Well... Brio is home. Lethargic.

I think she got into a bag of dog food and pigged out Sunday night, ate her normal meals on Monday, and then started to vomit within an hour of her last meal. She vomited several times - too many times. Started vomiting food, and a much larger quantity than she was fed Monday. The vomiting content went from food, to a food slurry, to food slurry and mucus, to mucus and white froth, to mucus with blood. By the time I got a set of brains on Monday at midnight and took her to the ER, she was vomiting bloody mucus.

The blood numbers and other chemistry is all within normal ranges but she probably has really irritated her stomach, so she's on meds to protect it.

She has had radio graphs and ultrasounds, blood tests, etc. The diagnosis ranges from stomach damage from repeated and violent vomiting to ulcers to stomach cancer. I declined invasive testing.

If she has stomach cancer, it is probably not reasonably treatable. If it is the simplest diagnosis then antacids or the like will be helpful, and some other meds for stuff in the middle

So, a bland diet for awhile, meds as prescribed, and we'll see. I gave her a spoonful of Greek yogurt, she drank some water, she is resting and by the looks of her, dreaming of younger days.

Last year, and my experience with the hospital and two dogs, led me to decline some testing options. The two dogs were treated one for an obstruction by surgical removal, successfully, and the other for lethargy with a test using a tube down the throat which had a bad leading to terminal outcome.

Time will tell the tale, and I'll know if I made a good or bad decision. She is home and, for the moment, she seems OK.

Even if I am wrong, this experience emphasizes the need to monitor food consumption closely.

Thank you all for your consideration and concern.

So pleased to hear Brio is home and more comfortable, you must be relieved just to have her back where he belongs.

Hope everything continues to stay in the positive.

Edited by tracey holden (11/07/2012 02:35 PM)
Edit reason: correcting him to her - sorry Mike

I'm very glad to hear that Brio is home again and resting comfortably. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that this was nothing worse than a bad episode of pigging out!

I know it's got to be worrisome to think of some of the other possibilities the vet mentioned, but FWIW, reading your description of all the circumstances, I would have made exactly the same decisions you have made.

Thanks for updating us! It sounds like it's been a very stressful couple of days for you.

Glad that she is home & resting quietly. Hopefully, all will be well with rest & time. Hang in there, Mike

Mike my following statement is information for other owners with regard to antacids.


PS: for those that feed a raw diet to their dogs:

Please DON'T give ANTACIDES to RAW FED dogs.

 Quote: Anne Jones

Glad that she is home & resting quietly. Hopefully, all will be well with rest & time. Hang in there, Mike

Mike my folling statement is information for other owners with regard to antacids.


PS: for those that feed a raw diet to their dogs:

Please DON'T give ANTACIDES to RAW FED dogs.

Many knowledgeable vets do understand the crucial role that the dog's extremely caustic stomach acid plays in a raw diet, including being a major player in the dog's defense against food-borne pathogens.

BUT NOT ALL DO. Not all vets have much of a nutrition education, and even fewer know a lot about raw diets.

For an antacid protocol, I always switch the dog to THK or canned or cooked for the duration.

(And of course I would not even consider putting a dog who is on long-term antacids on a raw diet.)

This is something that you will often run across (that is, owners and even vets who don't understand the importance of the dog's G.I. system pH), and IMO it's always worthwhile to post a reminder, as Anne did.

 Quote: Mike Arnold

Time will tell the tale, and I'll know if I made a good or bad decision.

You made THE decision: the best one you could make, with facts and situation and experience. This is the best decision we can ever make.

I'm glad she is home and comfortable, too, and I know that I would have made the same decision.

Here's sending a rubby from me.

Many, many, many problems are cured by good nursing care and tincture of time.
NPO isn't a bad idea for a bit -- followed by super easily digestible foods of SMALL meals --small and delicious---
scrambled eggs, toast, broth etc. Ice cubes to lick. Ice cubes made of beef bouillon are palatable and a nice treat.

I wish you the best.

When my cody man almost died, and we brought him home it took a long time to get him even halfway back to himself. we made sure he was able to rest a lot, and that the other dogs wouldn't bug him. We fed him a bland diet, and added yogurt (greek plain) to his diet. Also, started him on probiotics. Have you thought of probiotics? All that vomiting can really reek havoc on our stomach and good bacteria. Any antibotics can destroy the good bacteria as well. we had to make sure he drank good clean fresh water too, since he didn't get up much in the beginning. like the ice cube idea. We put some low salt organic chicken broth in his food for extra moisture. when he felt a little better we took him outside to lay in the sun for about 5 minutes a day, good vitamin d.
Also we made sure his bed was very soft with good support. Have you ever been real sick and had to lay in bed for a while, you can get stiff and sore and uncomfortable.
Trying to get him up and out to go potty was a chore, it tired him out, but we had to do it. Now our boy is as ornery as ever! Doesn't have the stamina he used to, (he was pretty hyper though so now he is more high drive and not super drive.Ha!)
It is good for them to be home where they really relax and get good rest.
Even if things do not go as you hope, being home for your dog is a gift. He needs your presence, your smell, your touch. Keep up the good work, he loves you for it!
sharon. Cody is the little black dog. This was taken before he became ill.
Sharon

I'm so sorry to hear about Brio tummy issues.

Whatever the reasons or outcome it's good to hear she's at home with you.

I agree with Betty. These guys are capable of some amazing recovery with good home nursing care and Brio's got the best.

Speedy recovery precious girl.

Hope she is better soon.