Don't know if anyone's up still, but I could do with any support if anyone is still up waiting for Santa.
Got in from a VERY good night out about 1.30, and Alfie (Whippet) went straight up to bed. Just gone up to go to bed at about 2.15, and chuckled to see he'd pulled some Polos out of my handbag and eaten them, and torn up a tissue, and - horror- eaten a bag of about 15 Ibuprofen tablets!
I quickly got him downstairs and syringed loads of salt water down his throat, and hysterically phoned the vet (do you think I'll be his favourite customer, ringing at 2.20 on Xmas morning?!). He said it wasn't that serious, that he'll just have a dodgy stomach for a day or two, but it's best to try and make him sick or give some milk to dilute the tablets. I always thought Ibuprofen was fatal to dogs, but vet said no.
So I got some more salt water down him, and a bowl of milk, and I've now just cleaned up a huge pool of pink vomit, with lots of clumpy bits of tablet in it.
So panic over, I hope, but I'll stay up with him for a couple of hours to make sure he's OK. If anyone has any ideas, or can't sleep, I'd be glad to hear from you.
Liz
tired, drunk and exhausted with worry.......x

As far as i'm aware Ibuprofen isn't fatal to doggies. And it sounds like most of it has come up anyway - he'll be fine! I'd just keep giving him milk, maybe a bit of bread as well and keep him on a light diet for a day or so to give his tummy time to settle. Sorry i can't offer any other advice - must have been absolutely nerve wracking!!!!!!
Get well soon Alfie!

Annette

Thanks Annette, it really helps to have someone out there. I was sure that I'd read about a St Bernard who died after a single Ibuprofen tablet, so I was absolutely desperate. Must have been Paracetamol, which I KNOW is fatal to dogs.
I also thought I was going to have to drive Alfie to the vets, and I've been out tonight and had a good few drinks so would be well over the limit, so I was thinking, if I phone 999, would the police come and give me a lift if it was an emergency....... you know how things go through your mind when you're panicking about something?
Anyway, Alfie seems fine, he's curled up asleep on the sofa, though I keep nudging him to make sure he's not dead!
I think I'll see if I can get him to drink some more milk now, and get up to bed, so thanks for your support and Merry Christmas!
Liz

Hope Alfie is fine today Liz and recovering nicely from his midnight snack :rolleyes:

Sara :)

Hope everything is ok this morning, don't think paracetamol is fatal to dogs and I know asprin isn't. Sisters Newfoundland bitch once ate a 100 valium, they had to walk her about for about 36 hours to stop her going to sleep.

Jackie

Oh! and a merry Christmas if you can stay awake.

Hope he's ok this morning and you. Merry Christmas
Anne

Jackie...paracetamol IS POISONOUS to dogs....it causes liver failure..I know because I lost two dogs to it once.

The same applies to people Sam if it is an overdose. Have been told to give it to one of mine by a vet and have done as told, dog still with me. Jackie

To my knowledge it is all about tolerance levels . paracetamol and aspirin has it uses for animals as it has for humans but anything can have an adverse effect on man or animal.
I have used both on the advice of my vet and aspirin is a great aid in curing distemper .
Paracetamol is also good ,as long as the dose suits the weight of the dog .
Mari

Hi Liz,
How's Alfie the lug this morning? :)
Merry Christmas. I hope you got some sleep and feel better :D

Hi all,
Eventually got to sleep about 5.30- was too worried to sleep and Alfie threw up on the bedroom floor twice! Didn't do much to help my hangover this morning!
He's feeling very sorry for himself now, and his stomach is all tucked in so I think he must have a belly ache! He won't eat or drink anything, but when I tried him with a small piece of cooked turkey liver, it didn't touch the sides!
Anyway, thanks for the concern, and hope you all enjoy your Xmas dinner!
Liz x

Liz - I've emailed you.

Ibuprofen can cause stomach ulcers and kidney problems. I've sent some info I found.
Love to the little lad

Sara

Paracetomol can cause problems for some dogs...it can however, prove fatal to give it to cats!!

