• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

Zoey tummy troubles...

moniechris

Well-known member
Zoey has had diarrhea since Saturday. She wouldn't eat her breakfast, which is totally unlike her because it is usually gone in under a minute. When she had the diarrhea again, I began a fast for 24 hours. She basically slept all day...because she was sleeping and not drinking, I was syringing about 2 teaspoons of water to her every hour or so.

On Sunday was much more active and I fed her boiled chicken and white rice (which she ate with gusto) but she still had diarrhea. She was drinking on her own and she wasn't dehydrated at all (skin snapped back, gums good color)

Today, she is eating really well (scarfing down the chicken and rice) and is playing like mad, but still has the runs. There is now a pinkish tone to the fluids in her diarrhea, which I am assuming is blood. I made an apointment with the vet for tomorrow @ noon. They are slammed because everyone is paranoid because of the food recall

Here are my thoughts:

~She has been eating cat poo in the back yard and maybe she picked up a bacterial infection or worms.

~She eats innova evo and my hubby (bless him) left the bag open on the counter for a few days while I was out of town. Could the food have spoiled??? I noticed white flakes in the food, but I don't know if those were there before or if I am just paranoid...

~blockage???

~I did some research and the parvo concept scares the sh@# out of me, but I figure if it was parvo, then she would be going down hill instead of her activity levels increasing...

Any input would be appreciated
 
When Bentley had the runs I gave him canned pumpkin and it worked wonders for helping firm up his stools. First I would check with your vet, and if there isn't anything serious going on, the boiled chicken and rice will help, and 100% pure canned pumpkin, not the pie filling, should help. I fed Bentley about 2 teaspoons of the pumpkin and he is 19 lbs. Also, the vet may want to check for worms. I would definitely consult a vet tho....just to be on the safe side.
 
I would think given the duration and its persistence against the fasting and bland diet it must be some kind of tummy bug/infection. Definately doing the right thing going to the vets. Hope she is on the mend soon. :flwr:
 
after the experience i went through when zack had bloody diarrhea and then vomiting/lethargy, and was sick for 5 weeks, until one blessed vet decided to try a deworming medication immediately curing zack, i would always consider worms, and i would also be aware that isolated negative stool tests don't mean anything. If i wanted to be sure about worms and some other bugs, i'd have daily stool samples for at least 3 consecutive days, to rule out those things. Zack had three stool samples but they were each about a week apart. All negative. But worm meds cured him overnight after he'd been sick for 5 weeks so...so much for isolated stool samples, that's my opinion.

Were you talking about EVO kibble or canned food? I don't believe the kibble could spoil. but i sure don't know what the white flakes could be, my EVO kibbles have never had white flakes in them. Just kibble.

I'm glad she is getting her energy back and drinking. I hope she's much better tomorrow. There are so many things that can cause diarrhea symptoms. i think you have some good theories to explore. good luck at the vet. Hopefully whatever it is, is running its course.
 
Yesterday, I called the vet asking if I could run by a "sample" and they said just to go ahead and bring her in (I LOOVE my vet). They knew if I was that concerned that it was important.

When I brought her in, a new doctor whom I had never seen before, stopped in his tracks and said "She is GORGEOUS!!" :lotsaluv: I liked him immediately, of course. Turns out he is a vet that works there seasonally and usually works in Michigan. I asked if he was a cavalier fan and he said that he works personally with three AKC show breeders at home and they are his absolute favorite breed. :D :D :D!!

He examined a fecal sample and even called me into the back to look under the microscope (which no one has ever let me do) and he pointed out that there were no parasites to be seen, but there was a high white blood cell count from her intestines. He also said that her bacterial count was normal as well. At that point my brain was screaming Parvo, but he assured me that she would not be romping and playing if it was parvo.

He is treating it as "nonspecific toxicity" because the blood cells make it seem as if she may have eaten something poisonous and her body is fighting it off. He gave me Hills I/D and some anti diarrhea medication (Amforal) and asked me to call his this morning.

Zoey had diarrhea at 6am, before I gave her the medicine. I fed her around 10am and gave her the medicine. She romped and played for about 30 minutes, then threw up the food. :sl*p: I called my vet and he said to continue with the medicine and feed her a tablespoon of the I/D every three hours instead of 2 big meals. :(
 
:( just being in the same room with ID diet makes me want to throw up. Zack threw that up too. But to be fair, he also threw up chicken and rice, which he ate voraciously.

hopefully the antidiarrheal meds will help her out. Zack had flagyl which was anti diarrheal, and it worked fast and thoroughly, at first. But the diarrhea came back later.

it does sound like there is something toxic and her body is dealing with it. Did the vet say anythnig about stool samples on consecutive days to be clear about worms and things?

good luck! get well soon zoey :flwr:
 
He said to call back tommorrow at the latest with any updates. I am going to mention the consecutive samples to him because that correlates with all of the research I have done about parasites. There seems to be progress though, because usually the second she eats, it comes right out the other end. I just gave her a table spoon and she gobbled it up and there is no sign of the runs...yet. But we shall see.

