Very sick dog. Can you help me interperate these symptoms?

[Orchid]

Quote:
I'm sorry but that's exactly what the vet did with our dog that had an obstruction. Did blood work, said nothing was elevated enough to worry about, and sent her home.

 

[watchdogps]

Yeah, call me a worrywart, but I'd still be demanding xrays. Is she eating? If you feed her and it comes back, thats sure sign of obstruction. However, a partial obstruction wont always do that. Seriously, its your money, if you want xrays, he should do it.

 

[carolinagirl58]

She eats (if I put gravy on it) and it does not come back up. she is keeping food, water and her antibiotics down just fine. I'd prefer to get the xray but this is hubby's dog and he trusts the vet totally. I am going to try to convince him when I get home from work that I'd still feel better with xrays. Hopefully I can talk him into it. I tend to be a worrier too, but hubby is not. He is confidant that the vet is right and she will be fine in a couple of days on the antibiotics.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I have to say that I am surprised at the vet. With this dogs history of eating a squirrel, and possibley the bone, combined with her symptoms and no pooping for three days an x-ray should have already been done. It's a small price to pay to make sure she's not blocked. Your better off ruling out the dangerous stuff before taking a wait and see approach.

I also avoid those smoked bones like the plague. They're good for shattering and breaking into bits, not good for dog tummies at all.

Good luck with your dog, I hope she's ok.

 

[Okie Amazon]

My first thought (as a person who spent 20+ years as a vet tech in an emergency clinic) when you described symptoms was neck/back pain. Take your thumb and first finger and go down her spine, starting at just behind her head. Press in firmly on either side of her spine, moving about an inch or two between presses. Often you won't see anything except a tightening of the muscle, or a "jerk" (think of a horse or cow twitching a fly off) to indicate the pain, especially in a heavily muscled (and stoic) breed. You can also test neck pain by gently turning her head side to side, as if she was looking behind her. Movement should be smooth and easy. Dogs can have plain buffered aspirin, no more than one twice a day with food, no longer than three days in a row.

 

[carolinagirl58]

Quote:
Thanks...I'll check that as soon as I get home. Hubby said he took her out this afternoon and she spotted a squirrel. For a second, she acted almost normal. And then went back to the same. One thing I remembered from Sunday. Bailey loves to come in and scratch her back on this jute rug I have in the sunroom. She gets on her back and squirms back and forth to scratch it. I was watching her do that sunday and she froze, mid scratch. She laid that way for a few moments, still on her back, and then got up and shook. Maybe she pulled something when she did that and it started hurting worse sunday evening.

 

[yadaguhtoo]

I would hurry up and get a new vet if I were you!!! I had Great Dane named Lucy that I adored. She started acting sick so I took her to the vet and they said they couldn't find anything wrong and Lucy continued to get weaker and weaker. Just not herself at all. Finally 4 days later the vet decided to do exploritory surgery...Lucys' spleen had ruptured....she made it through the surgery only to go into cardiac arrest after and pass away......because her system was just to weak from waiting to long for surgery.
I never went back to that vet again!!!
I say you know your dog and if you say she is sick....she is sick!!! New vet ASAP!!!

 

[secuono]

It's your responsibility to get the vet to do what you want. You are paying for it, so they need to shut up and do it.

 

[carolinagirl58]

I found the big smoked bone in the yard today, unbroken. So that's a relief. I don't worry much about the squirrel causing a problem because RAW feeders often give their dogs animals this size to eat whole. She has eaten plenty of them in the past and does not eat them quickly. I did flex her neck this evening and it seems to bother her. She gets annoyed and walks away when I flex her head, especially if I flex it up. I felt carefully along her whole spine and no spot felt tender, but it was hard to find the bone because she is so heavily muscled. I also felt all through her abdominal and she did not act like it was tender at all either. I did the thing where you flip her paws upside down and she fixed them right away and looked at me like I was nuts. She is still acting off and has her head lower but was excited about her dinner this evening. She is wagging her tail more and acts like she is not in as much pain.

 

[Marcymom3]

Your explanation of what happened Sunday makes me think she turned the wrong way and pulled a muscle. Praying that is what's wrong and she will be okay in a day or two. Definitely try feeling along her spine like the other person suggested and the aspirin. My 55 lb dog gets sore after she plays with my grandchildren and I give her a baby aspirin. That usually does the trick.

Hope to hear good news soon!