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

Help! Do I need to get to an emergency vet?

54 replies

Slightlyjaded · 01/01/2019 22:24

DDog (3 year old spaniel) has never been ill before so not sure how to gauge this and Google is giving me conflicting views. She was sick late this afternoon (she has thrown up before after eating too fast/too much) so wasn't unduly worried. Popped out for a couple of hours and when I got back DD said she'd been sick a couple more times but more bile/foam. I kept an eye on her between about 7-9 this evening and she threw up bile about six times. In between throwing up she would lie on the sofa, seems lethargic and is quite trembly.

So far she hasn't thrown up for about an hour - the longest she's gone so far - but she is still definitely not herself and still quite shaky to touch.

She couldn't have eaten chocolate or raisins/grapes but DH thinks she might have had a small piece of Brie that she snaffled earlier. Also she runs around a lot on her walks which is in a huge park with a lot of nature - foxes/deer/rabbits etc so could have picked up something and eaten without us seeing.

As I type this, she is lying next to be dozing and I am hoping that the worst has passed but she is definitely lethargic and a bit shaky.

Vet or wait and see how she is in the morning? Honestly have no idea? Vet would be a pantomime to get to (would have to get small DC out of bed etc) and I imagine v. expensive, but this is DDog - so if it's am emergency, of course I will go. Trembling and lethargy could be explained by just feeling sick and being sick but equally google suggests could be symptoms of something worse... Any advice welcome. And thank you.

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Slightlyjaded · 02/01/2019 11:38

Morning All. @Orlandointhewilderness. I agree. I called the Vet at 4am and described the pink poo. They said that it wasn't as worrying as it appears to be but if she is still unwell in the morning to take her back. I stayed on the sofa with her all night and she was listless and floppy but no more vomiting (small yay). However another pink poo at around 5am.

We went back in at 9am when they opened (with photos of pink poo) and she had another examination. Tummy is definitely tender and the vet said the poo looked like there was some blood in the colon rather than her stomatch which could be caused by general ill/straining. We have come home to see how she gets on but if she doesn't pick up by tomorrow, they recommend a day on a drip to ensure she gets her meds and enough fluid. They did say to call them if she starts vomiting again when the anti-sickness jab wears off but I forgot to ask how long the jab would normally work for - does anyone know?

Poor DDog. She is snoozing now and not trembling so i am hoping she will start to make a recovering. She is miserable :(

OP posts:
bluetongue · 02/01/2019 12:01

Poor pup. Hope she feels better soon.

Definitely sounds like you did the right thing taking her in.

8DaysAWeek · 02/01/2019 15:03

Did the vet mention it being a stingy injection, or did she react worse than usual to it? If it was that one then it should last 24 hours. The other common anti sickness injection will last around 12 hours.

LittleLongDog · 02/01/2019 18:53

Poor pup! How is she this evening?

Slightlyjaded · 02/01/2019 19:01

@8DaysAWeek yes definitely said 'stingy'.

She still hasn't been sick, but nor has she poo'd. She hasn't eaten anything so impossible to know if she'd keep it down or what colour poo would be. She drunk lots of water though and got off the sofa for the first time about an hour ago to say hello to DH as he walked in.

Hoping she us much better by tomorrow and trying not to worry that she has no appetite. I don't much feel like eating when I'm sick so fingers crossed she will eat some plain chicken breast and rice tomorrow and we do r have to do the drip thing.... but the no eating means she hasn't had any of the anti acids so we will see.

As an aside. Shocked at the raspberry jam poo not bring of huge concern. The vet was far more worried about the vomiting. Just mentioning this in case it reassures someone in the future.

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MuttsNutts · 02/01/2019 19:03

Lurking and following to see how the patient is doing?

I’m sure in a couple of days she will be fine again - we all get ill sometimes - but when they are poorly we worry ourselves sick don’t we. I’d have been straight to the vet with her as well.

Keep us posted...

MuttsNutts · 02/01/2019 19:07

Oops...cross posted.

Very good sign that she got up to see DH Smile

Don’t worry about lack of appetite for now - as long as she’s drinking plenty and keeping it down, that’s the main thing.

She’s lucky to have you taking care of her Flowers

Elephantina · 02/01/2019 19:18

Aw poor pooch - I read with interest, as my dog had an episode last summer when when vomited 10 times in 7 hours (she's a 6kg terrier). Poor thing, it's awful to watch. But she was fine after 48 hrs and the vet didn't see her.

How is she doing?

WombatStewForTea · 02/01/2019 21:16

Re colour of poo...Pink/bright red blood is fresh blood so likey to be from a blood vessel in the colon so not generally serious. Dark red blood however is from further up the digestive track and suggests a problem.
Similar to humans speaks from experience Blush

confusednorthner · 02/01/2019 22:41

Our ddog is still under weather but looking better. I've made him butternut squash with a little rice which is staying in 🤞 told the water the rice is cooked in is good for them and a friend who's a vet suggested sweet potatoes apparently roasted in jackets then scoop out inside for them. No idea if it's helpful for you but has helped us. Hope your ddog is on mend.

