charady2

Yesterday morning, hubby forgot to shut the kitchen gate when he brought flash in from a potty break. Flash went out and ate a whole bowl (about 2 cups maybe?) of cat food. Then he wanted nothing to do with his food throughout the day. Well we went fishing around 6 pm and since I didn't want him getting hungry, I put his food in his kennel.

We came home at 11 pm to a freaking mess-diarrhea and puked up dog food all over the kennel He is drinking very very small amounts of water but refusing to eat even canned food. Still had a pretty bad bout of diarrhea around 11 am today, so I called the vet. At this point the puking is now more like water or foamy-but sticky enough I have to wipe it away from his mouth.

The vet thinks it is from the cat food, since it is something he isn't used to and he had an excessive amount of. Not sure I totally believe that, but thats not the point. He told me to give him about a teaspoon of pepto bismal and to keep the access to water open, but no food for another 12 hours because it needs to run its course until everything is out. Around midnite is when he can have more food-and at that point only 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of dry food at a time, every 2 hours. If he isn't doing better by noon tomorrow to bring him in.

What do you guys think of all this? I am in the middle of nowhere, I love my vet but he is more "old school" and not as technologically advanced as other vets. Flash is lazing around today, been sleeping on me for the past hour (just moved him to the couch to type this). He isn't running, chasing the cats, biting toes, nothing that is the "normal" for him. His nose was cold last night so I slept on the couch with him until almost 6 am. Today his feet feel cold so I have kept him wrapped in a blanket. His feet are normal feeling now but I don't like seeing my pup like this!

As far as I know, he did not eat anything out of the ordinary yesterday except the cat food. He did get a new treat around lunchtime, a chicken jerky treat by Milo's kitchen. Can anyone think of any other reason he would be like this, or anything else I can do? I am assuming he gobbled his food when we left around 6, so he hasn't eaten since then-holding food from him til midnite seems mean but at the same time he has no desire to eat anyway.

Sorry this is so long, I just don't like seeing him sick! I will say he is moving around a little more than he did last night, he does walk up to the cat but doesn't play like normal. Last night he just layed around all curled up. Thanks for reading this, it ended up much longer than I anticipated but I didn't want to forget anything!

mhvonalmen8908

Poor Flash! I'm sorry he's not feeling so well. If you're really worried about your vet, then I'm sure you can always call another vet and explain what's going on over the phone. Get a second opinion of sorts. We'll send healing drool your way and hope that Flash returns to normal soon.

__________________
Megan & Chris
-Mom & Dad to Doppler (2 year old Basset/Redbone/Golden mix) and Virga (1 year old Basset)

houndmomma

I’m so sorry to hear Flash is not doing well – I did a few searches for dogs eating cat food – and below is what I found. If it is pancreatitis it’s extremely dangerous. I almost lost my Lucy to that when somehow her fat paws managed to open a kitchen cabinet and get into the bacon fat. I still to this day don’t know how those paws were able to open it.

Cat Food
Cat food usually contains higher level of fat and protein than dog food. When consumed regularly and in large amounts, the pancreas is worked too hard resulting to pancreatitis.

Animal Poison Control Center - (888) 426-4435 - where you know you can find it in an emergency. And, if you think your dog has consumed something that's toxic, call for emergency help at once. They have a $65 charge for the call to talk with a vet.

Here is a link to Pet MD – you can ask a question online to vets – it being a holiday weekend – it’s a good place to start for a second option. Scroll down to the bottom of the page – it shows how many vets are currently online.
http://www.petmd.com/

I hope you find out what her problem is and she up and around soon.

Jen~

bubbad

No food for at least 12 to 24 hours then start with bland diet like cooked chicken and rice or cooked lean hamburg and rice.Give 1/2 cup to start after he has kept that down for at least 6-8 hours mix a small amount of his reg. food in each feeding till he is back on his reg diet. I'm no Vet but yours has the right idea.You need to slow down his system. Good luck with the Pepto,you shall be baptised in pink.

charady2

Stupid question-is brown rice ok? That is all i have in the house (but i am more than willing to buy white if it is better!) Also, flash has not thrown up since about 11 am, got the pepto at 11:30 after talking to the vet and so far so good He is still drinking and peeing at least. And he did bite at me and the cat about half an hour ago, so he is feeling slightly better.

Thanks for the help and good thoughts folks! I appreciate it. Usually my vet does recommend beef and rice, always did when my rottie was sick-but this time told me to give him dry food. I will try the rice though.

