Yesterday morning I feed him some ground beef. I have been suspecting that beef has been causing issues (last time I fed it was in the summer when he had a gastro issue, unsure of cause).

I fed it to him to see, as he had been just bomber gastro wise as of late. I would have expected it to cause issues sooner than right now. Usually food goes through him pretty quick.

Two days ago he had some venison neck. Perhaps a hard peice of bone became obstucted? Usually if something isn't quite digested, he barfs it back up.

Otherwise his food has all been the ground variety in the last three days with the exception of a turkey neck. Stools have been completley normal, even this morning.

Never enters the garbage or countersurfs in my house. Now he does vaccume the floor quite regularily. No toxic foods in that quantity on my floor.

Yesterday at work though he did dissapear on our sweep of the mountain for a few minutes. I thought he was just held up by some deep snow, but perhaps he got into something? Long shot but possible. even if it was a dead animal, I wouldn't expect it to cause an issue for him as he is raw fed and the animal would be frozen stiff.

Also racking my brain, he had a tiff with a 90 lbs dog we work with (handler error) they fought over a ragging article. My dog was rolled for the first time in his life! I looked him over and found no injuries.....

Still waiting for the vets office to call back.

 Quote:

"Poultry-based" food?

Turkey neck and pheasant, but no chicken. Same batch I have been feeding for a the past two weeks with no trouble.

Oh! No no.... I was supplying an answer for the new vet's question about what you feed so you could avoid a big raw discussion with a one-time vet.

So I went in to the vet..

Being Friday aft. I know nothing would be open all weekend so I wanted to go in just in case.

Bloodwork: Can't beleive I forgot to ask for a copy, but it was all normal except for the BUN that was elevated at 36.

This caused the vet some concern, but creatine levels were normal. I explained that raw fed dogs often have elevated BUN levels, but I could not remember what was high for a raw fed dog. A year ago his BUN was 28.

Urine sample was good, no crystals, good concentration, vet said so far kidneys working well.

Nothing found upon physical examination/palpation. Said heartbeat was great and strong, dog very fit and healthy seeming. I thought his rib cage seemed slightly distended, but she did not find anything strange.

Dog was more perky (and by perky I mean his normal "I am scared of the vet" self). Vet said that adreneline at vets office often masks things.

His excesive thirst continued in that he was eating snow every chance he could at the vets (when trying to get urine sample).

Vet has no clue what (IF) anything is wrong with him. She was nice, did not give me a hard time about diet or anything, nor suggest this was diet related. Suggested to let him drink a small bowl of water every hr or so, but not to leave a big bowl and keep filling it. Feed him if he will eat. Observe.

So I got home he lay in the snow for a while and ate snow (unusual, but he was panting in car). Had a normal poo and pee, ate dinner.

Drank his bowl of water and waited for more (very strange..) Now laying with me being a bit sucky. NOrmally he is quite hyper after eating.

No more signs of vomiting or lip licking.

Hopefully I am just overreacting, and maybe he just ate some cat poo in my yard (I HATE TRAILER PARK CATS) and it upset his tummy.

At least I have a base set of bloodwork now if something worsens this weekend.

Another thing the vet said was that maybe the dog's throat was irritated and drinking made it feel better. She looked in his throat and it looked normal and he had not pain there and so she decided it was not likely.

This drinking thing is deiving me crazy. He just got up to hover over his water bowl again, keeps wanting to go out to eat snow.

Normally I change his water every 2 days because he has not even had a lick of it. Now he seems obsessed with drinking......

You did good. I agree about checking him and getting the bloodwork sone.

Maybe he got into something very very salty... maybe that's all. But I don't think you overreacted at all. I'd do just what you're doing: watch him.

THanks Connie. I think it is going to be a long night. He is a crappy sleeper at the best of times!

Right now he lays down for a bit and then gets up and wants to drink or go out to eat snow...

As per the vets advice I will fill the bowl with a little water every hr or so.

Very strange.

Good morning Jennifer! How did things go last night with the pups?
Been following his story, wondering how he did and if you have narrowed anything down yet as the cause?

 Quote: sharon empson

Been following his story, wondering how he did and if you have narrowed anything down yet as the cause?

I think I have solved the mystery. I do not have the proof yet however.

The dog continued with the hourly pacing and begging for water/or eating snow.

When I was out with him at 2 am and he took yet another crap I had an epiphany.

I took my headlamp and had a good look at his poop (common' you all do it!) Despite the blinding wind and snow I saw evidence to support my theory. Tiny yellow grains in his poo, and poo that was getting more sloppy and volumonous as the night progressed.

I think he ate KIBBLE. A lot of it.

When I was on the phone with my sister, he must have left the yard somehow. As I said in the first post, the snow is high and he could practically walk over the fence in a few places. He has ended up on my front porch twice.

I pride myself on knowing where my dog is. He is left in the FENCED yard when I am home for an hr at a time. I check on him out the window often. Before this week he has never gotten out. He usually just hangs out on the steps in the sun or lays in the snow. I guess I was too trusting thinking that he would not take advantage of the high snow. LESSON LEARNED.

My theory is that he left the yard and went to a neighbours and ate a bunch of kibble form outside somewhere. Cat or dog kibble I do not know. Many outdoor cats here and I am quite sure people leave food out for them. Only thing that makes me think dog food is that I beleive he ate a LOT of it. Why a lot?

I can see today that I was not being a hypocndriac and that he was in fact bloated last night. His ribcage was extended, and he was rounded almost. The vet could not really tell as she thought is ribs felt good and she does not know what he usually looks like.

THis would also explain why he was not hungry at dinner (on a day off he usually hanging around looking longingly at me for at least an hr before being fed, and yesterday I think he was full

It would also explain the excessive thirst as if he ate a whole lot of kibble it would need to be rehydrated some how to digest, requiring lots of water. And like Connie said "maybe he just got into something very salty" Crappy kibble usually has lots of salt.

Being raw fed, my dog usually drinks very little, especially in the winter.

Just this morning he has stopped begging for water. I gave him a small bowl every hr or two throughout the night following the vet's advice and he finished each one wanting more.

His cow patty, corny, grainy looking poos continue. One every couple of hrs.

The vet told me to feed him last night, and pre-epiphany I fed him a pound of raw food last night that he probably did not need. At the time I was happy he was hungry.
Being the pig he is he ate it though not with his usual vigor. He actually looked physically bigger after he ate it as well.

I gave him a very small amount of tripe this morning.

We went on a walk, just now, his energy levels have returned, he has stopped drinking all the water and snow eating. He still has the mushy poo thing but I think we are doing much better.

I am going to ask a few neighbours if they keep kibble outside to satisfy my curiousity. A sting operation to keep my dog in the yard (and better supervision) is also in order.

Thanks for all the help and support last night.

It fits, with cow-patty poops!