Dog illness/gastro issues question??

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
Thanks! I will try this and get her wormed TODAY and keep a check on her. She's so sweet, I'd hate to lose her

 

[cluckychick]

Withold food for 24hrs then reintroduce give her ice cubes instead of water so she doesn't consume alot, rice with broth is good. I would have her stool checked for worms. My dog has vomiting issues as well and loves to consume everything she can. When we take her out she usually has her nose to the ground trying to eat something. I have her wormed every six months. Drontal is good for hookworms which you don't see. Not sure where you live but with our weather being wet/moist the worm count is high in our region.

 

[bumpershoot]

The fact that there is no blood in the stool is encouraging. At the moment, from what you've said so far I would do these things: move her off kibble for a day or so and feed her pumpkin, pedialite, chicken broth and molasses and see how that goes. Give her what she'll eat. The pedialite is for the electrolytes and the molasses is for the trace minerals. Chicken for protein and pumpkin for fiber, plus dogs like it.

Just out of curiosity, do her ears stink? Do they have dark sticky crud coming out of them?

 

[tdgill]

no offense cluckychick, but if the dog has had loose poo for days, its possible she's dehydrated. I would let her drink all she wants/can. But definately withhold all food for 24 hours. She'll thank you in the end. hahah. Duh thinking she'll just eat more poo!!! lol. Keep her inside and away from other "treats"

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
No stinky ears.

cluckychick-It has been extremely wet here for the last several months! So, I'm thinkin you are likely right.

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I can't wait to get her better...I actually miss the wet tennis ball in my lap right now

 

[tdgill]

oh and no more peanut butter...prob too fatty right now.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
Ahh see i have been giving her that to get her to take the ginger...maybe i'll try molasses instead. Thanks for the tip!

 

[tdgill]

do yourself a favor and don't do ANYTHING right now. lol. Give her 24 hours to settle down first. It can become a yo yo effect.

also, you mentioned she missed her wormer this month. if she has been on it regularly I would doubt that she has a heavy infestation of worms. Not after a month missed.

I also had a dog we had to treat for Giardia

 

[cluckychick]

If you allow her to drink all she wants it will only upset the stomach making her vomit. The idea is to let her consume liquid slowly rather than lapping it up as I know my dog does if I allow her to. On the advice of my vet this is what we do and it works well. I would use beef consumme in the rice as it has gelatin in it which allows for better absorption into the system rather than just passing through thus aleviating the dehydration.

 

[tdgill]

I don't think this dog is vomiting. Just diarrhea. Neat info on the gelatin!

Giardiasis is an infection of the small intestine caused by a microscopic organism (protozoa), Giardia lamblia.
Symptoms
•Abdominal pain
•Diarrhea
•Gas or bloating
•Headache
•Loss of appetite
•Low-grade fever
•Nausea
•Swollen or distended abdomen
•Vomiting
The time between being infected and developing symptoms is 7 - 14 days. The acute phase lasts 2 - 4 weeks.
Treatment
Some infections go away on their own. Anti-infective medicines may be used.

Cure rates are generally greater than 80%. Drug resistance may be a factor in treatment failures, sometimes requiring a change in antibiotic therapy.

In pregnant women, treatment should wait until after delivery, because some of the drugs used to treat the infection can be harmful to the unborn baby.
Causes
Giardiasis outbreaks can occur in communities in both developed and developing countries where water supplies become contaminated with raw sewage.

It can be contracted by drinking water from lakes or streams where water-dwelling animals such as beavers and muskrats, or domestic animals such as sheep, have caused contamination. It is also spread by direct person-to-person contact, which has caused outbreaks in institutions such as day care centers.

Travelers are at risk for giardiasis throughout the world. Campers and hikers are at risk if they drink untreated water from streams and lakes. Other risk factors include:

•Exposure to a family member with giardiasis
•Institutional (day care or nursing home) exposure
•Unprotected picky sex