I'm worried about my dog. She's definitely not feeling well.

[popmom]

She seems nauseous but doesn't throw up. She is just laying around mostly. She did go outside a few minutes ago and bark at something, so I thought maybe she is okay after all. She is the same though. The thing that has me worried is that she keeps stretching. Like stretching her front legs out in front of her. I read that can be a sign of bloat. She's a small dog though. 18 lbs. But she is deep chested. Do you think this is something that can wait until in the morning? 

ETA: I have decided to take her to the ER vet. I hate when my dogs are unwell. 😞

Edited December 4, 2023 by popmom

[Shoeless]

Glad you are taking her in. Bloat is unusual in small dogs, but still possible. I would want it ruled out since bloat is very, very serious.

[Toocrazy!!]

I hope she’s ok! I get so scared something will happen to my dog at night. Our closest after hours vets are almost 2 hours away. I’m glad you can get your doggy checked out. 

[popmom]

As it turns out…I can’t get her checked out tonight. All of the ER vets are at capacity and not taking new patients. I went to my usual place, and they had a sign out diverting to 3 other ERs in the metro area. I went to the next closest one, and their one dr just went into surgery. A vet tech graciously came out and took a look at her. She said because she’s bright and alert, she felt like it could wait. So I’m taking her back home and monitoring her. If there is a change I’ll call around first to see who can see her. Otherwise, I need to wait it out. 
 

I forgot to say in my first post that her tummy has been making a lot of noises too. 
 

Oh well. I guess I’ll sit up with her tonight. 

[Starr]

I hope she feels better and you both get some rest. 

[popmom]

48 minutes ago, Toocrazy!! said:

I hope she’s ok! I get so scared something will happen to my dog at night. Our closest after hours vets are almost 2 hours away. I’m glad you can get your doggy checked out. 

We are very fortunate. I've been lucky the few times I have had to take a pet in, they have been able see us pretty quickly. I have a feeling they are having trouble finding veterinarians to staff these facilities. 

[Catwoman]

I’ll be thinking of you tonight and praying for your dog. I’ll be thinking of you tonight and praying for your dog.

I know that for me, the nights seem to last so long when I’m worried. I hope she starts feeling better on her own very soon, but if not, I hope you can get into see your regular vet first thing in the morning.

[Halftime Hope]

The stretching and nausea are classic pancreatitis symptoms. If I remember correctly, our vet had to do labs to positively confirm what was suspected.

[popmom]

3 minutes ago, Halftime Hope said:

The stretching and nausea are classic pancreatitis symptoms. If I remember correctly, our vet had to do labs to positively confirm what was suspected.

Thank you for sharing that. If she isn't better in the morning, I'm taking her in first thing. 

[Shoeless]

1 hour ago, popmom said:

We are very fortunate. I've been lucky the few times I have had to take a pet in, they have been able see us pretty quickly. I have a feeling they are having trouble finding veterinarians to staff these facilities. 

There's a vet tech and support staff shortage. A lot of techs and assistants jumped to other jobs during the pandemic because the pay was way better.  $15/hr to perform nursing duties at the vet hospital or $18/hr in fast food or retail? 🤷‍♀️ 

Many of my former co-workers moved to human medicine and make vastly better pay. The patients aren't nearly as cute, though! 

[Mom_to3]

I hope you both can get some rest...and that she will feel better soon.

[popmom]

15 minutes ago, Shoeless said:

There's a vet tech and support staff shortage. A lot of techs and assistants jumped to other jobs during the pandemic because the pay was way better.  $15/hr to perform nursing duties at the vet hospital or $18/hr in fast food or retail? 🤷‍♀️ 

Many of my former co-workers moved to human medicine and make vastly better pay. The patients aren't nearly as cute, though! 

I do not blame them. The patients may be cuter, but the “parents” often do not give those professionals the respect they are due. I appreciate you @Shoeless!
 

Winnie is tucked up in bed with me and dh. She’s the same. No better but no worse. Maybe it’s just a dietary “indiscretion”. I always immediately go to worst case scenarios. 

Edited December 4, 2023 by popmom

[Halftime Hope]

Popmom, if you type in "Symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs" then do an image search, you'll find two common diagrams of dogs either with a hunched back or in a "praying" position, rear in the air, but chest on the floor, as though stretching out the belly.  Here's some wording to go with what you'll see. (Several sites have this exact wording.)

"What are the clinical signs of pancreatitis?

The most common clinical signs include nausea, vomiting, fever, lethargy, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and decreased appetite. During an attack, dogs may take a 'praying position', with their rear end up in the air and their front legs and head lowered onto the floor."

Until your dog sees the vet, don't feed anything, just small amounts of water.

