her to an emergency clinic and did an ultrasound. That vet said she looks fine both by the ultrasound and her demeaner. She suggested we go back on the Amoxy and Raglyn but also give her Flagyl and Carafate along with Thistle milk. The vet also mentioned to home cook her meals, higher carbs and lower protein. The next day she still wouldn't eat so I started to force feed her and it has now been 2 weeks and she shows no sign of wanting to eat on her own. She is also starting to show signs of incontinence by urination while she is lying down. She has been drinking and as a few days ago, seems to be drinking more than usuall. Do you have any diognoses or suggestions on what could be the problem?? Please help. Thank you
Answer Hi Joe,
I'm terribly sorry, but I'm not a veterinary and can't diagnose problems.
I can suggest that you ask your vet about the possibility of your dog having Addison’s disease. The symptoms of Addison’s disease can be vague. More importantly, they are similar to the symptoms of many different problems. Initially, the dog may be listless, or seem depressed. Many dogs are described as just seeming off, or losing the normal sparkle in their eye. Lack of appetite is a good indicator. Other symptoms include gastro-intestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea. Pain in the hindquarters, or generalized muscle weakness such as a dog that can’t jump onto the bed or couch as he has done in the past is not uncommon. Shivering or muscle tremors may also be present. These symptoms may wax and wane over months or years making diagnosis difficult.
Another condition worth considering is Inflammatory Bowel disease (IBD). Because IBD can affect different portions of the GI tract, symptoms vary greatly from pet to pet, making it even more difficult to identify. Besides diarrhea or vomiting, other signs may include gurgling stomach, belching or gas, loss of appetite, desperation to get outside or soiling in the house, pain with bowel movements, weight loss and mucous, or blood in the stool.
I can tell you that Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, or HGE, often involves bloody diarrhea along with the vomiting.
Treatment requires prompt and aggressive fluid administration, and shock-level doses are usually needed at first. Food and water are withheld until the vomiting and diarrhea resolve. Steroids are given to animals that are in shock, and dogs with severe blood loss may require blood transfusion. Antibiotics are also given as part of the supportive treatment for HGE. Most dogs recover with appropriate treatment, although some may have additional bouts of the same signs after the initial episode resolves.
Vomiting is common with pancreatitis. Depression can be severe. Affected pets may seem restless or be reluctant to move, they may seem weak, irritable, have diarrhea or simply refuse to eat. Many owners recognize that their pet is very ill but may be baffled by a lack of symptoms to explain their pet's discomfort -- they just know they don't feel well.
I fully understand your fully understand your concern and frustration over your dog's problem. You might want to consider asking your vet about referral to a veterinary school or other referral center where your dog can be examined by a specialist at this point.
As far as getting your dog to eat, you can try warming her food. Warming releases smells, and it can entice a dog into eating. There are several high calorie nutrition supplements you can try. They're especially made for dogs that are ill and not eating. Brands to look for are:
Rebound Liquid Canine Diet
Tomlyn Nutri-Stat
Nutri-Cal
STAT
Enercal High Calorie Gel
DogSure Meal Replacement Food Supplement
You could even try the human version of "DogSure", called "Ensure". It's available in most drug stores. Try any flavor other than chocolate.
Flagyl (Metronidazole) can have the side effects of nausea, lethargy, weakness, vomiting and diarrhea. If your dog is having a side effect of this medication you wouldn't know since she was having many of those symptoms before starting that medication.
Some dogs getting Amoxicillin experience nausea as a side effect. Giving the medication with food can help reduce this effect.
