When a dog is passing purely dark red gooey blood from his rectum about 1/2 pint so far this evening, vomiting bile, nodding his head and then leaning into the wall to drink water, standing there for ages and drinking.

Some of the signs point to parvo but he has no temp. His gums appear fine and he has a very dry nose.

I know he needs vets attention but just wondered if there is anything else that could cause this?
My father is not happy about taking the dog to the vet and i am pushing that he takes him otherwise i will. Its now gone past vets opening times and hence will now be emergency vets. I am very concerned as now tonight he has really gone into himself and looks very under the weather - so to speak.

I am the first one to get my dog to the vet with anything, sometimes too eager which is maybe why my father is holding back on this.
Grrr... Just hope he is ok and its not anything which is too serious. I really feel time is of the essence here, but father is trying to sleep in front of the TV.

He needs a Vet!  1/2 a pint of gooey blood is too much.  Ring round and see if any other surgeries have later hours.  Mine has an evening surgery until 7.30pm.

No matter what it is the dog is obviously very ill and requires the attention of the vet as soon as you can get him there. Point out that it is an offence not to seek help for a sick animal and much better to go too soon than too late.

I've taken the bull by the horns and called the vet. Just waiting for a call back to see if they want him in tonight(more than likely) or tom morning.
My dad said that now that i have called i have to take him in, which is fine have no issues.
Its like the dog being ill is a huge burden on his life.. Grrrrr.

Anyone who has read some of my posts will know what an old fashioned male he is and thinks everything will be fine if left alone.

> Anyone who has read some of my posts will know what an old fashioned male he is and thinks everything will be fine if left alone.

Oh! head in the sand type, it does seem a strong male trait but I am sure it must effect the female too I just have not met one.

Glad you have got things moving that dog needs attention.

Right off to vets now!!!

Update when i get back

Any news ?

Been to the vets and he is staying in over night.
He has currently been diagnosed with haemorrhagic enteritis.
The vet at this stage isn't sure what has caused it, possibly Parvo.
Though until all tests are completed then we won't know for sure.

Oh no :( :(
I hope he improves over night with the meds and it isnt Parvo.
You did the right thing.
Hope your dad now realises that he was wrong.
Let us know whats happened please :)
Lea :)

As i have said he is old fashioned and won't get them vaccinated. I said this to the vet and that i didn't agree with this and that my Berner is done. He is like 'i know i've had words with him so many times myself '.
The Lab may not go off our land very often, but many other dogs come on in. You just never know.
Its each to their own if they don't vaccinate but then you do run the risk at the same time..

To be honest i think my Dad was shocked that they have kept him in and that the vet basically said if left any longer this could of had dire consequences.
He is on a drip now to get some fluids inside him.
If we don't hear from the vets overnight then we know that he is either the same or getting better.
Got to give them a call tomorrow morning.

In that case I hope you dont hear anything tonight.
Have you or the vets  heard of any cases of Parvo in your area????
Lea :) :)

I haven't and the vet didn't mention anything. Though it may not be Parvo which has caused this. They are getting all the samples and then sending them off to find out whats caused this.
My sisters dogs and all the others which come onto our land(which aren't vaccinated) could be at risk also.

If it is Parvo, what are the chances of a recently vaccinated dog getting it?

I hope it isnt Parvo. Haemorrhagic gastroenteritis can be food related, bacterial infections, colitis, stomach ulcers, cancer, something toxic, parasites, stress etc the list can go on :(

> If it is Parvo, what are the chances of a recently vaccinated dog getting it?

A dog can still get Parvo when vaccinated sad to say.

I do hope he recovers soon, make your dad feel guilty place the shoe on the other foot, say to your dad if we ignored you passing blood and refused to seek medical attention for him say how would you feel.

Hope your dads dog is a bit better today, could be anything Labs are known for eating any rubbish they can find. Anyway lets hope what ever it is, it is not infectious and that the other dogs will be OK.

I hope this morning has brought a huge improvement in his condition.

hows the dog ? hope you are closer to knowing what as caused it xx

Any news yet?

In hope there's some good news this morning. Fingers crossed. It was lucky you were able to help.

My nearly 12 week old pup contracted parvo, he had only got one of his jabs, he had only been with us 6 days when he was taken into hospital, on 4th oct, he was 9 weeks old he was discharged from hospital on the 13th oct, there is hope if it is parvo.
I hope he makes a full speedy recovery

Diane

Still no news, lets hope that is because Sue is at collage or work and can't contact us.

Hi,

I have been at work today, thanks for all the kind messages.
You guys on here really rally round those who are in need of some comforting.

He is still with the vets and is staying in another night.
They think from the symptoms that its not parvo.
Possibly samonella(sp) or something bacterial, though they said the other dogs can get it. So busy rushing around cleaning all floors with bleach and putting all bedding into the wash. We can also get it as humans and the cats, doesn't sound healthy though.
He was very dehydrated apparently when i took him in last night. He has eaten very little and has not passed any bowel movements or even peed as yet.
He was put on some meds and he had an allergic reaction, but he is doing ok and better than last night.