Annie714

I'm with Bubbad...Annie has had bouts of stomach problems as well (though not from eating cat food) and if she is actively ill (vomit and diarrhea) then I withhold food for at least 12 hours. If she is holding good with water after that time then I start with rice and boiled chicken and go from there.

I am a big time freaker when my dog gets sick too, lol, so don't feel crazy

__________________
Blog about the antics of Annie and I. http://thechickandthehound.blogspot.com

charady2

I think my biggest issue is that I personally think more should have been done with my rottie and that I should have pushed the issue-and if so, would he still be here? He had gotten sick at new years eve day, throwing up, laying around...and kept getting worse. couldn't get him into any vet in the area. That monday when I got home from work he could barely stand up, called the vet and one that did take after hours decided the dog could wait since i wasn't a regular customer (hate that vet....he has always been a jerk when he was the on call vet...grrrr, anyway). So we waited til Tuesday to see our vet-found out taz had pnuemonia. Got a shot, some pills and were sent on our way (he wanted to treat the pneumonia first, get it under control and then go on about the not eating/vomitting). Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance. That thursday I found my dog dead. I have a ton of guilt over the fact I did NOT push for an emergency vet trip monday night-my dad would have given me his credit card for it but he was not thrilled and thought I should wait. UGH.

So yeah, now I am going to be super paranoid ANY time Flash throws up-especially if it isn't just a one time/ate too fast type deal. Sorry, that was a lot to throw out there and I have to learn to not second guess my decisions (like driving an hour and ahalf for an ER vet).

MollyMcFrecklesMom

Glad Flash is showing improvement. I am a firm believer in always going with your gut. I do that with mine and that's what saved Molly from having a serious Addison's crisis last month. You kind of get this 6th sense...a maternal (or paternal for the basset daddies) instinct that tells you when your baby needs something. Since these guys can't tell us what hurts, we have to guess and go with our gut. If your gut tells you that you think your vet isn't right and that you should call another, by all means do so!

As far as being paranoid, yeah I am like that too with Molly. She has some diarrhea today, but is otherwise fine...playing, eating, looks good. But I am so paranoid about her Addison's. We are like this because we love them like children

__________________
Michelle - proudly owned by Molly (21 mos) and Winston (14 months).

Molly McFreckles' World:
The adventures of a Basset Hound living with Addison's Disease and a baby brother named Winston

Wworm

Oh, 2 sick Flashies..
hope ya both feel bettah soon.

ok, this Flashie-- i had overeat-syndrome too (ok, i made that name up). i ate a LOT of dry dog food coupla months ago, like 1 or 2 lbs worth, can't quite remember. (1/5 or 2/5 of the bag). many, many cups. and my tummy was big and bloated. then i drank lots and lotsa water, which was really bad, and made my tummy swell more. i could not even get up to move and i laid around all day.

here's the thread: Uh oh!

so yeah, what Annie & Bubbad says. in fact, when we called the vet (i didn't have to go in, and i was ok), they said to hold water for 12 hours. and hold food for 24 to 48 hrs. boy i was thirsty and hungry! i almost drank out of the toilet bowl, looking for water everywhere. anyway, eventually everything came out as stools a bit loose. and my tummy swelling went down. and i et chicken and brown rice for the rest of the week...

yeah, all that to say that you can feel real, real bad for 1-3 days. no appetite is par for the course after eating so much and swelly belly. yeah, and what the other Flash says too, may be good to rule out pancreatitis if you don't start feeling bettah soon.
--speedy recovery, Worm

ps. my person says:
sorry to hear about your Rottie i'd say that in retrospect your vet shoulda kept your rottie in the hospital. that was the vet's call, not yours. how could you have been expected to know? you're not a vet. when Worm first came home, he had bad pneumonia. i didn't really want him to stay in the hospital (along w/the bills) and his breeder sure didn't want him to (she was telling the vet the vet was wrong, that Worm didn't have pneumonia...). but it was a good decision, as he got better w/IV antibiotics and fluids. anyway, your poor Rottie and you, but please don't blame yourself. you put trust in the people with more expertise, and that's the most you could have done. hope that vet knows what happened to your Rottie and that he/she should have been more aggressive in treating the pneumonia...

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see what the Worm is up to: http://bassetworm.blogspot.com/

charady2

Thanks everyone. Flash is doing MUCH better-toes are no longer safe again! Can't believe I am happy he is attacking them again lmao. Some how he managed to convince daddy to feed him canned food (what is it with husband's not listening to their wives???) So far so good, he has held everything down and the diarrhea seems to be gone. Thanks for listening to my whining about it all