My poor sick doggy. :( Ever had a dog with HGE?

[CZroe]

Extremely worried. Don't know if that's my dog's problem. Would like HGE or related information from those who've been through it with their dogs. Thanks.

1) Dog had diarrhea and had pooped on the floor and vomited in my bed when I came home from work this morning at 2AM. He was clearly sick, but nothing I hadn't seen before except for the volume of vomit (bed was soaked).
2) Dog was let out but pooped inside again well before 8AM. Dog is house trained but was unable to hold it (abnormal). At this point he seemed to be getting better (only diarrhea; no more vomit).
3) Dog needed to go out frequently through the day and would continue crouching and waddling ("poop walk") for several minutes after a small initial discharge with audible gas. There would be several liquid drips and a few more low-volume fecal discharges before he'd finish and act normal (happy, playful, etc). A day or two of diarrhea is normal when he gets sick.
4) The very last little bit discharged from the very last "poop walk" before I left for work looked notably darker. I'm color-blind so I don't know if it was red. I dropped him off with my mother and left for work.
5) I got a call soon after arriving at work saying that there was blood in his stool. I know he ate some of my sister's dog's dog food today and had a few licks of my raisin bran remnants (mostly milk; NO raisins), so I thought he had a normal appetite until my mother reported otherwise.
6) All the vets were closed so, as a precaution, I told my brother and mother to treat him with the Vitamin K1 we still had from the time he found and ate rat poison. I began looking up the symptoms and came across this: Hemorrhagic GastroEnteritis (HGE)

There are many things to rule out including rat poison and hookworms (I already had Drontal Plus on order before he got sick), but it fits. He's a miniature pincher mix who is a little over 2 years old and, well, the article says that small breeds between 2 and 4 years old are particularly at risk. It seems that 2/3rds of the respondents lost a dog to it, so I really hope that's not it. I did not find or witness any more vomit all day today and he was always happy/playful after the miserable 6-8 minute "poop walk," but they aren't always lethargic. I will, of course, be taking him to the first vet that opens in the morning.

It seems a lot more serious than I thought when I arrived at work and now I have to sit here worried that my dog has to make it through another night of this before I can do anything.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Nobody can take the dog to an emergency vet hospital? You'd think after 1-4 that the dog was in serious trouble.

 

[CZroe]

Nobody can take the dog to an emergency vet hospital?

I don't think there is one in town. My car is in the shop (friend wrecked it) and I have my brother's car at work. Even if they could ride my motorcycle, it isn't registered at the moment and the handlebars are taken off.

Get well soon, Benjamin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhAjYnU-1So

 

[Capt Caveman]

I don't think there is one in town. My car is in the shop (friend wrecked it) and I have my brother's car at work. Even if they could ride my motorcycle, it isn't registered at the moment and the handlebars are taken off.

Get well soon, Benjamin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhAjYnU-1So

Instead of googling and trying to be a vet. Google for this - https://www.google.com/search?q=emergency+vet+hospital,+newnan+ga

And found this - http://www.petflight.com/zip_codes/30265/vet_clinics

The 3 closest emergency vets to Newnan, GA 30265, USA.
Southern Crescent Animal Emergency
Distance: 12.2 miles.

Address
1270 Hwy 54 East
Fayetteville, GA 30291

Phone
Main: 770-460-8166
Fax:

 

[FallenHero]

Instead of googling and trying to be a vet. Google for this - https://www.google.com/search?q=emergency+vet+hospital,+newnan+ga

And found this - http://www.petflight.com/zip_codes/30265/vet_clinics

The 3 closest emergency vets to Newnan, GA 30265, USA.
Southern Crescent Animal Emergency
Distance: 12.2 miles.

Address
1270 Hwy 54 East
Fayetteville, GA 30291

Phone
Main: 770-460-8166
Fax:

Clearly, his dog is not worth a 12 mile drive.

 

[CZroe]

Instead of googling and trying to be a vet. Google for this - https://www.google.com/search?q=emergency+vet+hospital,+newnan+ga

And found this - http://www.petflight.com/zip_codes/30265/vet_clinics

The 3 closest emergency vets to Newnan, GA 30265, USA.
Southern Crescent Animal Emergency
Distance: 12.2 miles.

Address
1270 Hwy 54 East
Fayetteville, GA 30291

Phone
Main: 770-460-8166
Fax:

Thanks, but not close at all and they already have a list of places to go if they can arrange it. There is no bus service outside Fulton County on the south side of the Atlanta GMA. I'm at work, can't make calls, and have already suggested to my mother and brother that they look into everything they can do. I'm stuck on throttled AT&T 3G while I'm here waiting for them to find a solution and funneling them any useful info I can find. It's mostly out of my hands until I get back later than 2AM.