As I've remembered more: once the labs come back, if it is pancreatitis, your vet may give antibiotics, anti-nausea meds, and/or pain meds. A dog with severe pancreatitis may be given IV fluids to keep hydration up while receiving nothing by mouth.  We've had two dogs with chronic pancreatitis. With careful diet, the dog can lead a great life. 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Halftime Hope

[popmom]

9 minutes ago, Halftime Hope said:

Popmom, if you type in "Symptoms of pancreatitis in dogs" then do an image search, you'll find two common diagrams of dogs either with a hunched back or in a "praying" position, rear in the air, but chest on the floor, as though stretching out the belly.  Here's some wording to go with what you'll see. (Several sites have this exact wording.)

What are the clinical signs of pancreatitis?

The most common clinical signs include nausea, vomiting, fever, lethargy, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and decreased appetite. During an attack, dogs may take a 'praying position', with their rear end up in the air and their front legs and head lowered onto the floor.

At this point, you should not feed at all; only allow the dog to lick ice. Its gut needs to rest.

As I've remembered more, once the labs come back, if it is pancreatistis, your vet may give antibiotics, anti-nausea meds, and/or pain meds. A dog with severe pancreatitis may be given IV fluids to keep hydration up while receiving nothing by mouth.  We've had two dogs with chronic pancreatitis. With careful diet, the dog can lead a great life. 

No vomiting or diarrhea, so that’s good. But definitely no appetite. Definitely in some pain. She has always had a somewhat inconsistent appetite. Probably not related…but might be indicative of a mild, chronic thing that is flaring up. 
 

She seems to be resting well at the moment. The “praying position” happens every time she gets up to move or change position, but she’s pretty well settled right now. 

whatever it is, we’ll get it figured out. Thank you!

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by popmom

[Halftime Hope]

1 minute ago, popmom said:

No vomiting or diarrhea, so that’s good. But definitely no appetite. Definitely in some pain. She has always had a somewhat inconsistent appetite. Probably not related…but might be indicative of a mild, chronic thing that is flaring up. 
 

She seems to be resting well at the moment. The “praying position” happens every time she gets up to move or change position, but she’s pretty well settled right now. 

whatever it is, we’ll get it figured out. 

 

That's good news; rest is very healing. I hope you all get a good night's rest.

[KSera]

I hope she improves overnight and is doing better in the morning. The difficultly getting into emergency vets right now can be really stressful when these things come up. 

[Tap]

My bfs Shiba Inu does this sometimes. We give her bene-bac and she is better in a few hours. Without it she will keep going into praying pose. She will skip eating sometimes if she is stressed and it seems to get her back to eating.
 

https://www.chewy.com/petag-bene-bac-plus-gel-digestive/dp/135925?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=PetAg&utm_campaign=20648416049&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V0ZvWvta364KVlNMY_rzG-h1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw6yvnZP1ggMVlgetBh0BJQ86EAQYASABEgJjfvD_BwE

[popmom]

3 minutes ago, Tap said:

My bfs Shiba Inu does this sometimes. We give her bene-bac and she is better in a few hours. Without it she will keep going into praying pose. She will skip eating sometimes if she is stressed and it seems to get her back to eating.
 

https://www.chewy.com/petag-bene-bac-plus-gel-digestive/dp/135925?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=PetAg&utm_campaign=20648416049&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V0ZvWvta364KVlNMY_rzG-h1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw6yvnZP1ggMVlgetBh0BJQ86EAQYASABEgJjfvD_BwE

Thank you! That’s encouraging. 

[MercyA]

Poor babe and poor you! Sending hugs this morning. 

[itsheresomewhere]

5 hours ago, Tap said:

My bfs Shiba Inu does this sometimes. We give her bene-bac and she is better in a few hours. Without it she will keep going into praying pose. She will skip eating sometimes if she is stressed and it seems to get her back to eating.
 

https://www.chewy.com/petag-bene-bac-plus-gel-digestive/dp/135925?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=PetAg&utm_campaign=20648416049&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V0ZvWvta364KVlNMY_rzG-h1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw6yvnZP1ggMVlgetBh0BJQ86EAQYASABEgJjfvD_BwE

Benebac is wonderful.  Everyone should keep someone their home especially if they have Guinea pigs/rabbits.  

[popmom]

Winnie is acting like she feels much better this morning. I am so relieved. She’s eating right now actually. We canceled our plans for today, so we can keep an eye on her. 
 

 

[popmom]

4 hours ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Benebac is wonderful.  Everyone should keep someone their home especially if they have Guinea pigs/rabbits.  

I am definitely getting some of this. I’d never heard of it. 

[Wildcat]

8 hours ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Benebac is wonderful.  Everyone should keep someone their home especially if they have Guinea pigs/rabbits.  

