Please help me as I wait to speak to the vet

[Lionness5]

My dog is a nine year old retriever. Normally very healthy and very good.

Between 1.45 and 3.30 this morning she asked to go out at least six times. She went to the toilet each time and was also sick. This morning I went to pick up and it was all wet and soft, the vomit looked unusual. At 7.30 she had a poo, still wet and soft but with a smear of blood. Then at 8.05 she pooed again but this time just liquid and some blood. In between she's eaten her breakfast as normal.

Three times on two consecutive days she went into some bushes and would not come back. This is not like her and I suspect there was something too tasty. Then yesterday she went up a slope to explore, I looked away for a second and lost her. When I did find her she was very near to where I had last seen her and was looking shocked I wasn't there. I think she must have gone back whereas I went forward as was worried she'd carry on to the road. Just giving this information incase relevant.

I'll be ringing the vet as soon as possible but just wanted some reassurance or reality please.

I would suggest white fish and sweet potato. Or turkey. Or tins of Chappie.

Hi OP,

Chicken and rice means just that: chicken and rice. No biscuits or anything else. Give her 15 minutes to eat the chicken and rice and, if she doesn't want it, take it up until the next meal time. If she is having GI distress, giving her any other food won't help. Do this for at least 3 days and then take her back to the vet if you don't see any improvement. But, don't expect to see improvement if you deviate at all from chicken and rice.

When my dog had severe vomiting and diarrhoea we gave her chicken and rice. She was checked by the vet who said don’t given chicken and rice as this advice is outdated. She advised to starve overnight but leave water for her and then try her on her regular food, in small helpings.

Thank you. The vet suggested scrambled eggs but as she'd never had them before she said stick with rice and chicken. I've only given her rice as had no chicken in. I think she's hungry and wondering where her proper lunch is.

Can you buy some chicken ?
white fish is also usually ok - gently cooked in water
try scrambled eggs, she might like it

and yes good old Chappie ! usually the original one. used to be one of the cheapest tinned dog foods but no longer.

Agree with this.

It's like when a human is really sick and you're meant to give them dry toast to settle their stomach. If you start adding other bits onto it - jam, nutella etc - then it's no longer dry toast. So it won't work.

My head is spinning with what to do, not helped by some bad news, exhaustion and not wanting to leave the house.

I have to help her though. I'm sure she'd love tinned Chappie as she's only ever has biscuits, dog treats and occasionally a chip or a crisp or carrot pieces.

Mate, just do what the vet's told you to do. It'll stop your head spinning and might help your poor dog's stomach from spinning too. Chicken and rice. No Chappie, no biscuits, no anything else - chicken and rice. Get chicken delivered if you've got none in.

Ok thanks.

I guess why you say biscuits, you mean kibble as called by some i.e. a dry food diet.
so if you were to give her biscuits later that could upset her tummy again as you would be giving her ' normal ' food. which is not what the Vet wanted you to do.
I also don't think she needed last night's carrots.

Keep her on rice today if you can't go out today to buy chicken, do you think you will be able to go out tomorrow ?

She has just had rice and chicken yesterday and rice the day before. Was sick this morning still, has a warm nose. Fine in herself. I wonder if she ate cat poo from next doors cat coming in my garden. She never has done it before we moved here and I have two cats.

You are going to have to watch her every time she is in the garden,
if she has become an eater of anything and everything when out on a walk, you may want to consider a soft muzzle - I had to do this with a beagle and a bichon as they both decided they loved to eat seaweed ! but seaweed did not love them !

@Lionness5 , one of my dogs is very seldom sick but although rice with or without chicken is the thing that people often suggest to help, she doesn't get on with rice at all, she just vomits it back up.

I'm hesitant to suggest something else but could you maybe try her with just one egg, scrambled? It's very light and great nutrition.

I hope she's feeling better soon. The furry wee devils always seem to find a way to worry us don't they?!

They really do! She seems so much better since mid morning, thank goodness. I'm poaching her some chicken for tomorrow and she's enjoying the rice as well now. So I'll see how we go but might try her with some kibble. She's never had an egg so wasn't sure if it was the time to try when she already has an upset tummy.

The muzzle would be a shame as she loves to play ball but I'll see how she goes tomorrow. Thanks all.

If you freeze the water you boil the chicken in, in an ice cube tray it makes a fab dog treat for warm days.

Hopefully this is her on the mend now.

That sounds positive @Lionness5 , please let us know how she is over the next few days.

I poured the water away thinking it feels such a waste but I'll definitely freeze for next time, thanks. Especially as she loves an ice cube on hot days.

I will do, thank you.

I wouldn't be considering muzzling for one incident of sickness given you don't even know if eating something was the cause. It would be a complete overreaction.

I'm not considering muzzling her. Never would do that. I was just being polite and responding.

She had me up three times and I'm exhausted. Soft poo in consistency and colour I'd expect from about five meals of just chicken and rice. Might try a small amount of biscuits but not sure yet. I want her to be well and I need sleep.

I’m glad she’s feeling better. The thing is, when you have a lot of other worries and it sounds like you do, it feels like the end of the world to add in a poorly dog.
Everyone seems to have their own recipe for feeding poorly dogs. Someone I knew swore by cornflakes.
I will be making an effort to keep a piece of white fish and a potato spare for emergency use, on the back of this thread!

It's so hard as she's rarely ill and she can't tell me what is wrong. Plus walking is now stressful incase she runs off and we both miss her being off lead and having the freedom she's used to. Her recall is really good but whatever she ate was just too tempting and beat coming back to me! But I don't care how much I have to clear up, please just sleep all night!

It's not going well. I gave her a small shape biscuit after her walk as she'd been fine. 1.5 hours later she has been sick - rice and it's yellow coloured. Half an hour after that she has yellow just slightly not runny poo. Can one biscuit really cause this? Is rice and chicken not working? Should I try scrambled eggs, plain fish or ring the vet? She's never gone this long before when she'd needed to be on chicken and rice.

Mate, ring the vet. Your insurance also probably has a helpline - Petplan definitely does. Honestly, the vet should always be your first port of call, never Mumsnet. They're used to first time owners not knowing anything and getting worried by everything (I'm a first time owner too). Much better to feel a bit silly than to get terrible advice from someone well-meaning on here.

'if she has become an eater of anything and everything when out on a walk, you may want to consider a soft muzzle '

you didn't need ' I was just being polite and responding.' you can just emphasise on the words I have now put in bold.

I came in here to chat to people while I waited to ring the vet. I've listened to the vet who made me feel I'd over reacted as well as read what posters have said. What's the problem?

I don't give into bullies but comments like that make me not want to ask for help. when my dog is still unwell and even when I've followed all the advice, isn't getting better and it hadn't helped.