The vets have spoken to my dad and updated him also, lets hope he is feeling guilty as no dog who doesn't need medical attention would be taken into the vets overnight let alone 2 nights on the trot.

I have read the thread about the Rotti puppy who had parvo, as it does give us all hope if our dogs ever get it. Great to see a puppy pull out of it.

Thanks again, it really is a waiting game and there is not a great deal they can tell me until he passes a bowel movement so they can get that culture tested.
His bloods apparently gave good results.

It is the dehydration that pulls them down quickly and will kill if not corrected so he is in the best place at the moment. I am sure that once he is fully hydrated he will be back to his normal self and make a quick recovery.

My Dad is now trying to find someone to blame and thats me. I feed my boy a raw diet which does consist of raw chicken bones - like chicken wings.
I did a lot of research to find that you can feed dogs these and i know many people who do.
My Dad agreed to allow his dog to have sometimes and would allow him to eat the remains of my dogs dinner.

Now he is saying that a friend of his has mentioned you should never give dogs chicken bones, which also means raw ones due to them splintering. He is admement that this is the cause of the problems which then is my fault.
I have explained i did my research on BARF diet and that it was ok. He then said that wolves in the wild always ate the meat but left the bones??
We have no results back from the vets so he doesn't have any conclusive evidence. Now he has made me feel really bad if this does work out to be the case.
I also said that he eat whole rabbits and i thought their bones were brittle, but he disagrees..

I doubt wolves would not eat bird bones :-) 
It may be the cause of the salmonella was the chicken, if that is what the cause turns out to be, as it is more likely in farmed chickens than anything a wolf might catch but this is a reasonable risk we take when feeding our dogs, I believe.  Not seeking veterinary advise when a dog is seriously ill is another matter and the one that carries an obligation by law so you could remind him of this if you really want to get him off your back :-)
If you are worried about raw chicken in the future you could ensure you buy fresh quality birds and wash in hot water then wipe to remove the bacteria which largely occurs on the surface.

I used to buy most of the bones from the butcher and occasionally now still do. I have just started with berriewoods and get their frozen wings amongst other frozen food. The wings are either eaten frozen, defrosted from sitting on the side for a short while or placed in the fridge.
They don't get microwaved or cooked.
Surely the food which is frozen would be ok from a pet food retailer and also from the butchers, or am i being naive? My boy is fine and not suffered any ill effects.
Salmonella may be the cause and that is something the vet mentioned being a possibility.

The thing is his friend owns a dog kennels which he has had for a few years now and he is totally against raw bones of any sorts to be given to dogs saying it causes fights.

No, the multiplying of salmonella is arrested by freezing but it is not killed so it comes out of the freezer with the same population it went in with and would start multiplying again as soon as defrosted.  Which is why when we eat frozen chicken we are told to defrost and cook thoroughly.

> Surely the food which is frozen would be ok from a pet food retailer and also from the butchers, or am i being naive?

Possibly :-)

Me thinks i'll start the washing and wiping on the chicken. If there is a chance that what i am doing could be causing them a problem i will stop right away.
I can't afford to be putting the lives and health of a dog at risk from something as simple as feeding..

Ta Isabel

> If there is a chance that what i am doing could be causing them a problem i will stop right away.
>

I would not worry about it.  Dogs live their lives willingly swirling in bacteria :-)  I think the most important thing is to be aware of when a dog is unwell and requires attention and you did that.

Vet have just called and he is still showing signs of the allergic reaction he had yesterday. They have taken him off the drip as this is causing slight swelling in his leg.
He was taken for a walk down by the river(many dogs get walked there, so if this was highly contagious he wouldn't of been walked there right?) and he did a pee!!!! Yey... Still no stool movement as yet.
He is still eating only a little.
They want to keep him in another night.

> Dogs live their lives willingly swirling in bacteria :-)  I think the most important thing is to be aware of when a dog is unwell and requires attention and you did that.

My sentiments exactly Isabel!  Suejaw you did the right thing, don't beat yourself up over it, we can all at some stage in our life say what if... i no i have a million times, it won't help i don't mean to be blunt i'm sorry, but concentrate on whats important, him getting better, people allways like to lay blame and don't except any part of responsibilty, this can sometimes be through there own guilt.
Thoughts are with you,

Diane xx

> He was taken for a walk down by the river

At least he is up and walking thats good!

