Kirby Is Pretty Sick

[kjwarnold]

Kirby started vomiting Tuesday afternoon.  He's had acid reflux for years and I treated this episode like usual.  Normally he vomits bile if he hasn't eaten in time.  Usually it's early morning so we give him a snack before bed.  Pepcid also works if he gets bad.  Sometimes once it starts, he doesn't want to eat so I have to force feed ginger snaps, yogurt or something to settle his stomach so he can start eating.  It was different this time.  Nothing would get him to eat although he was pottying just fine.  I fixed some plain chicken for him last night and he ate a little but it came right back up.

This morning I could barely get him up and he was very lethargic.  Scared me to death when he didn't get up with me right away and then I couldn't get him moving!  Again, wouldn't eat but pottied fine.  We took him in to the vet right away.  They did a general exam and then ran blood tests.  He's dehydrated and the blood tests are leading them to think it's one of three things:

1)  Really bad gastritis from the reflux and he got dehydrated.

2)  HGE (Hemorraghic Gastroenteritis), although he does not have bloody diarrhea.  We could have just caught it early before he crashed.

3)  Addison's Disease

Kirby is at the vet hospital tonight where they're giving him IV fluids and antibiotics.  They'll re-check his blood tests around noon after he's had 24 hours of fluids.  If he's not improved, we'll go from there.  I know I've read people talking about Addison's on here but don't remember anyone talking about HGE.  Researching tonight, for sure.

Packy has been following me around since we got back home, probably wondering what's going on.  Like, did we forget Kirby somewhere?

 

[bradl]

Thinking all the best thoughts for Kirby. Loss of appetite and regurg are indeed worrying.  If it turns out Addison's I believe that's typically treatable for the long term. But mostly hoping he just had a bout of reflux and forgot to tank up. Hang in there and hope he's back to normal quickly.

[Account Deleted]

I know what HGE is in humans, but sorry, I don't know much about how it is treated in dogs.  Moggie is sending out a big hug...

[remltr]

OK Kirby you get some rest, you have a big test tomorrow and you will do just fine. Packy you hang in there your buddy will be back soon.

[Sam I Am]

Hopefully he will feel better soon. I have heard that dogs with additions disease can live pretty normal lives when on the medication, which they must take the rest of their lives. A good friend has Addisons and is doing fine once they got her on the right meds.

Lord  knows half the time what these little monkeys chow down also. Keeping good thought for a quick recovery.

[josie&holly]

Hope Kirby is alright.  Assume the vets have checked that he has not swallowed anything he should not have done?

[Islander]

Get well soon, Kirby! 

[Hillscreek]

Sorry you are sick Kirby. Hope better soon. Let us know.

[hheldorfer]

So sorry to hear Kirby isn't feeling well.  Get well soon little guy!  Packy needs you!

[Kathryn]

Get well soon, Kirby! Hope it's nothing serious...fingers and paws crossed over here...

[Autumn & Lola]

I'm sorry to hear Kirby is unwell. I hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

I saw a dog featured on last night's program Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs.  The dog threw up all his meals and could only keep them down if he ate standing up on his hind legs (but getting him to do so, and to continue standing on his hind legs for several minutes after eating was difficult). I didn't catch what his actual problem was, but I think it had something to do with his esophagus. It was remedied by building him a standing chair (sort of looked like a cross between a baby high chair and an outhouse) and it helped immensely.  No clue if this is relevant; just throwing it out there. Lola and I send lots of hugs to Kirby. Don't worry Packy; you'll have your playmate home again soon. :)

[Malcolm's Dad]

Poor Kirby. No fun to be in the hospital. Hope he gets better soon.

[sanford]

7 hours ago, Autumn & Lola said:

I saw a dog featured on For the Love of Dogs... Threw up all his meals and could only keep them down if he ate standing up on his hind legs (but getting him to do so... was difficult). I didn't catch what his actual problem was, but I think it had something to do with his esophagus.No clue if this is relevant

Yes, there is a Great Dane in the dog run with this same esophageal condition. His owners have him stand in the staircase in order to feed him, but I believe this is unrelated to Kirby's ailment.

Keeping fingers crossed for sweet Kirby and hoping to hear good news!

[kjwarnold]

The vet released Kirb yesterday afternoon after all his blood work came back normal.  They had him on IV fluids for 24 hours and he was eating the canned food they gave him.  He's much more alert and has more energy now, but I can't get him to eat or drink.  

