Kelpiegal Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 A very close gf of mine has an 11yr old female labrador. Over the last 4 to 5 days she hasn't consumed any food at all but has been drinking small amounts of water. My gf has become distressed & on Saturday took her into the vet to try & get some answers. She had tried a variety of foods at home to encourage back her dog's appetite but nothing had worked. The vets decided to do a full set of blood tests on her. The results came back saying she was a little dehydrated but apart from that no abnormalities were showing up. The vets advised she take her dog home & keep monitoring her further. At the vets they also tried to entice her with liver treats (which she normally loves) but she showed no interest in those either. She hasn't been throwing up or had any unusual bowel movements (diorrhea etc), the only signs being given of anything unusual are the loss of appetite & my gf said she has been a bit grumbly when being touched on the body. She has also been a bit more lethargic too & is basically lying around a lot with minimal activity. Today she went back to the vets again & they are performing an ultrasound so my gf is anxiously awaiting what they will find from this. We have discussed it a bit & I have been trying to keep her hopes up but she is becoming increasingly worried that her dog's end may be near. The vets also told her when she dropped her off for the ultrasound this morning that she does have to start thinking of the possibilities if the results of the ultrasound are not good. So I know there isn't much we can do but I spose I was just wanting thoughts to see if anyone had any ideas what might be going on with this dog? Obviously I am praying for a positive outcome as she is such a lovely, loyal dog & my gf will be devastated if she loses her. I know in the last 12 or so months she has faced the issues of arthritis & a few minor aging problems but the reality of how much longer her dog has left is now becoming much more real to her which is very sad to watch. Her other dog too (another labrador) is also not his usual self, he obviously is working out that something isn't right. So any thoughts would be appreciated. I know we cannot diagnose online & I don't expect that, rather I was just hoping to run out a checklist in my mind of what may be going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyd Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 I have no advice except to wish all the best for a good results, hope they find out soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowgirl Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 Don't have any suggestions, but sending hugs and healing vibes to your friend. I hope her dear old girl will be okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 I'd be checking thoroughly for a bowel obstruction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelpiegal Posted July 26, 2010 Author Share Posted July 26, 2010 I'd be checking thoroughly for a bowel obstruction. This was something that came to mind for me too. The pair of us just about 2 weeks ago were watching SPCA Houston on Foxtel & they found a dog starved to death in a backyard. The autopsy revealed that the dog had eaten a full corn of cob & it got caught & obstructed the passageways. The poor dog having not being given vet attention passed away. I spose at least although nasty business a bowel obstruction is something I believe is usually treatable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 (edited) I'd be checking thoroughly for a bowel obstruction. This was something that came to mind for me too. The pair of us just about 2 weeks ago were watching SPCA Houston on Foxtel & they found a dog starved to death in a backyard. The autopsy revealed that the dog had eaten a full corn of cob & it got caught & obstructed the passageways. The poor dog having not being given vet attention passed away. I spose at least although nasty business a bowel obstruction is something I believe is usually treatable. Depends on how fast they diagnose it. If the obstruction is not diagnosed quickly and causes necrosis of the intestine, the dog may not survive. A DOLer lost a young Labrador in this manner. Edited July 26, 2010 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frostypaws Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 I would be worried about cancer for a large dog at that age. If it is far enough along then she may be in pain (hence the grumbliness) and off her food. I hope it can be resolved quickly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelpiegal Posted July 26, 2010 Author Share Posted July 26, 2010 She got a call earlier & the vets were talking of it most likely being a bowel obstruction. Nothing major showed on xrays but they are going in for surgery this afternoon & will go from there. Hopefully it will be something relatively easy to remove & she won't have to have any of her bowel removed. At her last general check up her health apart from the usual aging issues was reasonable so I am confident she can get through the surgery if it all goes to plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 Fingers crossed all is going okay with your friends dog. An exploratory laparotomy will be able to check out for any tumours as well. Hopefully if it is an obstruction it is easily removed and she recovers well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelpiegal Posted July 26, 2010 Author Share Posted July 26, 2010 Fingers crossed all is going okay with your friends dog.An exploratory laparotomy will be able to check out for any tumours as well. Hopefully if it is an obstruction it is easily removed and she recovers well. Yep, all paws & feathers are crossed here atm. Her vet asked her to lose a couple of kgs a few months back just to help her in the battle with aging & with some changes to her diet she has come down to an ideal weight. She has everything going for her to pull through so long as the obstruction isn't too bad. She's an older dog but she's a spirited old girl so am hoping she'll recover well if she makes it. Her fur-mum will make sure she gets well looked after if she comes out of it. She can work from home if she needs to which is ideal so she can be there to keep an eye on her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeeshondKrazy Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 I'm sorry it turned out to be so serious, I was just going to suggest my cat got really stressed out a while ago and didn't eat for a few days, only sort of looked at his food dish, then I took him to the vet and they put him on xanax because it makes them calm and hungry. Sometimes when an animal hasn't eaten for a couple of days they can then become too nauseas to eat. The xanax really helped, only needed it for a day or two and he started eating regularly again. Fingers crossed for this girl that she pulls through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harley Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 Hoping for some good news??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Any news? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Just wondering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 (edited) I'd be checking thoroughly for a bowel obstruction. Yep - same here. Or esophageal obstruction. ETA: Sorry - read further and realise "obstruction" has already under suspicion by the Vets. Hope she's ok. Edited July 27, 2010 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelpiegal Posted July 27, 2010 Author Share Posted July 27, 2010 Sorry guys couldn't get on the computer earlier much to update. She is now home & recovering ok. Once in surgery they found a knuckle type bone obstructing the bowel. Luckily it was removed with no major drama & hasn't seemed to have left any damage. They stitched her up & my gf got a quiet visit last night as she was slowing coming around. It was decided today that if she kept quiet & was eating the food offered by the vets that she may be allowed to go home. She apparently gobbled everything they gave her & drank a good healthy amount of water & was very content to sleep & not try & be active. She got picked up earlier this evening & has gone home. I didn't stop in & see her tonight as I think excitement from a visitor was the last thing she's need. My gf has said she is mainly just lying about & snoozing. She is moving very gingerly but has a big zipper of stitches up her belly so no surprise there. Overall the vet said they thought she was in good condition & will just see her in a week or two just to check & see that her recovery is coming along as expected. So she's been a very lucky girl I think. Gf has told her work that she'll work from home for the rest of the week to keep an eye on her, so that won't hurt either. Thanks everyone for the advice & well wishes. Gf & I both slept better last night knowing her girl was on her way to recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cockerlover Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 good news heres wishing a speedy recovery . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boronia Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Yes, that is VERY good news. Hope she recovers quickly and is soon back to her old-self Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frostypaws Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Fantastic news, you must be so relieved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Phew! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now