Hi again,  Well Scooby is now home after a total of a week in hospital with the vomiting.  He was at RVC for 5 days and to be honest he is still no better off (despite £1052 later).  They have discharged with a list of 3 possible diagnoses.  Bilious vomiting syndrome (for which they are treating now), dietary hypersensitivity (which they will treat if the above doesn't work) and inflammatory bowel disease (which they will test by endoscopy if the above two diagnoses are not conclusive).  What a waste of time!!  Scooby has lost a total weight of 4.5kg in the last 3 weeks and because Scooby only vomited bile at the hospital (RVC) they are saying that it is bilious vomiting syndrome.  Not only does the treatment involve feeding his last meal at midnight but he is also still being sick.  I appreciate that endoscopy is an invasive method of diagnostic testing but surely wouldn't it have been better to have done it while he was there and on a drip etc.  Sorry i can't be more positive but I feel like we are back to square one as whilst typing this message Scooby has just vomited all his day's food intake.  Argghhhhhhh......

poor scooby=== and you, i bet your feeling worn out with it all---i do hope you get sorted out soon,

Gosh Tricia,
Poor you and poor old Scoobs.  I really don't know what to say except I'm really sorry that its not all sorted out for you.  I bet he's feeling pretty low about it and it must be very worrying for you too.  If it is this bilious vomiting thing, how's it treated (I've never heard of it before), meds or food?  He needs a big hug and you need a big drink!. Fingers still crossed for a happier outcome.
Ali :)

Hi Trisha, sorry to hear about your baby.
My friends staff has just been diagnosed with bowel disease after all the obvious tests. he has been given steriods in tab form for 2weeks then reduced dose for the last week. he is a different dos before this was diagnosed he was very hyper and quite aggresive. he has calmed right down and is eating really really well although he will only eat cooked chicken but as he hasn't been eating at all for weeks she is quite happy at the moment. he will have to go back as he cannot have steroids forever but for the time being all ai well. good luck.
P.S it did take a camera down before they could find all this out.
from Lisa x

Hi Trisha, really sorry to hear you think its been a waste of time & from what your saying it does sound that way. Endoscopy is not invasive surgery, its a frontline non invasive procedure ie : a tiny tube with a slimline camera attached fed down/up/in the throat/anus with only sedative required or tum with a tiny cut needing only one stitch so I don`t understand why your vet couldn`t do this before referal to specialists & why RVC are waiting to do one? These are questions I`d be asking my vets, with all the information I could find out beforehand, by what ever means & then tackling said experts about their prognosis of poor Scooby.
Hope it gets sorted for him soon :)

Christine, Spain.

I have found RVC to be totally unhelpful and so has my usual vet.  When she finally managed to contact the vet that looked after Scooby at Potters Bar he told her that the owner was reluctant to pursue!?  Basically he wanted me to order him to do the endoscopy before he would do it.  I tried to explain that I am not medically trained and that I was going along with what he thought was the best course of action.  However I do have some good news!!!  I have been treating my dog with the only way I can and I have borrowed some Walthams Sensitive complete food from a friend.  I have been feeding scooby his tablets together with 50g sensitive food every 4 hourly during day with last meal being about 11pm.  We have now been 22 hours without Scooby vomitting it back up.  I am trying not to get my hopes up too much in case he vomits again but so far so good and I am therefore going to keep doing what I am doing.

I'm sorry and very suprised you found the vets at the college to be totally unhelpful! Knowing several of them I have always found them so very helpful. These are some of the top veteranery brains in the country and are in great demand both here and abroard.

Regards, John

pressed the wrong button

Maybe I am being a bit hasty in actual fact it was only 1 vet I found to be unhelpful - R Elder so I guess I should not make such a broad statement as that in future.  Anyway now 32 hours after starting Waltham Sensitive food still no vomit and Scooby seems so much happier.  His pooh's have also gone from something that looked like it came from a kitten to something that a westie could do (not a labrador) but at least we are going in the right direction.