We've tried his regular food, plain chicken, chicken and rice, some of the canned food he ate at the vet, scrambled eggs, treats, etc.. Sometimes he acts like he wants to eat something and he tried it, but then spits it out.  The vet checked his mouth, teeth, gums and I did twice.  It doesn't look like there's a problem there.  I'm suspecting he's afraid to eat.  Like he's afraid it will make him throw up, which was happening before.  I'm not as worried about the eating as the drinking.  We don't want him getting dehydrated again. 

We've got a winter storm going on here at the farm right now.  When DH took the dogs out this morning, I left the snowballs on Kirb's legs so he'd have to lick them off.  I figure it's one way to get water in him.  

So, I'm watching him today for a while.  The vet is open until noon and they have an emergency line if needed.  I hate when our boys are sick!

[shergry]

Hoping Kirby settles in and trying to drink.  Only suggestion I have is one that a vet gave us for our elder Cairns. The choice of the vet was Pedyalite (you know for children). Well we make our own with chicken broth, honey, potassium pill (crushes or powder from pill, well dissolved in broth) and a little sea salt. If they would not take it themselves....we then would take a syringe (would have many from vet and meds)...no needle....just fill with broth and squirt into their mouth...this forces them to drink.  Would sometimes go to back side of mouth (you know how easy it is to open their mouths ;-))...then again sometimes would just squirt where ever we could get it in. Dogs are harder to hydrate at home than cats...we had to a lactate wringer for one cat...about 8 months of putting it under the back skin of a cat.

Almost forgot....we add cinnamon and ginger to calm  stomach.  Real believer in those spices.  Honey is in broth for energy. Once we got the liquid down then...would wait to see signs of needing to go out for a potty break. At least by then we felt they were getting hydrated, and of course the activity would bump up with wanting to eat.

Hope that whatever you decide Kirby is back to catching fish and playing with his brother, Packy.

[Dempsy's Mom]

Glad Kirby is home.  Hang in the Kirby and get better soon.  Bet Packy is happy you are home too. :)

[Malcolm's Dad]

Glad to hear Kirby is home too. Now the quest to figure out why he won't eat or drink. Good luck, wish I could help but don't have a clue.

[OzGirl]

Poor Kirby! Hope he's feeling better now he's home again, and hopefully he's back to eating and drinking normally.

[kjwarnold]

A restless night; he kept scratching at places.  He does that sometimes before he circles and lays down, put then he does that when he's hunting mice in the house, too.  Not sure which it was last night.

No eating or drinking yet but I've given him his meds this morning so his stomach should be settled.  I'll try to tempt him with the canned food we got, then resort to playing a game for chicken treats.  He fell for that a few times yesterday.  For fluids, I leave the snowballs on his legs so he has to lick them off.  Picking up a syringe today in case we need it.  We were snowed in and had no power yesterday.

I did talk to the vet yesterday and she wasn't highly concerned yet.  She thought he might be overly hydrated from the IV and would straighten out soon.  She said not eating yet was okay, too.  The emergency vet on-call this weekend knows what's going on so if I need to call, he's up on things.

[sanford]

Keep us posted!

[Autumn & Lola]

I'm so glad to hear Kirby is home. I bet he *is* hesitant to eat, after all that. He is smart and just taking it easy on his tummy. I hope he feels much better soon and his appetite picks up.

[kjwarnold]

We went to my sister's house yesterday to see if a change of scenery would help.  When we got in the truck to go, I offered him a drink from the travel bowl and he drank!  He had a couple more small drinks at my sister's but we couldn't fool him into eating.  I finally force some baby food down him by putting it in my finger and wiping it on his tongue.  He didn't spit it out, so he did get some food.  

This morning, he's had his pills and took a nice drink from the travel bowl.  He refuses to go near the regular bowls, so I think now it's just that he thinks eating or drinking there makes him sick.  My goal today is to get him to eat on his own.  Maybe I'll get the other travel bowl out and see if he'll eat from that.  I wish it was warmer and we didn't have all this snow.  Getting him out for a little walk might help him forget being sick.

[hheldorfer]

Good to hear there has been some progress!

Hang in there and get better, Kirby!

 

[Sam I Am]

On November 19, 2015 at 10:17:51 PM, Terrier lover said:

 

I know this is probably a stupid question, but did the vet scope Kirby to see if there was something going on in his tummy?

Edited November 23, 2015 by Terrier lover

[Dempsy's Mom]

Isn't it funny how their little minds work?  Good for you for thinking outside the box and giving Kirby a change to out fox his little mind.  Glad it worked and I hope for continued progress.