I'd never heard of this before. It sounds excellent.

Can you elaborate on the Guinea Pig/rabbit part? Do they get upset tummies/need gut bacteria balancing more than cats & dogs?

[itsheresomewhere]

1 hour ago, Wildcat said:

I'd never heard of this before. It sounds excellent.

Can you elaborate on the Guinea Pig/rabbit part? Do they get upset tummies/need gut bacteria balancing more than cats & dogs?

I use it when they are showing signs of stress/illness or when a new one comes into our home.  Most arba people ( those who show Guinea pigs and rabbits) do as they can go from fine to extremely sick in a short period of time.  For us-  it helped our one guinea pig get through the night until when the vet opened in the morning.

[Mom_to3]

7 hours ago, popmom said:

Winnie is acting like she feels much better this morning. I am so relieved. She’s eating right now actually. We canceled our plans for today, so we can keep an eye on her. 
 

 

I just stopped by to check in on her! So glad to hear.

[Halftime Hope]

I'm so glad to hear she's acting more normal! Go, Winnie!!

[popmom]

She is back to normal. I appreciate y'all checking in. She definitely keeps me on my toes. She managed to find and chew on a AA battery about a year ago, and we ended up in the ER. We have had a spate of bad luck with our pets over the past few years. I had a cat nearly die from "fever of unknown origin" a few years ago. That was an ER trip that resulted in a week of hospitalization and months of recovery. And we have been battling skin infections/over grooming in our black cat for over a year. (He's doing really well right now though.) One of my grand-dogs died last year from a sudden seizure out of the blue. And we lost another beloved grand-dog to bone cancer several months ago. So lately, I am a little on edge when a pet starts feeling "off". 

I feel like a bit of a hypochondriac for posting, but maybe it will help someone else later who reads this. This was definitely a symptom/behavior I had never encountered before. 
 

eta a pic of her from last night when she was pitiful and a pic of her by my side back in August during an autoimmune flare. We jokingly call her my leech. She knows when I’m not feeling well, and she will not leave my side—and vice versa when she’s sick. My ride or die. 💕

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by popmom

[stephanier.1765]

What a sweet, sweet face! She's just the perfect sizer to be a leech. My favorite kind! I'm so glad she's feeling better.

 

[Spryte]

What a sweet girl! So happy she’s feeling better!

[Wildcat]

17 hours ago, itsheresomewhere said:

I use it when they are showing signs of stress/illness or when a new one comes into our home.  Most arba people ( those who show Guinea pigs and rabbits) do as they can go from fine to extremely sick in a short period of time.  For us-  it helped our one guinea pig get through the night until when the vet opened in the morning.

Ah, thanks. The GP owners I know haven't had any issues so I was wondering if I/they were missing some important knowledge. I'm going to pass the med info along to them, though, as I'm nearly positive they haven't heard of it before.

@popmom I'm so glad your baby is better. She's such a cutie! And don't feel like you overreacted by posting. It actually warms my heart to see a pet owner be overly cautious as opposed to just ignoring how their animals are feeling. I never think strangely about people who ask for help/insight.  

[Innisfree]

1 hour ago, Wildcat said:

It actually warms my heart to see a pet owner be overly cautious as opposed to just ignoring how their animals are feeling. I never think strangely about people who ask for help/insight.  

So much this. 

[Rosla]

What a sweetie! I'm glad she is doing well! 

And I should say, that you are not overreacting at all. It is better to ask and make sure that everything is ok than not to react at all. It is great that your dog has such a caring owner.

I usually worry about my dog like she is my third child. We adopted her about a year ago and it turned out that she has allergies. Now I know what to monitor, when it is time to go to the vet, when to start using apoquel for dogs, etc. But at first, I was frightened and lost and also asked about her issues on forums. 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Rosla

[kathyl]

Aww she's so cute!!  I love those eyes.  😍

[popmom]

@Tap @itsheresomewhere I just ordered that Bene-Bac. I am actually going to try to get my orange tabby cat to take it. We adopted him as a kitten from the Humane Society, and he has always had gut issues. I won't get TMI, but I am hoping this will help him. 

I only ordered one because I am not sure of the shelf life since it's a probiotic. I probably should have ordered a couple.

Any tips for getting a cat to take this? 

Edited December 13, 2023 by popmom
Typo

[KSera]

4 minutes ago, popmom said:

Any tips for getting a cat to take this? 

Mixed in wet cat food. If she won’t eat it, most cats go crazy for the Purina forti flora and will eat it as a meal topper on whatever they usually eat. 

[itsheresomewhere]

They also make one you can mix with their drinking water. 

Edited December 13, 2023 by itsheresomewhere