I really was not impressed with the I/D ingredients as it has wheat, corn and soy (all three my shih tzu is allergic to). Zoey is on Evo so she hasn't eaten grains in months which could be why she threw it up. The first ingredient is water so I am assuming it is very gentle, but it wouldn't be an option for stewie if this ever became a problem for him.
 
Oh Monica I am so sorry. :( I know how awful you must feel. :( I thought I was going to lose my mind when kosmo got sick and he only threw up 5 times - poor you have had to struggle through this for days. ;(

Zoey is probably losing weight too which isn't good for her. :( Has the doctor suggested pedialyte or something like that?

How long has this been going on? He would have to take more invasive action soon I am assuming? Is Zoey acting alright or sleeping more or anything? Does your oh think you're overreacting? (mine would!)

If you need anybody to talk to you have my # (I think?) - I LOST yours :yikes

Take care Monica - give little Zoey hugs from me and my gang
 
*ng*l Sara you are just so wonderful! :D

She is asleep on my lap right now, but she has been acting just fine. She is still tearing up my boys and runs through the back yard attacking the leaves. :lol: Thank goodness she is sleeping through the night. She gets up at 7am with Michael and she goes straight for the puppy pad. I don't want to let her outside in the dark because she has a tendancy to eat whatever she can find on the ground. :yuk:

I would feel a lot better if I knew what was going on. I just want an answer and how to fix it :( Not knowing is the worst.

This has been going on since Saturday. I can't get anything done because I am to afraid to leave her. Ugh.
 
The shihtzu I had before Sasha had Irritable Bowel Syndrome, so we battled diarrhea frequently with her. I would feed her the canned ID and she was also on metronidazole (flagyl) which usually cleared her right up.

Are the doing a floatation fecal or a smear? You might want to ask that, too. Could make a difference.

It's so frustrating when there is something wrong and nobody can quite figure out what it is. I hope you get a solution soon before you go crazy.

Think that she may be reacting to any stress you may have been under? That's what my shihtzu did- she was always so in tune with my emotions.

Good luck!
 
They did a smear. I will mention the floatation as well, I hope that it will make a difference.

Sara: I took her to the vet last week for her 2nd round of parvo and she weighed 8lbs then. Yesterday she weighed 8.6lbs, so she is hasn't lost any weight yet.

I just worry that if she did eat something toxic, that she could have some kind of kidney damage. With all of this crazy talk about the recall, that is always in my mind even though she has never touched any of that food. If we don't find anything conclusive and it is definitely not parasites, then I am going to request bloodwork. I just want to know :(
 
Sorry to hear little Zoey is having tummy troubles. I hope she is better soon. :flwr:
 
This is pretty much what I saw with Lily when she had bad gastroenteritis -- end up dripping blood from her anus. :yikes It took about two-three days to get that bad. My vets didn't bother with tests; just diagnosed, gave her an injection to settle her stomach and dry out the runs, as they put it, then she had a tablet to take for about 10 days. After a day she was much better. So perhaps this is similar.

Vets said they'd normally be able to feel a blockage. Vet also said she had the noisiest stomach for a small dog that he'd heard in a while. :roll: Oh they also gave her some Hill's id wet food which she loved of course as she does anything that can possibly be eaten.

Hope Zoey is feeling better soon.
 
I looked that up online Karlin, and it sounds exactly like what Zoey is going through. My vet is going to think I am nuts going in there with a laundry list of diagnosis and tests I want run :lol:
 
moniechris said:
...I took her to the vet last week for her 2nd round of parvo and she weighed 8lbs then. Yesterday she weighed 8.6lbs, so she is hasn't lost any weight yet...


Have you considered the possibility that the vaccination could have triggered something? Sometimes adverse reactions to some vaccines are like milder versions of the actual disease. I think most vets give modified live virus for parvo vaccination. I have no idea if the vaccination could've played a role in this, but the timing caused me to wonder.

Zack had bloody diarrhea the day i got him. A couple of days later he was put on Flagyl by the vet and it cleared up immediately. When i thought he was all better, after the 7 days of Flagyl were completed, a few days later, i got his last puppy shot, and shortly after that the bloody diarrhea returned and they put him back on Flagyl. I dont' know if the vaccination played a role. Jean Dodds thinks it's a reason for him to have titers instead of annual boosters.

Zack did not lose any weight at all throughout the 5 weeks he was having diarrhea and vomiting. He gained some weight. I wasn't even worried about him while it was just the diarrhea, although the blood was alarming, but when the vomiting started, which was a week after the shot, he was also lethargic, depressed, not eating and not drinking, i was so worried. But still, he didn't lose weight. He had good days and worse days, and on good days he ate and acted normally.

Since worm med cured him, i believe worms were causing his symptoms. I have wondered whether the immune system stress, first of coming to a new home, and then of the vaccination, lowered his resistence to the worms (or whatever it was) allowing them to cause such symptoms. After the worming, i didn't see any worms in the stool. It's all speculation. I'm just so glad it's over, and am hoping it will be for Zoey soon too.
 
No advice Monica....just wanted to let you know I'm sympathetic!! We had such bouts of off and on with Jake...I can totally relate. it's very frustrating and exhausting. Hope you get everything cleared up soon.
 
Back
Top