Arnold, my 9 month old male Rottweiler is sick. 2 days ago we went hiking and I caught him eating coyote poop. I corrected him and told him "drop", and he did, but he had already swallowed a pretty good sized piece. He was fine that day, and I gave him a raw soup bone that evening to keep him occupied, which he ate for a few hours.
The following morning (yesterday) he was lethargic and didn't have energy like normal. He had a little cough (3-5 coughs every hour) followed by some drooling. He had a small amount of diahrea as well (pudding not water). He still ate his food and drank water, and suprisingly chased a rabbit out of our yard. I decided if he wasn't better by this morning he would be taken to the vet. This morning he had the same condition except he wouldn't accept food and was more lethargic. We took him to the vet and they did blood work, I.V., antibiotic pills and an antibiotic injection. They are keeping him until this evening as well. His temperature was 104.2!

Is it likely that the coyote poop was the issue?
After reading more on the subject it seems that the raw soup bones (sliced cow femurs with marrow inside) were not the best idea. He doesn't swallow the bone, but eats the marrow/fat off of them.

Please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks,
Ryan

 Quote: Ryan Rubel

After reading more on the subject it seems that the raw soup bones (sliced cow femurs with marrow inside) were not the best idea. He doesn't swallow the bone, but eats the marrow/fat off of them.

I would lean more towards this, but if he has been fine with them before, maybe not.

I doubt coyote poop caused it, but I wouldn't encourage eating it, either. You're not going to test the theory in the future, so it really doesn't matter.

Dog's just get sick sometimes.

Hope the pup gets to feeling better soon.:smile: I know it is nerve wracking having to leave one at the vet.

 Quote: Ryan Rubel

We took him to the vet and they did blood work, I.V., antibiotic pills and an antibiotic injection. They are keeping him until this evening as well. His temperature was 104.2!

What did the vet say, Ryan?

 Quote: ana kozlowsky

 Quote: ryan rubel

We took him to the vet and they did blood work, I.V., antibiotic pills and an antibiotic injection. They are keeping him until this evening as well. His temperature was 104.2!

What did the vet say, Ryan?

Bet it was something like, "So what seems to be the problem today?", or "Down the hall and the second door on the right to exam room 3 please."

Ryan,
I'm so sorry your dog is sick - my dog suffered a very similar sudden onset illness (high fever, dehydration, lethargy, lack of appetite) just a few weeks ago, which he is still recovering from. You did good in getting your pup to vet quickly, so they could address that fever (for the future, you may want to get yourself a digital thermometer - dedicated to the dog - so you can test his temp on your own).

In a perfect world, it would be easy to pinpoint the exact causes for our dog's illnesses, but in reality, it can get pretty complicated sometimes. I hope whatever is going on with your dog will be diagnosed quickly, and that the treatment is swift and effective - but in the event that it isn't that simple, make sure you provide your vet with a thorough profile of your dog's recent history, including any travel, unusual things consumed (like the coyote poo), wilderness areas frequented, etc. Give as many possible clues as you can, then let the vet guide you on tests they feel would be appropriate - illness can be caused by many, many things, and it may be a matter of just crossing things off the list until you find the offender...

Best wishes for a speedy recovery,
~Natalya

Thanks everyone for the wishes. Arnold is now at the vets office until this evening. I believe I'm going to change vets after this visit though, as the vet, vet techs, and other employees just seemed cold. No petting or comforting of my dog, just business. I understand they have a job to do, but there were no other dogs there and everyone just seemed cold.

I'm going to be very careful from now on about the coyote poop eating. He's so quick to run, snag the poop and swallow it in one quick motion.

The vet assumed that it was the coyote poop, I believe. He said it could be a number of things that we're unaware of. He wanted to do xrays as well, but I dont think there was a need to do those. When I asked him why, he said to check if anything was lodged in his stomach or throat. He doesn't show signs of this though, so I said to wait on those.s

 Quote: Ryan Rubel

He wanted to do xrays as well, but I dont think there was a need to do those. When I asked him why, he said to check if anything was lodged in his stomach or throat. He doesn't show signs of this though, so I said to wait on those.s

X-rays can also detect pneumonia in the lungs, and changes in organs due to inflammation. Not saying you need them right now, if the antibiotics they started him on are working, but x-rays are good at visualizing all kinds of internal changes, in addition to spotting obstructions...

~Natalya

Has this dog been vaccinated for anything?

He has been vaccinated with only the ones that were required such as distemper and rabies. It was real 'work' telling my vet no to some of the other vaccines that they recommend.

I guess I get distrustful when the vet recommends so many tests.. it was a $500 vet visit already without the xrays. It's not putting me in the broke house, but I'd like to keep it at necessary tests if possible.
A friend of mine took his dog to our previous vet because he swallowed a paper clip. The vet did an xray and said he needed immediate surgery. My friend got a second opinion from another vet who told him not to worry and that it'd pass through. It did.. I cringe when I think that the dog was almost put through surgery needlessly.. not to mention the money that it would cost.