Pata Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I don't know what to do and maybe someone here has seen this before. My dog (2 years old), who is normal very energetic, always greets us at the door and loves to take walks, just wants to lie around and sleep all day. On Monday she had a bit of diarrhea(nothing major). Then yesterday she was very lethargic, I had to carry her outside to pee. She spent most of the day on the bathroom floor. She did eat at her normal times, but then she went and laid back down. Her nose is cool and wet, her eyes and skin look normal. I had her at the vet last week for shots and she was at the kennel on Fri and Sat night. I don't have alot of money to spend on an emergency vet bill, so I don't want to take her unneccessarily. At what point do I go? Has anyone had a dog do this? Please tell me she's not going to die, it would devastate my dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I'm not an expert, but dogs can get lethargic from shots. Also if she were at a kennel and changed food that might explain the diarrhea. I would check the color of her gums, should be pink. A quick test you can do is touch her gums until they turn pale and remove your finger. The color should return quickly. What breed of dog is she? If she is eating that is good. You can actually make her some cooked lean hamburger and mix it with cooked rice, that can help alleviate diarrhea. She could be wiped out from the kennel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umarider Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Can you call the vet and ask their opinion? Does she have any tenderness anywhere? Her stomach/abdomen? When was the last time she had a BM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 Questions Answered... She is a Bichon Frise and because of food allergies to dyes, she already get ground meat and rice. I recently added yogurt to her food about a week ago for more calcium, but iF that was the problem she'd be throwing up right? I should call the vet in the morning and I will. Her stomach is normal, I have been looking at it and feeling it to see if she was distended or tender and that is all fine. Her last BM was Monday night. She is never, never like this which is why I'm so worried. I can't sleep because I keep checking her to make sure she's alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Did they feed her differently in the kennel? Also, what about the shots? I'd ask if its possible for her to have a reaction to the something in the vaccine, especially if she already has allergies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 They feed her exactly the same in the kennel. They are great people, she's been there several times with no problem. The shots were distemper and bortella. They were her routine vaccinations and she's never had a problem before. Would she really be having problems from those a week after she got them? It's really wierd, I would think she'd have a combination of symptoms not just lethargy. Oh well, thanks for responding, it makes me feel a bit better that someone else is up with me :D! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 It is possible and somewhat common for pets to have a reaction to the bordetella. I know my vet recommends they have that shot about 3 weeks before boarding to allow it time for the immunity to kick in. We had my dog, a lab, get the shot and we had to board her the next day. She ended up with kennel cough. It looked like a cold in a person. Runny nose, nasal discharge, she was lethargic as well. They put her on a round of antibiotics and it cleared up fine. I would definitely mention that to your vet in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soph the vet Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 The lethargy might be due to dehydration from the bout of diarrhea or could be from a fever. I doubt it is a reaction to the vax having been this many days since them being given. Bichons have very sensitive stomachs and I've seen just the stress of boarding cause diarrhea and other problems. I would definitely bring her in as she may need some fluids. They will probably want to do a fecal given the history of diarrhea. It could be something like giardia (a protozoa) or other intestinal parasite or something like "garbage gut" because of dietary indiscretion on her part. In a young dog that has no history of other things those would be on my rule-out list. Lymes is also an issue. Can cause lethargy, fever, inappetance and usually some lameness. Any chance she got into anything toxic? Hope she does ok and for sure take her in. Often times vet clinics will hold post-dated checks for a couple of months. We offer that to clients to help them out. Too bad most dogs do not have insurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaNY Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Have you had your dog tested for Lyme? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kribby Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 is she coughing I know when we had our dog at the vet he got kennel cough is what they call it and sounds just like how he acted.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 Ok, here's an update. Late this morning she seemed a bit better, she was wagging her tail and she actually followed me out of the bedroom. Just a little bit ago I took her out to potty and she walked. I don't know what it was, but it seems shes on the mend. Thanks guys, it really scared me and I didn't think I even liked the dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyFL Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Check the food. http://www.consumeraffairs.com has had a lot of reports on Nutro lately. Be careful about what you're feeding. I would go to the vet and then go home and feed meat and rice to see if it makes a difference. There are dog food ratings online if you have to choose something new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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