Parker won't drink!

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

So, Monday morning, Parker woke up by throwing up...I thought he might have just been hungry but when I fed him, he ignored it...then over the next couple of hours threw up 15 times...all bile and mucous. He wouldn't touch a drop of his water and food and when I took him to the vet, he visibly looked like he felt awful. The vet kept him over night (it was really hard for me to leave him there) and he was given fluids over night and all yesterday, along with having tests to see what was wrong. He had xrays to see if there was a blockage and there was nothing there from what they could see (plus Parker doesn't really eat anything that isn't his and he doesn't destroy his toys or anything like that) and bloodwork showed a slightly elevated white count so the vet thinks he has some sort of gastroenteritis.

I picked him up last night and was sent home with three antibiotics for him to take over the next week or so until they are done. He came home last night and ate the boiled chicken and white rice that the vet recommended (ate like he was starving, which I imagine he was because he hadn't eaten in 24 hours) and has kept the food down with no issues. But after he ate, he went right to sleep and was basically out cold from being so tired (he was alone in a cage at the vet so I doubt he slept much with his separation anxiety).

This morning I woke up and gave him his meds and fed him more of his chicken and rice which he has eaten and kept down with no issue still, but has yet to touch his water! Someone suggested popsicles and pedialyte so I went to the store and got some of those and cucumbers as well. He LOVES cucumbers and I know they are made up of a lot of water so I figured that might help....he ate the cucumber with no issue and actually licked a whole popsicle down, happily! He also had some diluted chicken broth with his breakfast and ate/drank that. But why won't he drink his water???? 

He's got me going crazy because I don't want him to get dehydrated! It is clear he still doesn't feel well but he has improved other than the not drinking water part.

 

Sorry for the long story...just wanted to make sure everyone had the details.

 

Has anyone seen this with their dogs?

[Ginny Nightingale]

Sounds like you have it under control--try elevating the water dish just in case it makes it more comfortable to drink--and you can give him ice cubes to lick too--hope he feels better soon!!

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

Yah, he won't touch an ice cube...just the popsicle lol

[Leslie J]

Glad he's feeling better! The Popsicle looks delicious :)

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

He thought so too, but the vet said that if he's not drinking his water more normally tomorrow, he's going to have to go back for more tests :(

[Colleen, Jake & Baxter]

I am sorry to hear about Parker.  Just went through something similar with one of my doodles but that is because he ate something he was not supposed to.  Just keep giving him the watered down chicken broth and/or make some chicken broth ice cubes.  I also freeze pumpkin puree in ice cube trays.  Plain non-fat yogurt is good especially if he is on so many antibiotics.  I hope he feels better soon!  He looks adorable with his pup-cicle!

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

Thanks...I will try yogurt cubes next.

[Donna K & Quincy]

I'm glad Parker is feeling better, maybe try adding a little apple juice to his water. It worked for Quincy when he was sick and wouldn't drink.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

It sounds like you are doing a good job of finding liquids that he will eat/drink so I don't think you need to worry about the water.  The food you are giving him probably has a lot more liquid in it than what he gets in his kibble. Tara normally eats home cooked food and I rarely see her drink water. Once I switched her to kibble for a short period of time and I couldn't believe the amount of water she drank.

I hope Parker is feeling better soon.

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

Thanks. Good to know...I was thinking it wasn't like his dry food, but I still expect him to drink something during the day! Maybe I am just overly worried because I saw how sick he was on Monday and he wouldn't drink anything then either.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

About the only time I see Tara drink is after she has played really hard (retrieving the ball sort of thing) or if she has been chewing her bully stick for a long time and needs something to wash it down. I can understand your concern though and it's good that you are monitoring him so closely until you are sure he is stable.

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

Yah, when I called the vet, he wasn't overly concerned about today, but Parker gave me quite the scare having to be hospitalized, so now I am a crazy mama! I just hope he gets back on track by tomorrow with his water bowl!

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

I will definitely saturate his dinner in water tonight! lol...can't let him see me do it though, otherwise he gets suspicious!