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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Spare a thought for my sisters poorly dog :(

32 replies

kid · 02/09/2012 22:37

He is 3 years old and was rushed to the vets today with yellow skin, eyes, gums, 2 lumps on his neck and difficulty breathing. The vet fear he has jaundice and are running tests on him. The results aren't back yet but he is responding to treatment but is not out of the woods yet.
They are keeping him overnight and my sister has to phone tomorrow morning for an update.

OP posts:
BehindLockNumberNine · 02/09/2012 22:38

Oh yikes Sad
Did the symptoms come on so suddenly? What a scare!
Will keep everything crossed.
What sort of dog is he?

Original poster
kid · 02/09/2012 22:42

He is a staff. Earlier in the week, he wasn't eating all of his food and seemed a bit off colour so she took him to the vets on Thursday and they said he had a throat infection and gave him an antibiotic injection and some pain relief I think.

They said he would be better in a few days but when she got up this morning, he was very poorly. She didn't even think he would survive the day but thankfully he is hanging in there. Just hope they get the test results so they know what they are dealing with.

OP posts:
BehindLockNumberNine · 02/09/2012 22:49

Awww, I love staffies. (not that it would make the illness any less sad in any other breed)
Fingers crossed all is well xx

ceres · 03/09/2012 07:15

how is he today? hope he is doing ok and on the road to recovery

Original poster
kid · 03/09/2012 15:42

He isn't good, they think its liver failure so I'm not sure what the latest news is. Still keeping my fingers crossed though that he is going to recover.

OP posts:
Original poster
kid · 03/09/2012 17:07

He has been given steroids and its a caseof seeing if his liver starts to repair itself in the next 48 hours.

OP posts:
ceres · 03/09/2012 19:58

sorry to hear this - hope the steroids help. poor boy, it's so horrible when they are ill. will keep my fingers crossed for him.

Marne · 03/09/2012 20:00

Poor thing, keeping everything crossed for him xx

BehindLockNumberNine · 03/09/2012 21:10

Awww no..

My dog (whippet cross) was very poorly last year with a virus which resulted in sceptacemia and liver failure. He was on a drip at the specialist and needed three blood platelet transfusions.
He was not expected to live.
As a last resort he was given steroids. He perked up and made a slow but steady recovery. He is still here Grin

Fingers crossed for your sisters dog xx

Original poster
kid · 03/09/2012 22:08

Thank you all

She sent me a photo of him tonight, he looks so poorly. He neck is swollen, he keeps drinking non-stop and that is causing the swelling (I think thats what she said)

He isn't eating and the vet said he must eat. She has managed to tempt him with small amounts of mini hot dogs which he is eating which is a great start.

I've suggested that she take photos of him so she can check them to see if he is making any improvement (its easy to forget how he looked/acted) and also to measure his neck so she will know if the swelling has gone down at all.

OP posts:
ceres · 04/09/2012 07:17

at least he is eating something, that's a start.

my staffy isn't very food orientated but he will usually eat chicken, although i have to hand feed him when he is off colour (bit spoilt!).

hope he improves today.

Original poster
kid · 04/09/2012 18:29

He has been eating a bit more today and seems more alert and happy as he is wagging his tail.
My sis thinks the swelling has gone down a bit in his neck but is worried that his belly might be swelling. He is back at the vets tomorrow so hopefully they can give some advice on whether he is improving or not.

Fingers crossed for good news tomorrow.

OP posts:
ceres · 04/09/2012 20:33

just looked in to see how he is doing. glad to hear he is wagging his tail, that has to be a good sign.

i will keep my fingers crossed for some positive news from the vet tomorrow.

Original poster
kid · 05/09/2012 18:27

All of the swelling has gone and his skin is returning to its normal colour which is excellent news. He is eating more and more everyday, wee is normal but still hoping for solid poo.

He got more steroids today and will be checked again on friday. They think his liver is starting to work, but they need it to work without the steroids.

OP posts:
ceres · 05/09/2012 20:03

great news! lets hope he continues to make a steady improvement. will keep fingers crossed for more good news friday.

ceres · 08/09/2012 14:29

how is he doing now kid?