Hope your dogs is feeling better today :)

Hope everything is ok liz,

Hi all,
Alfie is definitely a lot brighter now, and very hungry! I foolishly gave him a little of the Xmas dinner leftovers as he seemed so much better, but he threw it up again an hour later!
He's just had a very small amount of plain chicken, so I'll see what he's like later and give him a little more before bed.
Thanks for all your help, and thanks SaraW for your email
Liz

Liz, if he can't keep the chicken down in pieces try putting it through the liquadiser and make a sort of broth, it's easier on an inflamed stomach. Sounds like things are on the mend though. Bet you sleep tonight. Jackie

Hi all,
Just a progress report (or LACK of) report for Alfie. He is very hungry, but as soon as he has a drink, everything he's eaten comes back up again. I phoned the vet again this afternoon, as he just seems so miserable, and didn't want to get out of bed. The vet said to stop giving him any food, since vomiting just makes him lose fluid and he will end up dehydrated. So I have to give him a very small drink every half hour or so, and I'll be waiting at the vet's when the doors open tomorrow at 8.30am.
The vet says it is normal for him to feel poorly for a few days, and that, because the tablets were only in his stomach for less than an hour, there shouldn't be any lasting damage.
He must be feeling a bit better, as he soon got out of bed and trotted downstairs when he heard me getting the other dog's food ready!
Will post an update tomorrow when we've been to the vets.
Liz

poor chap Liz :(

Hope he picks up soon.

Sara :)

Sorry to worry you, but I thought Ibruprofen was poisonous for dogs and have just found this web site, I really think you should press you vet to have another look at Alfie just to be on the safe side
http://www.petplace.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=1045
either that or contact the poisons centre they should be able to advise you, the vet should have a number handy for them. Ingrid

Hi liz
any think like that will of damaged the bacteria in the stomach it is important to help mend this by replaceing these as this is what fightes infections and help digest any food 3 ways of doing this 1 a health food shop and getting live bacterica capsules,
2 prozyme from pet shop or canine products in essex can give you nummber they might be able to tell you the nearest outlet that stocks it,
3 yogurt but must be live,
all of these will help replace the bacteria within the digestive system
but you will need to use for at least a week.
good luck hope alls well soon.
sandy.

Is it possible he's taken something else from your bag as well as the ibuprofen - and that mistery object may be causing a blockage? sometimes it's easy to see the obvious and miss something - I heard of a vet who dismissed the idea that 2lbs of raisins could be harmful to a dog, who then had to admit the dog 24 hours with acute liver and kidney damage :-( (DOg made a god recovery BTW)

Hi Liz, hows he doing today, let us know ! Hope he is improving! Julie:)

I hope he is much better too.
Gina x

Hi all,
Alfie had his 2nd lot of blood tests today. The vet didn't expect to see any improvement at this early stage, but his urea and creatinine levels have decreased significantly already, in spite of the fact that he chewed through his drip tube twice during the night! the levels are still extremely high, but at least they are going in the right direction.
His stomach is very sore, so he's probably got some ulceration there, which they are treating him for, and he couldn't keep any food or water down yesterday, so they are giving him something to stop him being sick, and will try with some water tomorrow.
In spite of all this, he is still very bright, and they can't believe how well he seems when he is so ill!
The next lot of tests are on Monday, so please all keep your fingers crossed for Alfie then.
When this is over, I will be writing a letter of complaint to the BVA about the vet I spoke to on the phone, his advice and lack of care could have caused Alfie's death, he's still not out of the woods yet even. The vet nurse told me that Alfie had eaten 5 times the toxic dose, if she knew how dangerous it was, why didn't the vet? He should have been put on a drip immediately, instead he said not to worry, it wasn't that drastic!
I just want to save anyone else going through something like this.
Will let you all know on Monday when we get his blood results.
Thanks for all your concern, Liz x

Hi Liz

You must be a nervous wreck by now, poor Alfie, I'm hope he gets well soon :-(

Best wishes

Clair
xxxx

Fingers crossed for you - glad he is feeling bright in himself :)
Gina x

Liz so so sorry to hear about Alfie. I offten have those pain tablets beside my bedside for my sore legs will make sure they are put away from now on. Poor lad of yours god that vet should be well and truely told off!

I hope all goes well tomorrow for Alfie and you what a Christmas you have had :rolleyes:

Thinking of you Julieann xxxx

How is Alfie doing now, I used to take codafen which is codiene and Ibrufen combined and this gave me an ulcer, I know what I went through, so I dread to think what your dog is going through, hope everything goes o.k. for you all, please keep us posted.