Slightlyjaded · 02/01/2019 23:48

Thanks all. She still has no appetite but is drinking water. I'm really hoping she wants to ear tomorrow - will try the sweet potato if she shows any interest, thank you.

I am hating her being sick. She seems so vulnerable Sad

Bloody DDogs, stealing our hearts like that...

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MuttsNutts · 03/01/2019 17:40

How is she today?

Slightlyjaded · 03/01/2019 19:40

@MuttsNutts hello. Thanks for asking

Still very quiet and subdued. No poo so can’t gauge that. Drinking a fair amount of water and finally ate a few mouthfuls if steamed chicken and plain boiled rice.

Jangled the lead but she didn’t want to walk. This has NEVER happened before!!

But, no vomiting. Some food intake and a couple of licks on my hand when I was stroking her. If she is no better tomorrow I will check with the vet but I am hoping she is just recovering from all the strain of being so sick.

She is feeling very sort for herself.

Help! Do I need to get to an emergency vet?
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Slightlyjaded · 03/01/2019 19:42

*sorry for herself.

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BiteyShark · 03/01/2019 19:46

Aww she looks just like my dog in that photo. Don't know how I missed this thread but hope she feels better soon.

I have had several episodes with mine of severe D&V and it's heartbreaking to see them sick.

Hecticlifeanddrowning8 · 03/01/2019 19:49

Bless her , did the vet say whether they thought it was a bug or something she ate?

Queenofthedrivensnow · 03/01/2019 19:58

Very similar to my spaniel few weeks back I had a thread. He is fine now but the sickness knocked him sideways.

We went to the vet and actually I learnt a lot from that visit. You can press their gums and if the blood springs back into them they are not severely dehydrated. If tummy feels nice and squashy and the dog will let you poke it and feel it then it's unlikely to be an obstruction.
Pink sick is from being sick and damage to the oesophagus and nothing serious.

If the dog will take on water don't worry too much about the eating initially. I got ddog to drink using one of the kids squeeze bottles!!!

On the vets advice I bought white fish and rice. Wouldn't bloody touch it would he!!! Broke his fast for Cheerios!!

Big hug though. Spaniels are very hardy dogs who don't generally get ill so my ginger idiot going through this scared the living daylights out of me!!!

Also cause unknown here too - no obvious dodgy thing he ate at all.

Lastly it took a week for him to even pull on the lead he was very sorry for himself!!

MuttsNutts · 03/01/2019 21:57

Oh bless her heart, she is gorgeous!

Sounds like she is recovering very slowly so will hopefully just continue improving now and it will just take some time.

Give her a snuggle from me Smile and let us have another update tomorrow.

Slightlyjaded · 04/01/2019 12:10

Morning.

Still nauseas (straining away from even the plainest food) and gums a bit dry. Popped into the vet (for reassurance really) and they are keeping her in for a few hours to monitor. If she doesn’t improve they might give her some fluids/electrolytes intravenously. Her tummy is still tender and her temp was a smidge low.

Vet said she wasn’t unduly worried but I am a bit I just want her back to her bouncy self Sad

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BiteyShark · 04/01/2019 12:12

Hmm I think I would be pushing to see if there was any further tests they could do to try and get to the bottom of it.

BigGreenOlives · 04/01/2019 15:12

Look up Addisons. Addisons Disease in Dogs. One of my dog's sisters died from it & another friend's Bearded Collie has it. Another of my dog's sisters has atypical Addisons. You could ask your breeder if there is any history of Addisons in the family, there wasn't for my dog but it's worth checking.

BiteyShark · 04/01/2019 15:44

Atypical addisons was one of the things my vet ruled out with specific blood tests in my cocker when he had severe D&V lasting a few weeks. We actually ended up with an endoscopy which confirmed inflammatory bowel disease which flares up intermittently requiring treatment.

OP if she isn't getting any better trust your instincts. I knew BiteyDog wasn't 'right' but it took months and several vomiting periods to get to the bottom of my dogs illness but each time my vet did lots of scans and tests (with my blessing) to try and work out what was wrong.

Fluffypot333 · 04/01/2019 21:16

I would push for more tests.A friends dog was very simular to this ,vomiting bile and not wanting to walk to come inside .After a couple of days with no improvement he had surgery to see if anything was going on and turned out he had a tumour on his pancreas.Hopefully your dog will improve soon but if not I would want further tests

Fluffypot333 · 06/01/2019 20:13

Hello how is your dog doing today?

MuttsNutts · 06/01/2019 23:45

@Slightlyjaded Any news?