Connie,

Thank you so much. I think I'll just exercise the heck out of him outside and bring him in. He plays like the energizer bunny.

This dog is definitely of the two steps forward one step back variety.

He has used up his patience chips with the other dogs. Nothing serious but they give him the 'stay away' look. He's young and has a lot to learn.

He seems to be adapting to the boundaries better. Then too, I'm being a bit more rigorous or attentive in my approach to reenforcing boundaries.

I think we'll take a ride to PetSmart to see how he acts in public. Besides, I like to watch the in store dog training, he said with tongue firmly in cheek. Now that comment is truly an outward and visible reflection of my arrogance.

There is a back story I'll relate in a month or two.

Foster scare.

Saturday, the Doberman threw up his dinner, and a little blood.

Sunday morning, the Doberman threw up his breakfast, and then had blood in his stool.

Sunday afternoon I decided to take the dog to the vet Monday morning.

And Sunday morning I gave the dog some boiled white rice. And some more in the early afternoon.

He ate dinner Sunday night with more rice, and kept it down. And he had good, bloodless poop, and was quite active.

Monday morning he ate breakfast and had a good, bloodless poop, and he was going like the energizer bunny.

I decided to hold off on the vet.

By Monday night, he ate dinner with rice enthusiastically, had a normal and good, bloodless poop, and was running and bounding all over the place.

Today everything is normal. Good appetite. Good bowel movements. Good water intake and whizzing. Running, retrieving, playing, and whatever was the issue seems to be in the rear view mirror.

A question, has anyone else had a dog exhibit the same symptoms and then recover? Almost like a 24 hour bug?

He had my full attention but he seems OK, and I am paranoid when it comes to watching the dogs and their possible issues.

I'm glad he is feeling better! It can sure be unnerving when you are working with a new dog.

To answer your question, yes, I have.

Are the poops good firm logs? Were they ever soft or unusual in color or smell, or slimy? Is their color normal brown now?

No lethargy, or apparent discomfort?

Good evening Connie,

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
No.
No.

It's like status quo ante. I'm thinking he tried to ingest a pine cone or chunk of stick or some thing. It wasn't a bone because they don't get bones. Or it was a bug.

He had my full attention but he certainly presents as normal, or as normal as he is capable of being.

I had him outside this afternoon tossing a toy and him retrieving it for twenty or so minutes and he was very exuberant, and demonstrated no behavior that might signal discomfort.

It seemed so sudden, the vomiting and the blood stuff. Got my full and undivided attention.

He is now back to his PITA self.

With the disclaimer that I'm not offering veterinary advice, just sharing my own opinions and experiences, I have indeed had something similar happen on a few occasions. I try not to get too alarmed by a small amount of blood in the stool, as long as the dog is otherwise acting completely normal. If I see blood for more than two poops in a row, or more than two days in a row, he's going to the vet.

Blood in the vomit is a little more alarming to me, but again, if it's just a very small amount and happens just a single time, I generally just keep a close eye on the dog.

I guess for me it's very dependent on how the dog is acting in other ways. If he seems perfectly normal, that's one thing. On the other hand, any signs of discomfort or other unusual symptoms or behavior, and he's going to the vet.

I did have an experience a few years ago with a dog who got up on a Sunday morning and had a bile-vomiting episode. A short time later he vomited again and it contained just a few drops of blood. I watched him closely and over the next fifteen minutes or so he rapidly started showing other signs of discomfort. I was afraid I was seeing bloat, and off to the ER we went. He ended up spending two nights in two different ERs with what was diagnosed as aspiration pneumonia (from inhaling some of his vomit).

So this was (so far) one time ... no episodes of diarrhea, etc., that might suggest giardiasis or other parasite .... and no more blood ....

I'm not a health professional either, but MHO is that as long as the dog was active and lively and as you described, I'd do what you're doing: watch carefully.

Keep us posted!

"If I see blood for more than two poops in a row, or more than two days in a row, he's going to the vet."

Me too. (Or vomiting.)

Yeah, about a 12 hour window when all was said and done.

He is definitely back to his old obnoxious, exuberant, bounding, bouncing self. Excellent appetite. Firm poop.

Still giving him rice with his breakfast, along with the daily dollop of yogurt.

He had my full attention and I'll probably never know what the issue was.

Yup, got my full attention.

Good news!!!