Anyway, just caught your edit

Nobody can take the dog to an emergency vet hospital? You'd think after 1-4 that the dog was in serious trouble.

Actually, it just seemed like diarrhea after eating something that made him throw up at that point. Happens pretty often with him and usually lasts a couple days or so. My bed is also the typical place they would go to vomit (wish I could break them of this but I'm not going to punish a dog for getting sick).

 

[CZroe]

Clearly, his dog is not worth a 12 mile drive.

Clearly, you're an asshole. What part didn't you understand? I am stuck at work. Normal people can't get out of work because their dog is sick. Dammit, if I was vomiting and shitting I'd still go in, so why would I expect them to let me go to take care of a dog afflicted with the same? Especially one that vomited ONCE, wasn't vomiting anymore, and was otherwise acting perfectly fine.

Reported. If TheFlyingPig was banned for this you at least need a warning.

And it's a lot more than 12 miles. I'm 40 miles north of home and that's another 30 miles east. I can't even start on my way until around 2AM. I tried to do something constructive until then with my limited resources but instead I have people like you to deal with. TPAD or GTFO.

 

[ballmode]

awww My dog, a Silky Terrier about 15 pounds had that issue Spring 2012. I really thought he was going to die. He didn't eat for 3 days. I took him to the vet and they just gave him special dog food and gave him an IV because he couldn't hold down any water. I know your feels bro...

 

[CZroe]

awww My dog, a Silky Terrier about 15 pounds had that issue Spring 2012. I really thought he was going to die. He didn't eat for 3 days. I took him to the vet and they just gave him special dog food and gave him an IV because he couldn't hold down any water. I know your feels bro...

I wonder if that's what my sister's dog went through a couple months ago. She didn't eat for a couple days and was very lethargic. She got through it but she's been through that a few times over the last five years. HGE can reoccur but it sounds like odds are low so I'm not sure. Her little dog has a very delicate constitution and barfs when you even just look at her funny.

I hope it's just some other GI problem. Glad everything turned out well for you and yours.

 

[FallenHero]

Clearly, you're an asshole. What part didn't you understand? I am stuck at work. Normal people can't get out of work because their dog is sick. Dammit, if I was vomiting and shitting I'd still go in, so why would I expect them to let me go to take care of a dog afflicted with the same? Especially one that vomited ONCE, wasn't vomiting anymore, and was otherwise acting perfectly fine.

Reported. If TheFlyingPig was banned for this you at least need a warning.

And it's a lot more than 12 miles. I'm 40 miles north of home and that's another 30 miles east. I can't even start on my way until around 2AM. I tried to do something constructive until then with my limited resources but instead I have people like you to deal with. TPAD or GTFO.

Don't post on the internet if you don't like to hear brutal honesty. And really, LIE to your work to get out of it and take your sick dog in. Really not that hard.

 

[AreaCode707]

Could be so many different things... one of my dogs had similar symptoms and it turned out to be hypothyroidism (and she was 8 years old.) Treatable but took several vet trips to get it diagnosed.

 

[ManBearPig]

Good luck with your dog man, hope he is ok. I know the feeling. It's definitely hard waiting and wondering what's wrong knowing there's nothing you can do, hoping whatever's wrong gets better and really hoping its not serious enough to have to take them to the vet. Argh. Hate when my pup doesn't feel good.

 

[BoomerD]

Stop feeding your dog people food.

 

[Ichinisan]

Stop feeding your dog people food.

This x1,000

 

[Capt Caveman]

Update?

 

[CZroe]

Don't post on the internet if you don't like to hear brutal honesty. And really, LIE to your work to get out of it and take your sick dog in. Really not that hard.

"Brutal honesty?" You were dead wrong. Check your facts before you post with an attitude. You were way out of line and misguided "honesty" does not justify it.

Good luck with your dog man, hope he is ok. I know the feeling. It's definitely hard waiting and wondering what's wrong knowing there's nothing you can do, hoping whatever's wrong gets better and really hoping its not serious enough to have to take them to the vet. Argh. Hate when my pup doesn't feel good.

Thanks. Vet says he'll be fine.

Could be so many different things... one of my dogs had similar symptoms and it turned out to be hypothyroidism (and she was 8 years old.) Treatable but took several vet trips to get it diagnosed.

Thanks. It seems to be getting better but I'll ask if I do end up having to go back.

Update?

The vet said he'll be just fine. No definitive diagnosis. He said that it could have been a little HGE brought on by something he ate (cause of HGE is unknown and/or varied). He specifically mentioned pork and, well, a neighbor gave him some old pork chop bones to chew on the other day. He gave me some pills that I have to split and give him two halves daily. He also gave me some wormer in case it's worms. In case he got into rat poison, he said that vitamin K can't hurt. He hasn't bled, pooped, or squirted since he was dosed with K1 last night (treatment for rat poison), so I'm going to keep giving it to him just in case. He'll take dog treats, act happy, chase other animals, and stand/jump but he's clearly a bit lethargic (didn't even get up when I came home) and he was doing all that between his lengthy and miserable gassy/bloody "poop walks" before. No more treats though: He also told me to put him on a bland diet of just chicken (protein) and rice (carbohydrates).

