# Dog with persistent GI issue



## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

4yo spayed bloodhound female. Diagnosed hypothyroid last yr, controlled with meds.

Starting 10 days ago or so showed lack of appetite, occasional vomiting, lethargy. Very uncomfortable in stomach area at times but soft to palpate and not painful to manipulate. But you could see she was quite uncomfortable. This dog has extremely high pain tolerance. TPR normal.

I figured it was a stomach bug that everyone gets occasionally so wasn't too worried. But it continued into 2nd day with no sign of let up so took her to vet. Vet figured persistent stomach bug and gave her Celinia injection for nausea and some antibiotics (5 days worth) to cover our bases.

I hate antibiotics so didn't give them to her past 1st day and she was better next day. But 4 days later she was sick again. It was holiday wknd and I'm broke so gave her pepto and antibiotics and she got better. Then 4 days later she's sick again. Antibiotics were finished day before. 

Back to vet cuz this is ridiculous. Bloodwork shows high WBC's but everything else WNL. But that doesn't mean much cuz it used to show her thyroid as WNL too. Lots of values were all over the place.

Xrays showed no foreign bodies but lots of gas. Vet thinks poss partial blockage based on gas (not all foreign bodies will show). She wants to do exploratory surgery. 

Research I've done shows lots of potential issues as a result o f hypothyroidism. Gastritis, kidney infections, pancreatitis, Addison's, etc. And all can present with her symptoms. She was better on antibiotics but that could easily have been coincedence.

She's home now with antibiotics and a shot of celinia again and she's acting normal.

She's lost about 12 pounds during this. Looks like a walking coat rack. Coat looks good. Breath smells ok but it did have a foul odor for a day when she was sick 2nd time. She is drinking and peeing a lot but she has always done that.

She's raw fed but I have been very careful in bringing her back to regular meals. Giving her cooked stuff for 2 days before slowly switching back. She's had 2-3 normal meals before she has gotten sick. 

No diarrhea either.

Anyone got ANY ideas???????


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

One thing that kind of jumps out to me is the start-stop-start of antibiotics. I understand that they are often overused and that many of us have negative feelings about that, but starting a protocol and not finishing it is the best way, unfortunately, to create antibiotic-resistant bugs. Not only in general, in the world, but in the individual dog.

Has she stopped vomiting? And importantly (to me, anyway ... and I am not a health professional), is the abdominal pain gone (as far as you can see)?

Are the poops nice firm logs?


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

Ya.. I know I should have either done the antibiotics course properly, or not at all. Our regular vet was absent and this vet very pissy.. got upset when I said I didn't want to check her thyroid values at that time because she hadn't had meds since she started getting sick and why pay for a skewed test? That didn't sit well with her. So arguing over antibiotics was not gonna help. (She's been on her meds ever since)

Poops are normal but small since I haven't given her much to eat (cooked rice with extra water). She's cleaned every dogs bowl at least 8 times and checked out the dishes in the sink JIC so appetite seems ok. :smile:

Not acting painful. No restlessness, drooling, etc.. but is that the cerenia still working? Altho she was perking up yesterday before she got it she was a bit dehydrated and wanted to make sure I could pack in oral fluids. Which we did. 

Talked with other other vet at office by text today. She's one of my volunteers. She loves surgery so I figured she would jump into cutting her open but she said slow slow bring back on meals, and poss stool and urinalysis sample monday. She's travelling so responses are sporadic so I'm not sure what we are looking for with those tests yet.


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

xrays show gas but is the dog passing gas? Even though she's eating well is she doing any burping back. Is the urine normal? Normal color? How about the odor of it? Also does the poop have any abnormal odors? Even if the poop looks normal have they run a guiac test? aka checked for blood in the stool. Energy levels? 

I know the rule is when you hear hoofbeats, think horse not zebra but wondering if it's not two separate problems in one. Something GI and something infective.


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

Stool check is monday. Stool and urine appear normal that I can see. 

As far as her "passing gas" not in an obvious way. O
I don't know if it's a gas build up that starts things up after several days or what...
She's completely comfy now, but she's been that way in between the episodes. Day before this last one I had to bodily drag her away from the other dog so I could get him out to train.

Friend/vet thinks it's just a bad stomach bug made worse by her thyroid issues. She's reluctant to cut her open if she's generally normal in between her bouts. 

Maybe stomach bug that persists cuz her immune system out of whack from an infection? ?? Dunno..


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

One of my shorthairs went on thyroid when he was around 4. He was at the low end of normal but did it based on symptoms rather than lab results. I can't say its affected his GI but he's not a BH. Wondering if there might be something in the tract that flares up or causes a slight blockage which triggers the symptoms. Whatever it is starts the cascade of symptoms which the Celinia calms down enough to be normal until the next triggering episode. 

It's a maddening situation, to be sure.


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

Well I had to kick her outside today cuz she was driving me nuts. Now she and the butthead bh can drive each other nuts like they usually do. 

There's some research about thyroid disease being an autoimmune issue so if that's the case with her would account for her having difficulty getting thru this if it's an infection/bug. I've talked to a few people who have said they have had more health issues since diagnosed hypothyroid.. and others who haven't. 

At this point I'm gonna let her be a walking coat rack for a bit longer and keep her on bland diet for awhile. Then reintroduce one protein at a time. Won't hurt, may help. If it's being triggered by a food issue that should help narrow it down. Or rule it out.

Fortunately she doesn't need to work right now. :razz:

If it's an infection getting at her then 10 days antibiotics should do the trick. Or at least if she stays healthy while on them then gets sick again when finished we at least have an idea where to go. Sort of. :-k


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