Help Needed! My pup won't eat.... :(

[MrMrsDevilDoc]

Hi everyone...

I originally posted about my boy Hank on someone else's thread about their bully throwing up a lot.

Hank is 18 mos old, vomited all day on Thurs 1/30, took him to the vet yesterday, Fri 1/31.
The vet couldn't feel a blockage, and had no fever, so she is treating this as a stomach bug. I have no certain knowledge that he got into something he shouldn't have, but he will at any chance he gets. As much as we try to keep the bathroom and pantry door shut... sometimes he still gets into the trash.
Anyway, the gave him subcutaneous fluids (he was dehydrated), a shot of penicillin, a shot of cerenia, and a script for metronidazole to take home.
She said to give him water and only plain broth that day.
We did and he kept it all down.
Today we were able to give him some plain white rice since he did not throw up all night.
He would not eat the rice, so we called the vet and asked if we could give him some dog food (dry) and they said yes... but only 1/4 a cup at first.
He ate it up and kept it down, he had another 1/4 cup at lunch and kept that down too.
Then at dinner he wouldn't eat at all.
He has been lethargic all day. Not himself at all.... I don't know what to do.
He is eating ice cubes every now and then, but not really drinking any water. And he's kind of shivering... I'm so worried.

Any thoughts, advice? What is everyone's experience with metronidazole? I've never used it for any of mine and am not familiar with it... is the lethargy and loss of appetite a side effect of the medicine?

Thanks guys... here's of pic of my poor baby Hank, he's so sick...

 

[aprilemari]

i'm sorry your going through this with your bully. my bully doesn't normally eat things she shouldn't, so i can't advise whether there is an obstruction or not. can you tell us how the poo has been? Lola is on metro nidazole now for diarrhea which was caused by an nsaid script for her hurt shoulder. Lola doesn't seem to have a loss of appetite or lethargy with it though. i think she's just happy to not be pooping water every 75 minutes. if food didn't stay down and your pup won't drink water then I'd take him in for an xray or barium xray to see for an obstruction. if he eats a bit more and more and you can get him to drink and poop, maybe he needsa day to recoup. i hope all goes well

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[nycbullymama]

He's on a lot of medication that could be causing his lethargy and shivering. Did your vet mention any of the side effects? I would call the vet, or the nearest 24/7 clinic and speak with someone about the symptoms.

 

[MrMrsDevilDoc]

He hasn't pooped since yesterday and I didn't check it then. The vet didn't mention any side effects for the metronidazole... I do think I need to call someone and then most likely find somewhere to take him tomorrow to have him checked out.

Thanks guys...

 

[aprilemari]

actually diarrhea is one side effect of metronidazole, but as blueberrys mom said, more medication may complicate the side effects bag. i remember Lola had a 24 hour stomach flu once, she threw up everything and was shivering all evening. we kept her on the couch covered in blankets for the evening but i was worried sick ( as i usually am). hubby had a more realistic outlook...everyone gets a little stomach flu here and there. but you have been dealing with this more than a day. the sub q fluids were a good idea. maybe take him in tomorrow for more. go with your gut, he's your baby.

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[kim3farnsley]

Take his temp! He could be running a fever now. Dogs normal temp is 102 anything higher is a temp. Duece shivers like crazy when he gets pneumonia and a fever! The blockage can also cause a fever if his little body can't pass it. Keep us posted!


Duecy's mommy

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi, I posted before regarding an obstruction. I think it may still be an obstruction with Hank. My Dozer has swallowed sweat socks on 4 different occasions, and a dish cloth. Each time he showed different signs of having swallowed something, and obstruction. One time he would have diarrhea, another time he would vomit, or drool from his mouth, and he would become lethargic. The last time, he didn't show any signs he ate, peed, pooped and played like normal, but I knew he had swallowed a sock on that occasion, and I watched him for signs, and I watched his poop for 2 weeks, but he showed no signs. A month later he threw up the sock at 5:30 in the morning. It can take a week to pass, or up to a month or more. The first time he swallowed a sock, we didn't know, and he became really sick, started with explosive diarrhea, then he vomited many times, and he was drooling water from his mouth, and he was very lethargic. I didn't even call the vet, I just took him there as it is less than 5 min drive from my house. The vet took him right in, and felt his stomach, gave him Iv fluids, took an X-ray, and gave him a pain medication and a laxative. The X-ray showed a shadow in his intestine, but we didn't know what he had swallowed, she gave him the IV fluids to replace what he was vomiting, and for the diarrhea, and she gave him pain meds because she said that bullies have a very high pain threshold, and that whatever pain he was feeling, times it by 10, but they won't show it. She sent us home with a high fibre canned food, that we fed him 1 Tbsp. every hour or two, to help move his bowels. He was able to poop out the sock that evening. The vet was shocked, as she was convinced he was going to need emergency surgery. You mentioned that your vet felt Hanks tummy, but maybe she can't feel the object. Does he have a fever? Shivering can be a sign of fever, or from pain. I would take him back to the vet and ask him to take an X-ray, although not all items can be seen by an X-ray, especially material like socks. They can also do a barium X-ray which will show more. I don't have any experience with the medication you mentioned, so don't know what the side effects are. I'm sorry Hank is still not feeling well, I hope the vet can find what's making him sick, and he gets better soon. Please keep us posted on how he's doing.

 

[MrMrsDevilDoc]

I took his temp... it's 101.4, so that's good I suppose. He's not shivering as bad now either.
I feel like it's an obstruction though... like vikinggirl said. I plan on going back to the vet and request that X-ray.

Thank you guys....

 

[My Otis]

Please take your Precious Baby and have an ultra sound down, it sounds like he does have an obstruction. Please let us know about him. Susan Moore

 

[2BullyMama]

I took his temp... it's 101.4, so that's good I suppose. He's not shivering as bad now either.
I feel like it's an obstruction though... like vikinggirl said. I plan on going back to the vet and request that X-ray.

Thank you guys....

i agree.... this seems to be an obstruction, ask for an x-ray with barium some obstructs do not always show in a regular x-ray. please keep us posted

 

[MrMrsDevilDoc]

Well, today Hank is like a different dog! He ate well this morning, had a good poo, and is drinking water. He is not lethargic and wants to play.
I still think I should have an ultrasound or barium X-ray done, yes? I just want complete peace of mind.

Thank you everyone for your advice/concern...

 

[bullmama]

That's great news! You can if you would like, but doesn't sound necessary now. So glad he's feeling better!


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[aprilemari]

thank you for the update, so glad Hank is getting back to himself

 

[2BullyMama]

Well, today Hank is like a different dog! He ate well this morning, had a good poo, and is drinking water. He is not lethargic and wants to play.
I still think I should have an ultrasound or barium X-ray done, yes? I just want complete peace of mind.

Thank you everyone for your advice/concern...

I would just to rule anything out, if there is an item in him, it could move around and the symptoms can come and go

 

[Enjnene]

My boy just had surgery for an obstruction and that sounds like one . They could not feel my boys have them do an X-ray. Hope hank feels better soon . Keep us posted .


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