Stop feeding your dog people food.

Ugh. That's what I feed him, but you know that's an artificial distinguishment, right? People food is only people food because we call it that. We are both omnivorous mammals with similar needs and even their "dog food" is mostly our scraps and byproducts (not specifically some other class of food).

I'm not going to go all "forced on us by the people who want to sell dog food!" but, in general, "people food" is a much better for animals than dog food and they get our waste products that are formulated to meat their minimal nutritional requirements. Human food can be too nutritionally rich just like it can be for us, but if it's something natural that they WANT to eat without being formulated sprayed seem palatable, it's probably better for them than dog food (raisins, grapes, chocolate, onions, aside). Dogs are natural scavengers. Yes, there are certain things that they can't have that we can and, just like all people can't tolerate lactose or wheat gluten or beans. One of the advantages of dog food is that it shouldn't have anything like that in it and you don't have to read every ingredient, but a dog can have a two licks from my empty cereal bowl and a tiny training-treat sized piece of my steak and it's actually better for him than dog treats and dog food. Dogs can't eat just anything, but it's a myth that dogs are better off with only dog food. If anything, I'm killing him with that stuff (dog treats too).

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

He might get the tiniest pinch of what I eat when I'm done and the biggest problem with that is not minding the ingredients or teaching him to beg. I mind the ingredients and like the attention, so that's my problem.

 

[TecHNooB]

you're colorblind? imagine walking into a bloodbath and not even knowing it.

 

[Skillet49]

\ Ugh. That's what I feed him, but you know that's an artificial distinguishment, right? People food is only people food because we call it that. We are both omnivorous mammals with similar needs and even their "dog food" is mostly our scraps and byproducts (not specifically some other class of food).

I'm not going to go all "forced on us by the people who want to sell dog food!" but, in general, "people food" is a much better for animals than dog food and they get our waste products that are formulated to meat their minimal nutritional requirements. Human food can be too nutritionally rich just like it can be for us, but if it's something natural that they WANT to eat without being formulated sprayed seem palatable, it's probably better for them than dog food (raisins, grapes, chocolate, onions, aside). Dogs are natural scavengers. Yes, there are certain things that they can't have that we can and, just like all people can't tolerate lactose or wheat gluten or beans. One of the advantages of dog food is that it shouldn't have anything like that in it and you don't have to read every ingredient, but a dog can have a two licks from my empty cereal bowl and a tiny training-treat sized piece of my steak and it's actually better for him than dog treats and dog food. Dogs can't eat just anything, but it's a myth that dogs are better off with only dog food. If anything, I'm killing him with that stuff (dog treats too).

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

He might get the tiniest pinch of what I eat when I'm done and the biggest problem with that is not minding the ingredients or teaching him to beg. I mind the ingredients and like the attention, so that's my problem.

I'm glad your dog is ok, but I really have to disagree with you on the food thing. Yes, people food is people food because we call it that, etc, and there are many terrible dog food for dogs made from leftover by-products(Dog Chow, etc.). However, there are a lot of dog foods available that have wholesome ingredients in it that don't cost too much. The issue with people giving their dogs their leftovers is that they are not portioned out based on how many calories your dog needs and the nutritional breakdown your dog needs. There is "people food" and "dog food" for a reason; we have different nutritional needs. It's perfectly fine if owners want to tackle their dog's feeding plan instead of buying dry kibble, but at least make a point to make sure it is balanced to their needs. My dog only eats kibble and dog treats (within moderation). When I can, I dehydrate sweet potato slices for dog treats but he has a lot of treats that aren't homemade. We always check the ingredients label to make sure what he's eating is full of good ingredients and not processed crap, like we do for ourselves. Also, be careful about giving your dog cooked bones because they can splinter in dangerous ways.

 

[Skillet49]

you're colorblind? imagine walking into a bloodbath and not even knowing it.

He probably would notice that. Two of my brothers are colorblind (the kind where they mix up colors, not black/white kind), and one of them at least has a hard time telling the difference between red and brown so I can see why he wouldn't have been able to tell if there was blood in his dog's diarrhea.

 

[CZroe]

I'm glad your dog is ok, but I really have to disagree with you on the food thing. Yes, people food is people food because we call it that, etc, and there are many terrible dog food for dogs made from leftover by-products(Dog Chow, etc.). However, there are a lot of dog foods available that have wholesome ingredients in it that don't cost too much. The issue with people giving their dogs their leftovers is that they are not portioned out based on how many calories your dog needs and the nutritional breakdown your dog needs.

