Doxie pup in hospital

wendyCA · #1 Mar 9, 2006, 07:02 PM

My three month old doxie, Henry, is in the hospital. He had been fine, woke up at 3:00 AM Monday morning with diarrhea and vomiting. I took him into vet and had him receive lactated ringers. Brought him home. He had eaten food out of his diet (my other dog's food) and I thought it was due to that. By Tues., he was still vomiting (dry heaves) and had diarrhea. I picked up a bag of lactated ringers and gave him two treatments. By Wed., he was becoming listless and felt cool to touch. I took him in for inpatient care and there he has been since yesterday. I just visited him. He is now having red blood per rectum. He tested negative for parvo.

What could this be? Will he survive? He had hearty appetite and lived in loving surrounding. The one thing that I did do wrong was take him in public setting but he does not seem to fit the description of the other diseases.

I just wonder if he will pull through this. He will not eat. He has had plasma transfusion and is on IV antibiotics and fluid. I am just beside myself because I feel responsible and it is breaking my heart. Thank you.

labman · Mar 9, 2006, 07:42 PM

Very sorry to hear this. At least you got prompt vet attention. Even if somebody here has had a dog with a similar problem, you can't count on it being the same. We can give you sympathy, but the vet will give you the better answer on what the problem is. Please keep us posted.

wendyCA · Mar 9, 2006, 10:58 PM

Thank you for responding so quickly. I will give an update tomorrow.

fredg · Mar 10, 2006, 08:32 AM

Hi, wendy,
I do wish you the best.
Times like this are very, very emotional. I know, due to losing a pet "member" of our family not too long ago.
Your Vet is the one to answer all your questions about Henry's progress. In many ways, especially in some situations, all dogs are different. I do hope he is going to be OK.

wendyCA · Mar 10, 2006, 09:56 AM

Thank you, fredg. I fell in love with that little guy in a very short time. I am now counting the minutes until the vet's office opens. If he made it through the night, I think he will ultimately be okay.

I thought about how potent these viruses are and how prevalent. Have not had a puppy in nearly 15 years and so wasn't aware of it. I should have been reading more. I have to say this is an outrage, and I wonder why more people are not making more demands of the SPCA and the govt for funding to fight and control these viruses. Animal health sure is important in the food industry. And our pets are such an important part of life, deeply loved by many many people. I know there is an answer to this. Cutting down on over population, I suppose, which is going to be hard. My grandmother and many others financially remembered the SPCA in their wills or have made donations that were substantial at times. I have to ask here if those who are studied on this situation are satisfied with how the SPCA is as far as a successful entity. Are they lobbying for changes in domestic animal health, i wonder. Wouldn't it be great if vet care for our pets was deductible tax-wise? Wouldn't it be great if there were travelling mobile vets who administered vaccines at local parks on a regular bases at a nominal fee? The people at the SPCA looked overworked and underpaid; wouldn't it be great if that were not true? Maybe I am expecting too much.

wendyCA · Mar 10, 2006, 11:32 AM

Update - Henry is still with us. But he won't take in food. I am going to take in boiled rice mixed with chicken which the vet and I decided to do, anything at all to get him to eat. He is fighting very hard, she says. He will remain in house for the weekend.

wendyCA · Mar 10, 2006, 11:33 AM

in house = in the vet hospital (clarifying here) is what I mean.

wendyCA · Mar 10, 2006, 09:07 PM

Friday, 4:30 visit - Henry appears to be livelier though is still refusing food. He drank quite a bit of water while I was with him though he regurgitated it shortly afterwards. He seems interested though, and his eyes have more light in them, his temperature is normal (it had dropped to 96 at one point). So, I feel certain he will pull through. He is still in vet's care (I just got a personal loan to pay for this! but he is worth every cent).

Thank you again for being here.

labman · Mar 10, 2006, 10:14 PM

Glad to hear of a little progress. Keep working with the vet.

fredg · Mar 11, 2006, 09:20 AM

Hi,
I am so happy for you and for Henry. I sincerely hope he will be OK. Signs of improvement is very, very good news!