Sick Sad Puppy

[brenda taulbee]

We are very worried first-time mommies!

Our 11 week old lab X has been vomiting/dry heaving intermittently for the past 24 hours. She has only actually vomited 5 times over that period, and has been drinking plenty of water. However, she hasn't been interested in food since yesterday evening, and also hasn't passed any stools since yesterday afternoon. Her first vomit was solid, and they have been progressively less substantial. Her energy level has been fluctuating. She goes from high-energy pup doing the crazy-legs run to lethargic in no time. It seems like she is mostly vomiting when she wakes up.

Our main concern is that she has only received her first round of vaccinations. We have been hanging close to home as per the vet's orders, but still, we are concerned it might be something serious.

We are headed to the vet in the morning, but is there anything we can do to make her more comfortable through the night? The majority of her dry-heaving took place last night, and none of us want to suffer through that again.

Please, any advice to make our sad pup (and her worried family) a little more comfortable is appreciated.

[maxkaurasky]

Im so sorry to hear that your puppy is sick!! This site has some good suggestions: http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/treat_your_dogs_vomiting_at_home
They recommend giving ice cubes to keep her hydrated & prevent her from gulping down too much water at once, which could make her vomit even more. If she can go 4 hours without puking, mix pedialyte 1/2 with small amounts of water to keep her hydrated. You can also rub honey or corn syrup or a paste of sugar and water on her gums to raise her blood sugar level & energy. I've done that with sick kittens and it does help. Best wishes & hang in there! I hope she gets better soon!

[brenda taulbee]

Quick update:
We took Kenzii to the vet this morning, where they did x-rays and put her on an IV to combat dehydration. The x-rays didn't show any kind of foreign body or obstruction, so we don't know if she swallowed something to make her sick. Some general tests ruled out parvo and distemper. However, even on the IV she is refusing food and has continued to vomit, and her diarrhea has gotten worse.

Has anyone had any similar experiences? Our vet doesn't seem to have any answers for us at the moment.

[maggies mom]

Brenda:

How is your puppy today? Hope she is doing better. The only thing that I could think of is that she may chewed up something and it is blocking her intestines. We had a Dalmation that had the same symptoms as your puppy and that's what was wrong. However, if they did x-rays, they should have found it. Don't give up.....keep calling the vet if she's not better. GOOD LUCK!

[brenda taulbee]

Good news, all's well in Kenzii's world.
The vet ran some tests on the stool sample and determined it was a bacterial infection in her gastrointestinal system. She's running through a round of antibiotics now, and back to her normal energy level (which is incredibly high). Thanks all, for your support.

**Heads up for anyone living in the Missoula area, the Clark Fork river is too dangerous for dogs to be playing and swimming in. Our vet said almost 40% of her patients have been dogs with similar bacterial infections from drinking out of the Clark Fork.