UPDATE Dog thowing up

[MaryMouse]

Mabey if you do decide to keep him and you get to the point of doing vet work (tests) you could talk to your vet about costs being a concern and could you do it a step at a time. Meaning like test for what the vets gut instinct first. If nothing shows there, then go to the 2nd choice test, and so on. We go to a vet clinic that has 4 vets. 3 of them are great and understand this method, and understand I am not being cheap, but money is a concern. The 4 th vet has a great heart, and is an exellent vet, but wants to do every test known to man with no thought of the money only the animals health. It is really hard to find a balance with the two.
As far as feeding the dog. I suggest feeding the dog the same exact easy to digest diet everyday. Also to give multiple meals at schedualed times durring the day. Like 4 small measured meals a day, instead of 1 big one. Ask your vet for their suggestion on what they feel would be an appropriate, easy to digest diet for him, and how much to feed.
Good luck and hope it turns out ok for both you and the dog.

 

[Dar]

if the shelter knowingly allowed you to adopt a dog that was ill then I would seek legal advise about recovering the costs of the vet bills... a free consult with a lawyer is usually about 30 min and will tell you if you have a leg to stand on.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Yep! That's some BS!!! They SOLD you a sick animal.. there has to be some laws in your state about that...
Once again, another reason I don't trust shelters...

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
2x They let you adopt a sick dog. Its beyond me why they didn't go the extra expense to get the dog well. If he had "trots", they would give him some time to settle or find the problem first before taking him on the adoption line.

Hope the dog is OK but you will be getting alot of vet bills. Is there anything on that contract that said if you got a sick dog, they would refund when returned OR pay for the vet fees?

 

[HeatherLynn]

you might try giving him oil straight. I had a lab who tended to gulp anything in his path. Food, clothes, sticks.... it really didn't matter. As a general rule he had a ton of tummy issues and puked all the time. Whenever he ate something he wasn't supposed to the vet had us give him a table spoon of oil for a couple days. Sorta ease the way for anything that might be blocking. We also had him on a regular meal of rice and chicken broth. No dog food. It tore him to pieces. The rice and chicken stayed down and let him tummy heal. We also did the same thing minus the oil for any time he got into chocolate or other foods that could make him sick. Get a mild diet and stick with that. Watch the tummy to see if it gets distended. Might also talk to your vet. Advise that you are limited in funds and if they can pick and choose testing based on the most likely to save a bit of funds.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
mineral oil taken orally can "lube" the poop... but please be really careful the dog does not aspirate any oil it can be lethal

when my dogs get into something they should not have or when i notice they are a lil constipated i will mix 1 TBSP of oil with some moist food and give it to then that way... I only have 15lb dogs though so the dosage of mineral oil would be greater for a larger dog.

 

[gpamela3499]

I am going to use up the rest of the baby food then start a chicken /rice dog food.
That dog males me so mad he ran outside and started to eat hard food that spilled on the ground a few days ago and then throw up. Shoot that screwed up the whole day of the special diet.

 

[AinaWGSD]

He has no fever and does not seem be sick by his behavior and she said that it might be worms.

You can't rule out worms with a single negative fecal sample. Intestinal parasites shed eggs intermittently. One negative fecal sample is good, but does not necessarily mean that the dog doesn't have worms. It could just mean that the worms were not laying any eggs at the time the stool was deposited. I work for a vet and we see dogs at least once every other month (often more frequently than that) that have a negative fecal sample the first time around but then on the second or third fecal sample we find parasites.

Have you taken a sample of the vomit in to your vet for them to do a gram stain to check for abnormal bacteria? Campylobacter is an abnormal bacteria that usually causes diarrhea and vomiting. But I have seen campy. in vomit samples from dogs with completely normal stools. Campylobacter is also a big deal because in addition to making dogs sick it is contagious to humans.

Likewise, your vet should also be running a giardia test on the stool sample you bring in. Again, giardia usually causes diarrhea but I have often seen positive giardia tests on dogs with perfectly normal looking stools. And, like campylobacter, giardia is contagious to humans.

The vet wants to do a blood work up, X rays, and maybe barium. I really was not prepared for this much cost this soon after adopting Oliver. I have until the 19th to return him to the shelter. If we return a sick dog I get my money back but it is his death warrant as the shelter is a kill shelter and they put sick dogs down right away.
We love this dog I got him for my 6 year old as a Christmas present but the whole family has bonded with the dog. He barks very little, is a little protective but not too much. He tolerates the cat and my 1 year old. We would like to do all we can before returning him but that does not include spending a couple thousand dollars before it is discovered he has a chronic condition.

