Just back from the vet. UPDATE, Monday Update

I got home late last night from Amsterdam where I have been for the past four days. I was on business but got to spend two whole days between meetings in that wonderful city. Cheek by jowl with Van Gogh and Rembrandt! This morning I got up to diarrhea in he lounge and Boris needing a bath. I bathed him at 7.30 and got up. He went again twice and then started throwing up bile. This went on until lunchtime so I made a vet appointment and we went at 4pm. He had six bouts of diarrhea and vomited bile three times before the vet. My major worry is that he has eaten something that is stuck and as I wasn't here I don't know what that could be. My partner said he was eating fine while I was away and had his last meal yesterday evening. The vet said he doesn't think there is something there bu couldn't rule it out. No fever so he gave him an anti-emetic injection and told me to cook boiled chicken and rice. He also gave me some paste in a syringe which I have to give three times per day. He was full of beans in the vets and interestingly the vet told me to tap him on his head while he jabbed him with the needle saying this would help counteract the soreness of the injection which he said was a sore one and he said he hated the thought of hurting him and making him fearful of vet visits. Boris didn't flinch so It obviously worked. It's a T-Tellington touch thing but I wonder if the distraction of me tapping his head was what helped. We are home now and he has eaten some rice and chicken and I am hoping for an uneventful night. Fingers crossed.

*MORNING UPDATE*

We spent a very restless night with Boris waking every hour and needing to go outside. He has stopped vomiting (probably due to the medication) but still has the diarrhea and this is just a little liquid now as he has nothing left in his tummy. This morning he did take some water but refused all food. I gave him a popsicle which he has been licking. It's a frozen yoghurt one. I'm cooking some chicken broth now and hopefully he will take some of that. From the straining there is still a little bleeding but it is fresh blood and not internal. Generally he is in better form than I would have expected but we are very worried. I will wait to see how the morning goes and if this does not settle will take him to the ER this afternoon. I cannot think what this could be and we have been wracking our brains to see if we can think of something he might have ingested. No one fed him any treats that may be suspect and he has not chewed anything inappropriate as far as we know. I am working to make sure he does not get dehydrated

*Monday Morning*

I think we've turned the corner! We were only woken once during the night at 2.30 and Boris slept straight through until 7.30. He still has some diarrhea but is back to his normal self, hungry and playing with his toys and with Riley. No more bleeding either (TG) I called the vet and asked about transitioning back to food but she just advised ID Hills food. I asked what was in it and she said she didn't know but would call me back. I did a search and here's what it is

Water, Turkey, Egg Product, Pork Liver, Rice, Whole Grain Corn, Rice Starch, Powdered Cellulose, Dried Beet Pulp, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Caramel Color, Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, L-Threonine, DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, Iron Oxide, Ascorbic Acid (source of vitamin C), Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Cysteine, Magnesium Oxide, Beta-Carotene, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite.

As I know from the Food Group there is nothing in the above that I would want or need to give to my dogs!!!! I am waiting for the call back and will have the conversation LOL

I am just feeding the broth that I made myself. Boiled fat free chicken, rice and sweet potato and hopefully his tummy will settle soon.

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Permalink Reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on January 14, 2013 at 6:46am

"...she just advised ID Hills food. I asked what was in it and she said she didn't know.."

Interesting, isn't it?

"I recommend that you give your sick puppy this food, although I have no idea what's in it."

What's in it is bunch of corn and other grain, a couple of protein sources that are far inferior to those in his current food, a fiber source that is also far inferior to what he normally gets, and the one thing that might help a little with diarrhea: powdered cellulose, which is insoluble fiber. No medicine, nothing therapeutic.

Although I will say that the UK version of i/d is better than the American version, but that's because your laws about these things are much better than ours. No by-products or floor sweepings like the stuff our vets recommend.

I'm glad that Boris had a better night and seems to have turned the corner. I'm doubly glad that he has a mom who knows better than to feed him Hill's i/d.

I hope he improves with each passing hour.

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Permalink Reply by Nicky, Riley & Boris on January 14, 2013 at 10:07am

So much better and we are now semi solid poops as opposed to pure liquid! The conversation was interesting. The vet tech did ring me back. I told her I had researched the ingredients myself and there was nothing in the ID that seemed to have any therapeutic benefit. I told her that I only feed grain free so I would not consider feeding corn and that IMO the food I was cooking myself was far superior to what was in those expensive tins. At the end of the conversation she agreed with me and was mumbling a half hearted apology.

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Permalink Reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on January 14, 2013 at 10:29am

Yay! I am thrilled to hear that Boris's poops are firming up, and very, very happy to hear that you educated the vet tech too, lol! Good for you!

Boris, you have a great mommy! You keep getting better for her and for all of us!

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Permalink Reply by Colleen, Jake & Baxter on January 14, 2013 at 6:57am

Nicky, I feel your pain. I am so sorry about Boris, it is frightening going through what you described above especially if you do not know what the cause is. My Baxter ate 6-8 cooked chicken thigh bones last week while I wasn't looking. I had put them in a strainer in the sink to cool down. It just happened so quickly but the consequences of what he ate didn't...:(

I hope he feels better and that you are able to find out what caused his symptoms.