Original poster
kid · 08/09/2012 15:59

He has to go back to the vets on Wednesday. He is continuing to eat a little more each day. The swelling has completely gone but he has lost 2kg. The vet has given him more steroids and has sais he isn't out of the woods yet but is making progress.

Thanks for asking after him.

OP posts:
BehindLockNumberNine · 08/09/2012 18:53

Great news kid, will keep everything crossed he makes a full recovery.
It took my dog a few weeks before the vets were willing to say he was out of danger, but the reduction in swelling and the increased appetite are great signs Smile

ceres · 09/09/2012 03:45

glad that things are still going in the right direction. hopefully he is on his way to full recovery.

Original poster
kid · 09/09/2012 07:44

BehindLockNumberNine, does your dog still have any medication for his liver now he has recovered?
The vet told my sister that her dog will probably need medication for the rest of his life which financially could be a worry. I am hoping he can recover and for there to be no lasting effect or any indication that he was ever ill.

OP posts:
BehindLockNumberNine · 09/09/2012 17:35

No, we were lucky in that Sam's liver made a full recovery. The liver is capable of repairing itself and luckily Sam's did so.

He has however been left with scar tissue in his bowel which means that he is prone to frequent stomach upsets as he struggles to digest food. We have to keep his diet very plain and relatively low in fat. When he does have a flare-up he goes back onto steroids for a week and that seems to do the trick.

Did your sister have insurance? If so they should pick up the cost for the medication.
Also, have they said what type of medication he would need? At one point it was thought Sam would need steroids for the rest of his life. Steroids are not that expensive so we would not have been too concerned about the cost. It depends on which medication will be required in your case. Maybe your sister's dog needs steroids? In which case the cost is not a concern as such. Other medication, I don't know. I do know that some vet surgeries will offer discounts on for-life medication. And sometimes it is cheaper to buy the medication on line (from VioVet for instance) and if your vet is willing to write out the prescription then this could be a way of making things easier financially.

Original poster
kid · 09/09/2012 17:59

She has had insurance since he was a pup and had just renewed it 6 days before he got ill. There is a clause that she can't claim for the first 14 days and that anything that occurs in those 14 days is considered pre-existing so she can't claim from them anyway.

They haven't mentioned what long term medication yet, they just said its a possibility that he could need it. Just have to wait and see what happens I guess.

I'm glad to hear that Sam made a full recovery.

OP posts:
ceres · 09/09/2012 19:44

kid - it may be worth looking at alternative remedies. milk thistle is good for supporting the liver and it is safe for dogs (just had a quick google!) there is lots of info out there on when and how to use it.

my dog has colitis and we manage it by using alternative remedies; in our case it is slippery elm. it is quite amazing the difference this has made. i don't like giving medication unless it is absolutely neccessary and with the sippery elm he rarely needs traditional drugs now.

behind - good to hear about your dog making a full recovery from liver failure. if he has a sensitive tum now then have a google for slippery elm bark powder. it is practically a miracle!

Original poster
kid · 09/09/2012 20:21

As he still has the runs, do you think he could be given slippery elm bark powder to combat that? I guess it might be better for my sister to ask the vets on Wednesday but I know that could be preventing him from gaining weight. He weighs 18kg at the moment.

OP posts:
ceres · 09/09/2012 21:43

slippery elm bark is totally safe for both humans and dogs.

is he on any medication at the moment? the only thing with slippery elm is that some people think it may prevent absorption of some meds if given at the same time - the issue is easily avoided by giving at different times.

just ensure it is 100% slippery elm bark powder with nothing else added. and go for the powder not the capsules - same thing but capsules v expensive way of buying it.

we mix a good heaped teaspoon in a good splash of boiling water, it goes horrible and gloopy, you want it quite runny (but still gloopy!) so add more boiling water if it looks very thick. then just mix it through his food.

i am a great believer in alternative remedies but i always do lots of research to ensure it is safe for dogs and won't cause any other issues.

milk thistle is great for humans and helps with liver issue., from the quick google i had it said it is safe for dogs with liver problems too, so could be well worth a look.

good luck!

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