> and he did a pee!!!! Yey

Lol its all good progress

He's taken a turn for the worse.
The vets have called this evening and said he is not responding to any meds. He is back on the drip for fluids.
They think this is caused by the fact that its a toxin which has caused this. They are continuing with everything they can do.
We have racked our brains as to what he's got hold of.
Rat pellets aren't in any area which the dogs can get at. We have no poisionous plants around. Really can't think of anything. None of the other dogs have gone down with anything, so can't see anything in the house thats caused it. I am so careful by whats laying around in the house.

God i do hope he pulls through. Think he's going to be referred to a specialist.

suejaw a full toxicology report would be able to tell you. Possibly have the dog referred to one of the large specialist veterinary hospital your vet would know what one could deal with this type of case or your vet could organise a full toxicology report.

> Me thinks i'll start the washing and wiping on the chicken

Washing chicken can spread bacteria http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=2464

If this was a food related illness your vet would know by now.

Please stop feeling guilty things happen sometime there is no reasons. No point going "If" and "but" you wont change anything you will just make yourself feel bad.

((((suejaw))))

> Washing chicken can spread bacteria

I can't see anything in your link about washing chickens.  I think we have to remember that this is chicken that will not be cooked so the advise to cook thoroughly is not going to deal with bacteria as we would aim to do in human food.

Its not food related at all from what the vets said. I have tried to read up on some toxins which can cause problems for dogs, all seem to be something which can kill a dog within 24hrs. He has been ill longer than that.

There is also a chance that one of his organs i packing up as well.

So far no call from the vet which is a good sign i suppose. They will be contacting a spcialist regarding this, so he may well be transferred elsewhere once he stablises.

> I can't see anything in your link about washing chickens.  I think we have to remember that this is chicken that will not be cooked so the advise to cook thoroughly is not going to deal with bacteria as we would aim to do in human food.

Isabel under "Cooking your poultry" You don't need to wash the poultry first - water splashes can spread bacteria.
You also have to remember not to contaminate humans when feeding your pet's raw meat.

As for raw feeding pets it's a chance people take just as there is a chance of bad bacteria in manufactured food either way it is a risk.

Our thoughts are with you xx

Diane xx

I have been in touch with somone in dogs who have said that grass sickness is something which some dogs have been suffering with.
Also linked to this is
Clostridium: These bacteria give off a toxin that affects your pets nervous system. If your dog contracts clostridium poisoning, she may need nursing care for up to three weeks.

Symptoms of Clostridium Poisoning:

Vomiting
Stomach pain
Diarrhea, bloody in severe cases
Shock
Paralysis
Treatment: This is an emergency situation. Rush your pet to the vet.

Our Lab has a few of these symptoms..

Not heard anything from the vets over night which must be a good sign, they will be calling us soon i hope.

> Isabel under "Cooking your poultry" You don't need to wash the poultry first - water splashes can spread bacteria.
>

I don't bother washing chicken that I am cooking for us but the trouble is for our dogs we are not cooking it so the balance of risk seems to me to be greater in not washing it and we just need to observe good hygiene in cleaning all surfaces afterwards.

Presumably the vet has taken faecal samples which should show if it is clostridium.  I hope you hear soon.

The vets haven't been able to get a stool sample as he hasn't gone, though my father said that they should be able to extract something from his rectum if this is the case.

I know they have updated my father, just waiting for him to come back with what they have said to him.

They have said he is struggling with his breathing and things aren't looking good.
His limbs are swollen as are his ears.
They still think its a poison thats caused this.

My father has just found out that the golf course opposite us have been spraying chemicals on the course to solve a mole problem. He is not on the phone to the vets with the chemical make up of this..

Meant to say that he was on the phone to vets

> They have said he is struggling with his breathing and things aren't looking good.
> His limbs are swollen as are his ears.
> They still think its a poison thats caused this.

Poor thing. Sending lots of good luck.

keep us posted, bless you all in our thoughts and prayers xx

Ohh dear so sorry to hear this.  Hope that you've got it in time.  Whatever you do don't blame yourself.  Have you got anyone else at home to talk to as your dad seems to be laying a very heavy burdon on your shoulders from your posts which isn't fair?

Hope you get good news soon.

You really have to keep in mind that you have done everything right here. You have fed your dogs a good quality diet and when you thought one of them was sick you went to the vet. It sounds from some of your posts that some of the things your dad is saying are beginning to get to you, but you must believe that none of this is your fault. It sounds like the dog has either eaten something he shouldn't have, or else may have ingested some of this poison from the golf course. There is nothing you could have done to prevent this, and it sounds like the vets are doing everything they can. Fingers crossed his condition will start to improve very very soon.

Have just caught up with this. I hope that the evt has some answers very soon and that he is on the mend..poor lad.

Whatever the outcome, rest assured that you are in no way to blame, whatever your father may say. I too think that he has behaved badly in trying to make you solely responsible for his dog's welfare. As it is, you have stepped up and taken the right decisions.

I hope that the toxin can be identified and if it is the golf club they need to be taken to task.

Most of all, I hope your poor lad makes it through.