I understand that money is always an issue when it comes to vet care. I also understand that when you bring a new pet home you don't expect to spend a lot in vet bills within the first week. However, and I am sorry to sound so judgmental, if you are not willing to spend the time and money necessary to diagnose and treat a chronic condition then perhaps a dog is not the right pet for your family. I understand that you expected to get a healthy pet from the shelter and that it puts you in a difficult position to make these kinds of financial decisions when you were totally unprepared for them, but really what's the difference between spending a thousand dollars diagnosing and treating a condition after you've had a pet for years vs right after you bring a pet home? You are either willing to spend the money to make this dog healthy or you are not. And if you are not, then you really have no place to put down the shelter for also not wanting to spend the money (of which they have little to care for a lot of animals) to make a dog healthy when they could use those resources for an already healthy animal.​

 

[Brindlebtch]

The barium sounds like she thinks a blockage, foreign object or torsion is a possiblity. If it is bacteria it will be easy to find and not too expensive. I don't think you have enough data to know if this is a chronic condition or not. I kind of doubt it, based on what I've read so far. Have the vet refer you to someplace that can do an abdominal ulreasound instead of barium.

If it is a blockage, fo or torsion, the dog eventually will die without treatment.

 

[gpamela3499]

My dog has not thrown up except the hard food he found. I used the cat bowl in the food dish idea it has worked so far. Thank you everyone!!!

"However, and I am sorry to sound so judgmental, if you are not willing to spend the time and money necessary to diagnose and treat a chronic condition then perhaps a dog is not the right pet for your family." If you are going to be sorry for something you are writing and you know it, don't write it. Am I to understand that unless I have boundless money to do all kinds of lifesaving and prolonging treatments I should not own an animal. That's pretty harsh I think.

We love this dog I got him for my 6 year old as a Christmas present but the whole family has bonded with the dog. He barks very little, is a little protective but not too much. He tolerates the cat and my 1 year old. We would like to do all we can before returning him but that does not include spending a couple thousand dollars before it is discovered he has a chronic condition.
Oh I am not upset at the shelter. I understand absolute the shelter's limited resources. Their excellent volunteers have tried to contact past owners to help find out the problem The problem for me is that if I had owned the dog
for years and then discovered the problem I would at least know a little about his history.
If I had spent $1500 on a pure breed German Shepherd the breeder would have either given me the money back or another dog especially if it was a genetic problem and the dog would have been immediately destroyed. I took a shelter dog with an unknown disposition and health. I will regret it only if the dog must be returned otherwise I have given this dog lots of love in the final days of his life. I will not let him suffer but I do not see at least trying to give him a chance.


Sometimes vets especially in this economy will encourage owners to spend money for unnecessary tests. I do not jump to the doctor as soon as my kids are sick either. I want get all the advise I can first. Sometimes other peoples experiences and solutions are way more productive than a million expensive and useless tests . I guess the fecal test for worms was unreliable too. I truly value all of your suggestions. They have honestly been way more helpful than the 5 minutes the vet spent with my dog while she told me the long list of test and procedures. She did not even really examine the dog.

I had an 18year old cat they wanted me to spend big money testing for diabetes etc. The treatment would have been more traumatic to my cat than a natural death. Animals have no rights to choosing their health care sometimes it is up to the owners to choose a practical outcome for the animal. He has no fever and does not seem be sick by his behavior and she said that it might be worms.
You can't rule out worms with a single negative fecal sample. Intestinal parasites shed eggs intermittently. One negative fecal sample is good, but does not necessarily mean that the dog doesn't have worms. It could just mean that the worms were not laying any eggs at the time the stool was deposited. I work for a vet and we see dogs at least once every other month (often more frequently than that) that have a negative fecal sample the first time around but then on the second or third fecal sample we find parasites.
That is what I was told too by the vet tech.
Have you taken a sample of the vomit in to your vet for them to do a gram stain to check for abnormal bacteria? Campylobacter is an abnormal bacteria that usually causes diarrhea and vomiting. But I have seen campy. in vomit samples from dogs with completely normal stools. I was concerned for this also my dog vomited right in front of the vet but she did not ask for a to test it. Campylobacter is also a big deal because in addition to making dogs sick it is contagious to humans.

Likewise, your vet should also be running a giardia test on the stool sample you bring in. Again, giardia usually causes diarrhea but I have often seen positive giardia tests on dogs with perfectly normal looking stools. And, like campylobacter, giardia is contagious to humans. I will check to find out the tests that were done. That is good to know also. I have young children an will look up the symptoms for humans on line just in case.

The vet wants to do a blood work up, X rays, and maybe barium. I really was not prepared for this much cost this soon after adopting Oliver. I have until the 19th to return him to the shelter. If we return a sick dog I get my money back but it is his death warrant as the shelter is a kill shelter and they put sick dogs down right away.

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