You poor soul , this must be so tiring, for all of you , keeping my fingers crossed for Snowie today x
Thank you. Me, too! Have steamed him his favourite veg: brocolli, cauliflower and carrots. And spinach. Will see if he's interested in some later. Might just not be interested anymore in the sloppy oats porridge and yoghurt. Altho there was a little chicken in it, and usually he'd be salivating for that. This boy tests my anxiety levels!!!
Thank you. It is tiring. I just wish I could make him feel better. And I wish I knew what is causing this.
God news about the huge and solid poo. I hope he starts to feel better & eat normally. Fingers crossed for you x
From what I've read from the replies from other members, it can take a couple of weeks for a full recovery. This has given me and my husband some comfort, because I was hoping for an instant recovery on taking the first antibiotic! I also feel it's going on a long time.
This dog is here to test me!! Yesterday he refused to eat a thing. But he was cheerful on his mid morning walk, kicking up the dirt and marking all his spots -- he had urine at least (not dehydrated). He made four poos: first was good, but with each one they got worse, with the final one being pure liquid. He was also cheerful when my mom came to visit late afternoon. But would not take a morsel in his mouth. Well, actually, he did take a teeny-tiny strip of chicken, like a couple of millimetres wide and a couple of centimetres long. I was making him up a chicken broth of sorts, to get liquid into him, and tested the morsel of chicken to see if he was interested. But he then promptly went outside to eat grass, went into the pond to drink water, and then vomited all of that out including the chicken morsel. I was besides myself, but his cheerfulness was very confusing. When we tried again to offer him the bowel of chicken and water, and turned his head away, and when we didn't stop, he took his fluffy slipper toy into his mouth and walked away -- the darling! As if to say: my mouth is full now. Later I took a syringe with cooled boiled water and syringed 5ml into his mouth. Some came out, but he swallowed the rest. A little later I repeated this, with just 2.5ml, and then later another 2.5ml. Two teaspoons of water! But it was something. I was finished, got into bed very early, and went to sleep soon after, as did Snowie. We slept through the night and lo and behold this morning, he leaps onto the bed full of beans at 6.30am. Goes down with my husband, and before my husband could pick up last night's dish with the chicken and water to throw out and clean his dish, he gobbles it up! And then moans that my husband isn't fast enough with preparing his breakfast. I took him for a little walk, very happy. And when we come home, he goes to the compost heap to eat the remains of his breakfast from the previous morning, which had been oats porridge and yoghurt (probably shouldn't have thrown it onto the compost heap, but it was raining and too wet to throw it into the compost bin which is in a particularly wet part of the garden). And then he begged all day for food (as he usually does!). Hasn't pooed again. Feels like a yo-yo. I have made an appointment with the holistic vet -- but closest appointment is next Fri 23 June. I feel we need to look at Snowie holistically, and my vet just looks at the immediate symptoms. She fully supports the holistic vet route, used to work in the same practice before coming to this practice, and says she has seen him do amazing things. Snowie has been in and out of the vet since the beginning of the year, each time with something new. I feel we need to get to the bottom of it. The amazing thing is, since he's been on the antibiotics, he's not been as itchy... And all this time we've been treating his itchy skin with cortisone, which the vet said to stop for a week cos of his sensitive gut (can contribute to gut ulcers). But can't stop altogether, must be weaned off, so he got a 1/4 tablet this morning (he's on a low dose thankfully), and I'll chat to the vet about weaning him off.
@MF, just wanted to say how much I feel for you with poor old Snowie and his various health complaints. It must be very stressful and distressing at times. I hope the holistic vet brings hope.
Thank you so much! The weird thing is, when people see him, they always comment on how wonderful he looks. I walk with a friend and her dog, and she is always amazed that at home he has health complaints, because out and about he's rearing to go, races up and down, excited to meet new dogs, all muscle and thick coat. A show of bravado. And at home, a sensitive boy who likes to be waited on hand and foot! It is extremely stressful when he is sick at home and I don't know what is wrong or how to fix him. Sometimes I wish I could move in with the vet!! My sister reckons I should get a second dog, maybe Snowie would be too occupied with another dog to be sick. One wonders how true that would be. I just worry I might get a second dog that requires as much vet care as this one!! And I researched for almost a year before getting Snowie, made sure his parents had all the tests done. Well, he has good hips and elbows, and doesn't carry the blindness gene. But it never occurred to me to ask about epilepsy, slipped disc, or allergies...
Hope things to well re the appointment with the holistic vet. We are with an holistic vet (Monty has lots of issues!) and she has been great. Keep us posted?
@MF That's the trouble isn't it ? We set our stall by the health tests of the parents , but we cant test for what cant be seen . Its sheer bad luck really , and I do so feel for you and Snowie too , you really have been dealt a poor hand . Re another dog , I cant really see that Snowie being distracted would help a great deal ? Some are quite happy to be the only one , and he does require so much of your time , we only got Millie and then Nell because Sam hasn't ever been an only dog and he was having trouble adjusting .
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to announce that we have had not one poo. Not two poos. Not three. But FOUR magnificent poos in the past two days! My husband just commented today that he didn't think he'd see the day when he was HAPPY that Snowie was begging for food! Unfortunately since he was getting lots of small meals throughout the day, he is now accustomed to it! Demanded lunch today even though he'd had a pretty substantial breakfast. This evening he went back to a little raw meat (beef heart). Up till now been on about 100 gm shredded roast chicken twice a day with steamed (very soft) cauliflower, broccoli, potato, carrot, and spinach mixed in, boiled eggs and kefir, and apples (lots of pectin). I did try soppy oats porridge, but once I added more veg, his poos improved (maybe it was coincidence, and they would've improved anyway). When he knew he was getting raw meat tonight, he was like a little show pony prancing after me when I went to set his bowl down. Completed the course of antibiotics. Interestingly, he has hardly been itchy this past week, so there goes the idea that he's been allergic to chicken all these years!!! Unless the antibiotics have anything to do with it? I will now add the meat, type by type, to see if any do cause itching. So for the next few days it is just beef heart. (Meals will be rather unbalanced for a week or two, will add bone back in a few days after he has a few more good poos.) Snowie seems to be in top health now. THANKFULLY!!!!! I am being far more strict about what he is allowed to scavenge from the pavements, although he did manage to get in a chicken bone this morning when my eyes were cast elsewhere. Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts. Last week I was a ball of anxiety. This evening I am totally relaxed. And Snowie is snoring away, probably dreaming of his next meal!
