Mystery Fever/Infection

[gina4181]

My 8 year old, female Chow is very sick. Thursday morning i woke to vomit around the house. One pile was dog food that looked ground and the others were just piles of liquid and Foam - but a lot of liquid. I had to go to work, but my husband was home with her - she slept alot and got very lethargic. By Saturday morning she was still not eating and not better so i took her to the VET. They kept her for 3 days on IV and antibiotics. Ran every standard test they have and can not tell me what is wrong with her. They even did a barium series with x-ray to be sure she was not blocked.
He fever comes and goes, but she will not eat. VET suggested I take her to a specialist hospital where they can test further. That is not an option since I spent my mortgage payment for her 3 days of testing already. My husband is a victim of the economy and isn't working. I'm 8 months pregnant -about to go on maternity leave.
We decided to bring her home and try to get her to eat. She will drink some water - but will not eat anything. I made her scrambled eggs with cheese and even pushed a bite into her mouth and she spit it out.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? How can I get her to eat? This dog is my Angel on earth and it is breaking my heart to watch her not eat. She is on two different very expensive antibiotics to hopefully help the fever, but how long can she go without eating? I brought her home from the VET yesterday, But she has not had any solid food since last Wednesday. Tomorrow will be a week.

[Rogansmommy]

I am so sorry your chow is going through this. Is there a vet school nearby? Sometimes, they will take dogs and create a payment plan. Same with specialty vets. The tests aren't showing anything at all? Not even a blood panel? Did they do a tick panel?

[CoraP.]

Some members have had success feeding baby food. I am hoping your girl will soon be feeling better and eating!

[kiwani]

She will drink some water - but will not eat anything. I made her scrambled eggs with cheese and even pushed a bite into her mouth and she spit it out. Does this sound familiar to anyone? How can I get her to eat?

The symptoms sound a lot like pancreatitis/gastritis. If so, feeding something like egg and cheese can cause a big setback. You'd have to be very careful about the types of foods you introduce.


Scroll down to this link's section about symptoms/making a diagnosis. Were any of those tests done?

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ca ... titis.html

[kiwani]

You can pulverize the rice/boiled chicken breast in a blender with some of the cooking water from the chicken, and use an infant's oral syringe to load the mix into her cheek pouch. Very small amounts at a time to begin.

Excerpt:

Once the vomiting has resolved, water, particularly in the form of ice cubes is reintroduced. If the patient is able to tolerate oral water, then small amounts of "bland" highly digestible diets, offered multiple times per day, are gradually reintroduced.


... reintroducing a highly digestible carbohydrate source such as rice may be prudent when refeeding the patient. If tolerated, small amounts of high biological value protein such as *low* fat cottage cheese or boiled *skinless* chicken breast can be gradually introduced.

http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedi ... &O=Generic

[gina4181]

Just an update for all that gave advice. She is better!!!
It was not pancreatitis - the vet did test for that. They did TONS of tests and never found anything - just told me to take her to a specialized VET hospital which I couldn't afford. I paid them $1000 for the tests that they ran.

I bought baby food. Chicken and Turkey. I also got her on steroids to help her appetite and reduce any inflammation (on the advice of another VET). AND I prayed and prayed over her!!
I would open her mouth and wipe the baby food on her tongue so she could not spit it out. We did that for 2 days and then she started licking it from my hand.
Now she is eating everything in sight - is full of energy and better than ever.

Thanks to all who answered!

G

[kiwani]

It was not pancreatitis - the vet did test for that.

The test for pancreatitis is often inconclusive though. A dog with pancreatitis can have normal enzyme results. Thanks for the update and the good news. All best wishes...

[Coco Chow]

I paid them $1000 for the tests that they ran.

I don't understand why the vet visits, the tests, the surgeries cost SO much in the US .Those prices are just ridiculous. Who can afford a sick animal over there????

(Anyway, I'm glad your chow is fine now.)

[CoraP.]

Good news! I'm glad she's better! I agree, Coco. The prices over here ARE ridiculous!!