That's kind of my point: neither are our foods. Sure, we have nutrition labels with daily guidelines on individual ingredients, but a table served is a table served. I don't see anyone using that as justification for only feeding their family members packaged meals that meet specific caloric and nutritional benchmarks. Instead, we try to have balanced meals and then adjust to suit: Feel you've had too much sugar or fats for the day? Have something else on your next meal. Feel that you are gaining weight? Try eating less or make appropriate selections. Feel that there wasn't enough green or yellow veggies? Make sure you get some in your next meal. Overcompensate if you feel it's warranted. Feel you're not getting enough fruit/vitamin C dues to lack of fruits this week? Either snack or supplement. Not working for you and feel that you NEED strict portioned out meals that meet your exact caloric needs and nutritional breakdown? Then get some prepared meals, buy a nutrition guide, and start reading every label of every ingredient and preparing to exact proportions. Why do people consider such a things an option for us but a requirement for pets?

My point is, you do the exact same thing with dog food. You give different foods to growing dogs, you restrict the portions for dogs that are overweight or give them a weight loss formula, you don't treat treats like a meal, you don't spoil your dog with people food so that it will not eat dog food (holding out for better stuff). The thing is, you actually have less control with straight dog food. Both dogs and people naturally need a varied diet to ensure complete nutrition unless you take a shortcut like prepared dog food. Not only am I taking that shortcut by giving him the same stuff as everyone else, I'm not even really supplementing it with what little I give him. I simply don't have any delusions about dog food vs. human food when I do it.

What I give him is so insignificant it can't really factor. Yes: As much as I talk about this, I too feed him plain old dog food. He stays hungry enough to eat it because I only give him the tiniest of scraps of "people food," but I guarantee you that when I give him a pinky nail sized scrap of steak it is far better nutrition than a Beggin' Strip or dog biscuit... and he LOVES it every bit as much.

There is "people food" and "dog food" for a reason; we have different nutritional needs. It's perfectly fine if owners want to tackle their dog's feeding plan instead of buying dry kibble, but at least make a point to make sure it is balanced to their needs.

Oh, it most certainly is not "instead of." We are making a big deal out of letting him have exactly two licks of my cereal bowl. He never gets more than a tiny pinch of the foods I eat and, even then, I make sure it's something safe for dogs as well as I know how... which is seemingly better than the dog food companies who keep recalling the things I feed my pets.

My dog only eats kibble and dog treats (within moderation). When I can, I dehydrate sweet potato slices for dog treats but he has a lot of treats that aren't homemade. We always check the ingredients label to make sure what he's eating is full of good ingredients and not processed crap, like we do for ourselves. Also, be careful about giving your dog cooked bones because they can splinter in dangerous ways.

I agree. In fact, I always argue with my family about the dangers of "feeding" bones to dogs. I prefer my dogs not get any they could actually break/eat and routinely tell them that dogs wouldn't even naturally be enticed to eat a bone if it weren't presented as food from a trusted food source after being cooked (marrow leaks out meat flavors permeate). In the wild, a canine would probably only gnaw the meat from the prey's bone unless it was starving. I actually follow a very similar regimen as you except for the daily pinch of what I'm eating. While I offer treats in moderation, I can't seem to convince family members to stop giving him whole dog biscuits so I would be overdoing it if I gave him any at all. If I do, he is just as happy with a third of one! What I do is break it and give the larger portion to the larger dog or toss it back in the box (yes, there is another dog; a Black Lab/Cocker Spaniel mix; she's not sick).

 

[Skillet49]

Oh, it most certainly is not "instead of." We are making a big deal out of letting him have exactly two licks of my cereal bowl. He never gets more than a tiny pinch of the foods I eat and, even then, I make sure it's something safe for dogs as well as I know how... which is seemingly better than the dog food companies who keep recalling the things I feed my pets.

Oh ok. I misunderstood. I thought you were giving him leftovers as a substitute for dog food. Most dog food companies have terrible ingredients. We've had pretty good luck with Pet Botanics, and I have made some homemade treats before (dehydrated sweet potatoes and chicken liver biscuits).

You have a good point that we do vary our diet and it's probably helpful for a dog to have a more varied diet. Part of the reason why we have a pretty strict 'no people food' policy in our home is just because I found it difficult to get more specific nutrition on dog nutrition, like how many calories they should eat, etc. Because if they need a lot of calories, something here and there is no big deal, but if they don't need a lot of calories then even a small amount can still be similar to a big portion. My dog acts like he's starving all the time so I just ignore when he is showing he wants more food since he's at a good weight. He is a Labrador after all and with a Lab mix I bet you are familiar with the "I'm starving!" thing. I'm sure he'd eat an entire bag of dog food if we let him.