[AmyB]

Yesterday when I came home from work my Mom told me Spencer had diarrhea. I was a little worried, but we took our normal walk & he ate ok so I thought maybe it was just one of those things. Then about 1:00 am he started vomiting. He got sick 3 times during the night & still had diarrhea this morning & was very lifeless. So, off to the emergency vet we went. He was diagnosed with Hemorrhagic GastroEnteritis. He as a history of colitis & the vet said this was a step beyond colitis where the entire digestive tract is involved. She wanted to keep him for 24 hours on IV fluids, but I was concerned about leaving him as he is such a nervous dog, & she felt stress was the likely cause of this. So, they gave him a shot to stop the vomiting & diarrhea, an antibiotic shot & a shot of fluids under the skin & let me bring him home. I have to give him just a few tablespoons of water at a time to see if he can keep that down & no food until tomorrow. He also has oral antibiotics. The vomiting has stopped, but he still has a little diarrhea. I'm hoping we don't end up back at the vet tonight. The poor thing is so pitiful looking. I feel so bad for him. He has had such a rough time since Sadie went to the Bridge. Wish us luck.

 

[murraysmom]

Oh, poor Spencer! You are in my thoughts- please keep us posted-

 

[Barbara Winters]

If left untreated HGE can be fatal but dogs with treatment generally recover. It's usually characterized by bloody diarrhea, in large quantities so that fluids are the mainstay of treatment. If he were my dog I'd ask my vet tomorrow if you should bring him in for fluids.

The cause is unknown but I've known quite a few bassets that have had HGE so I don't know if there's a breed or a genetic predisposition. Roady had it as did a couple of dogs of the exact same breeding. Here's an article on Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis

Sending good thought your way for Spencer's speedy recovery.

 

[corvuss]

Good thoughts and plenty of Healing Drool on the way to poor Spencer.

You get better soon, Spence.

 

[Sandy and Bo]

Awwww. drool being flung to Spencer from Bo and Moose . Please keep us posted.

Bo and Moose say, drink lots of water Spencer, it'll make you better...

Sandy

 

[Jake's mum]

Jake used to have colitis, exhibiting similar symptoms to those you describe. The cause was identified as too rich food (I'd been feeding him cooked liver).

We changed his diet to chicken or minced beef with James Wellbeloved kibble (they do turkey/lamb/duck and rice varieties). Fingers crossed, he's now colitis-free. He still gets liver but in small quantities as a treat.

Hope this helps. Jake says woof! Hope Spencer feels better soon.

 

[Beverly Anne]

Oh, lots of luck and healing thoughts to you and Spence. Hydration is KEY so I would definitely follow up with the vet and making sure he stays nice and hydrated.
Jake's Mum, you should read Betsy's annual Pancreatitis thread in the Health and Genetics Section. Liver can be very rich to some dogs so easy does it. Every year Betsy runs this thread and every year I send it out to all my dog friends and they're ALWAYS grateful. I love the reminder, myself.

 

[copsmom]

Spence, we hope you are better very soon. Healing drool from Copper,Patty and Dolly.

 

[vienneau4]

Keeping you both in our thoughts.

 

[Basset Momma]

Lots of get well wishes and tons of drool- ((Spencer)))

 

[BubbaLeroy]

Bogie sends tons of healing drool from SD. Hopefully Spencer will be feeling perky again very soon. Nothing sadder than a sick Basset. Get well, Spencer.

 

[Marcia]

Daisy & Sally send drool to Spencer for a quick recovery.

 

[AmyB]

Thanks for all the good thoughts everyone. Spencer had a rough day yesterday, but eventually settled down & slept through the night. He drank water this morning & kept it down, but refused to eat anything. The diarrhea was much better today. I spoke with Spencer's regular vet this morning and he seemed to think Spencer is past the dangerous point & did not feel it was necessary to bring him in for fluids, as long as he did not start vomiting & having bad diarrhea again. He told me that the IV treatment would have been the best treatment, but he understood my fears about leaving him hospitalized. He assured me Spencer could fully recover, but that it would take longer than if I had gone with the IV treatment. He advised me to give Spencer several small meals a day of boiled chicken & rice in broth & let him drink all the water he wanted. Spencer has been drinking & has eaten 2 small meals today & has kept everything down. It was so nice out today, I sat outside with him for about an hour & he seemed to enjoy sitting in the sun. Other than that, he has been sleeping all day, which is what he is doing now.

One interesting thing - the emergency vet told me the cause of this was unknown, but with his history of colitis, thought it might be related to that. Spencer's regular vet seemed to think he ate something that he had an allergic reaction to. There is no way he got into any garbage or anything like that, because he is NEVER alone. The only thing I can think of is a few days ago I was walking him & he was sniffing around in the grass & grabbed something & ate it. I did not see what it was. According to what I have read on the internet, there is no known cause for it but a certain bacteria has been commonly found in the intestines of dogs who have it, which I guess could come from eating something? Any thoughts?

Jake's Mum, Spencer has had bouts of colitis off & on for about the last 5-6 years. They always have followed stressful events - fireworks, when I got a new floor laid & most recently, after Sadie went to the bridge. I wish his colitis was food related - that would be a lot easier to fix! His seems to be related to his nervous personality, but thanks for the thought!

Again, thanks for the well wishes for Spencer's recovery.

Amy