Taking Stew to ER vet!! liquid stool & horrible guarding incident

[Jess & Stewart]

I finally found a job & started this week, on Wednesday!! I was worried about leaving Stew while I was at work but he was fine in his crate & was a perfect gentleman for the new dog walker. He also had started going in his crate on his own & hasn't guarded in a long time. He's been AMAZING recently, the PERFECT dog & I thought we'd really turned a corner. Great dog, great new job & I'm on a Waitlist for a great new apartment!

Then Thursday, he FREAKED out when I tried to put him in his crate & leave. Wouldn't go in, growled when I tried to lead him to it & guide him in, then snapped & came for me (biting at my boot & ankle , I could even feel his teeth through the boot but he didn't go through it or break any skin on me). He just stood in the middle of my apt, growling, I didn't know how to reprimand so I just practically ran from my apt & left him out. According to dog walker, he was fine, didn't get into anything, she found him on couch eating his KONG, was able to get him in his crate no problem.

Friday was even worse, I changed morning tactics & put his food in his crate thinking he'd walk in on his own, he wanted nothing to do with his crate. So I led him to the door, tried to put his EW harness to then guide him to the crate & take the harness off. This usually works & he walks right in when I said "in the crate!". He wouldn't even let me put his harness on, I knealt down to try, he growled, which started me (I spook unexpectedly VERY easily, even sneezes, fire alarms make him jump) & I dropped the leash. He dove for it & started guarding it. Wouldn't even leave it for a piece of hot dog. He just kept growling & would charge me when I'd try to get the leash. I left him out & left my apt in tears.

SO, my dog walker said he didn't get into anything except he chewed the loop on his leash in two. She said it didn't look like he injested any of it because it looked like he just chewed it straight thru. He was of course perfect for the dog walker, went in crate perfect. To be on safe side, I gave him hydrogen peroxide when I got home, nothing but dog food came back up so I figured we dodged a blockage!

He's been fine (normal appetite, energy etc) but Friday night had very loose stool, it's now completely liquid, brown water. I gave him chicken/rice on Saturday with pumpkin thinking it would resolve. Last night he had liquid poop 3 times in the middle of the night. This morning, he vomited his chicken/rice. I'm thinking I'll walk to the vet hospital ER after I get dressed. I'm SO worried now....

I ALSO HAVE AN APPT WITH PENN VET BEHAVIORISTS FOR 2 WEEKS FROM NOW, BUT THINK I NEED IMMEDIATE HELP. I'm really distraught & thought we'd turned a corner. I'm worried he'll never view me as his leader & I'll need to get rid of him. I don't want a dog I'm scared will snap & attack me.

[Katie & Roo]

Glad  to hear he's okay!!!

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

Glad to hear that Stew is doing better. Do you think that the change in routine with your new job has been stressful for him? Perhaps he wasn't used to being left in the crate that long by himself and was anxious with the new dog walker. His stress and fear may have caused him to lash out. 

I recently moved and Oliver now has a new home and dog walker--the first few days I could tell that he was a little anxious (jumpy and tense). We tried to slowly build up the time of him being left in the new house alone and now have my parents visit him during the day. After about a week he started doing a lot better. 

[Jess & Stewart]

Yes, I'm thinking he was stressed as it was pretty short notice that I went back full time. I did have the dog walker come the Tuesday before to take him for a midday walk while I went grocery shopping so he had 4 days of last week with her instead of just 3 days. The guarding was before the blockage occurred so I'm sure he just didn't want me to leave.

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

At least things went better today! It sounds like his stress caused him to regress. Regardless, the behaviorist should be able to give you some tips on how to prevent this from occurring and how to respond. Since he can't be left out of the crate. it's important that you can get him in without an issue.

In the past have you ever talk to a behaviorist about Stews guarding and growling?

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I am so glad that Stew is okay.  Good luck with your behaviorist appointment. I am sure you will learn a lot.

[Jess & Stewart]

Stew did so well this morning!! Came when called, sat in front of his crate while I put his food in then released him and he went right in with a small piece of turkey as an extra lure. He was laying down as I left and didn't make a peep. He wasn't barking when I went down the steps and outside so that was a good sign. I bet he's probably sore from the procedure too.

The behaviorist I talked to yesterday told me to use a protein as a lure/treat that he hadn't ever been exposed to so it would be extra amazing and he'd go right for it. I decided on turkey because its low in calories and I don't typically eat it so I don't have it to use as a lure. He went NUTS for it! Ran right into his crate after I released him. Hopefully this works until my appointment!

I just can't wait until the diarrhea is over with. My streets were covered in ice during our walk this morning and it was hard to walk him. He pooped about 10 times, the first few weren't too bad although they were bright orange from the chicken and rice and possibly the Tylan. He held it overnight though from 10:30 ish until 7 when I took him out which was awesome!