Hi Everyone! First off, I just want to say how grateful I am for this forum. It is such a great resource!
Yesterday after returning for a walk, Winston was standing by the door to go out potty again. I figured he just wanted to go outside and sniff around as ever since the weather is getting nicer here in WI, he wants to spend as much time outside as possible (and after this past winter I can't blame him for that). But I noticed something wasn't right...he looked like he had to throw-up and when this happens he stands by the door to go outside. So I took him out and he threw up his food from the morning (this was at 2:45 in the afternoon). He then threw up bile three more times. He was also stretching a lot - forward and backwards, like he was uncomfortable. And he would get in position to poop, but he would end up just lying down - he did this a couple times. He refused to go in the house and would just lie in the grass. Then he would get up and proceeded to throw-up bile a couple more times. And then he would want to eat grass, stretch, try to poop and just lay down again...
At this point, I could tell he was restless and of course thought bloat. I went across the street to our neighbors house, who is a vet, where he proceeded to throw up white foam. He was also a bit agitated when she was looking him over, feeling his stomach, looking at his gums, etc. which is unusal for him because usually he lets you do anything to him. She confirmed what I had been thinking - that he needed to go to the emergency vet.
So I loaded him in the vehicle and we were on our way. In the exam room he threw up again a couple times. His temp was normal and they took him for Xrays. They could only get one view because they couldn't get him to roll over on his back. They said that he had a lot of gas in his intestine. They recommended withholding food and water for 24 hours. (We are withholding food, but are giving him water this morning in small increments and he is keeping it down.) Starting this evening he will get a bland diet of rice and hamburger for 3 days. He seems to be doing better. He wants to eat (he was standing by his food dish this morning when he came in from going out potty looking at me like he was thinking "where's my food?!"). He did poop this morning as well, which was solid.
Additionally, a week before Easter he was treated for an overgrowth of bacteria in his system with metronidizal and amoxicylian (sp). (He had diarrhea so we took a stool sample into the vet.) After he was done with his meds, on Easter Sunday, he threw up two pieces of a toy that we noticed were missing for about 3 weeks. We took another stool sample to the vet and the test came back normal, but his stool was still a little loose. The vet recommended changing his food. He was on Eagle and that was when I noticed that they were bought out and the Great Dane lady was no longer endorsing Eagle. So after much review other dog foods and posting on this forum, we choose Fromm Four Star. But we haven't started the food transition as we just picked it up yesterday morning and yesterday afternoon he was at the emergency clinic.
I apologize that this post is so lengthy...I just don't want to leave anything out that may be important. He is acting normal, but I am worried about him. As you all know our dogss are like children to us. We love him so much and we just want to do everything that we should be doing in this situation so he can get better. Any feedback and suggestions would be appreciated.
Also, I am wondering once we start transitioning him from the rice and hamburger back to dog food if we should be using his old food or his new food. I don't want to upset his stomach by giving him new food (the Fromm Four Star), but his old food (Eagle) is giving him loose stools.
Thanks for listening!! melisa and winston
Yesterday after returning for a walk, Winston was standing by the door to go out potty again. I figured he just wanted to go outside and sniff around as ever since the weather is getting nicer here in WI, he wants to spend as much time outside as possible (and after this past winter I can't blame him for that). But I noticed something wasn't right...he looked like he had to throw-up and when this happens he stands by the door to go outside. So I took him out and he threw up his food from the morning (this was at 2:45 in the afternoon). He then threw up bile three more times. He was also stretching a lot - forward and backwards, like he was uncomfortable. And he would get in position to poop, but he would end up just lying down - he did this a couple times. He refused to go in the house and would just lie in the grass. Then he would get up and proceeded to throw-up bile a couple more times. And then he would want to eat grass, stretch, try to poop and just lay down again...
At this point, I could tell he was restless and of course thought bloat. I went across the street to our neighbors house, who is a vet, where he proceeded to throw up white foam. He was also a bit agitated when she was looking him over, feeling his stomach, looking at his gums, etc. which is unusal for him because usually he lets you do anything to him. She confirmed what I had been thinking - that he needed to go to the emergency vet.
So I loaded him in the vehicle and we were on our way. In the exam room he threw up again a couple times. His temp was normal and they took him for Xrays. They could only get one view because they couldn't get him to roll over on his back. They said that he had a lot of gas in his intestine. They recommended withholding food and water for 24 hours. (We are withholding food, but are giving him water this morning in small increments and he is keeping it down.) Starting this evening he will get a bland diet of rice and hamburger for 3 days. He seems to be doing better. He wants to eat (he was standing by his food dish this morning when he came in from going out potty looking at me like he was thinking "where's my food?!"). He did poop this morning as well, which was solid.
Additionally, a week before Easter he was treated for an overgrowth of bacteria in his system with metronidizal and amoxicylian (sp). (He had diarrhea so we took a stool sample into the vet.) After he was done with his meds, on Easter Sunday, he threw up two pieces of a toy that we noticed were missing for about 3 weeks. We took another stool sample to the vet and the test came back normal, but his stool was still a little loose. The vet recommended changing his food. He was on Eagle and that was when I noticed that they were bought out and the Great Dane lady was no longer endorsing Eagle. So after much review other dog foods and posting on this forum, we choose Fromm Four Star. But we haven't started the food transition as we just picked it up yesterday morning and yesterday afternoon he was at the emergency clinic.
I apologize that this post is so lengthy...I just don't want to leave anything out that may be important. He is acting normal, but I am worried about him. As you all know our dogss are like children to us. We love him so much and we just want to do everything that we should be doing in this situation so he can get better. Any feedback and suggestions would be appreciated.
Also, I am wondering once we start transitioning him from the rice and hamburger back to dog food if we should be using his old food or his new food. I don't want to upset his stomach by giving him new food (the Fromm Four Star), but his old food (Eagle) is giving him loose stools.
Thanks for listening!! melisa and winston
9/06 - 8/11
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