# Sudden diarrhea and now vomiting



## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

Mateo has had diarrhea for 2 days now, sudden onset. It started yesterday, but his appetite was mostly normal; I fed him more bone-heavy meals (chicken backs, some necks, with a bit of tripe, am and pm.) 

Well, overnight, he had an accident (never happened before) of more diarrhea. The next morning, we went to the park as usual, then he didn't have an appetite when we returned home-- which was a good thing, as I planned on fasting him. Around 3 pm I came home and tried to feed him some chicken backs. He just looked at them and walked away. 

Later, I caved and made up a batch of boiled rice and ground beef, thinking it would be soft for his stomach, and maybe stimulate his appetite. He eventually ate it, but with not much enthusiasm...

Throughout the day (today), more diarrhea, some with a bit of blood in it, but mostly just liquid goo. At around 9 pm tonight, I gave him the rest of the rice and ground beef. He sat and looked at it for awhile, then ate it.

And then, 2 hours later, threw everything up. Fortunately, he did take a good long drink of fresh water about 10 minutes after.

So. I just chucked a bunch of bones into the slow cooker to become broth overnight. I will feed him some tomorrow.

Should I go through another day of this before taking him to the vet? He is acting normally, besides a bit slowed-down from not feeling well...


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Honestly, it sounds like he hasn't had a break since it all started. At the first sign of diarrhea, I recommend fasting for 24 hours, especially for such a big guy that he is he can handle it. Then after that fasting, feeding small bone in meals that are as lean as possible...definitely no tripe! Meals should be 1/2 sized at most for the first day or two based on how he does. Giving sodium free broth with slippery elm can definitely help. 

You should also keep him quiet as in no park or rigorous exercise as it can exacerbate the problem. 

PLEASE don't feed him anything for the next 24 hours. Any vet that knows anything will tell you this as well. 

If he vomits more, then I would take him in.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I'm sure DaneMama has given you the best advice, but I just want to chime in and say I hope Mateo is feeling better soon. It does seem like ground beef might not be the best for him right now.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

xellil said:


> I'm sure DaneMama has given you the best advice, but I just want to chime in and say I hope Mateo is feeling better soon. It does seem like ground beef might not be the best for him right now.


Things that may "sound" good for dogs with diarrhea, aren't necessarily the best thing for them. Switching a raw fed dog to a cooked diet of ground beef and rice isn't ideal. Not only is the dog's system not used to cooked things, but also not used to grains. Both components have a greater chance of causing more problems than fixing it.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

DaneMama said:


> Things that may "sound" good for dogs with diarrhea, aren't necessarily the best thing for them. Switching a raw fed dog to a cooked diet of ground beef and rice isn't ideal. Not only is the dog's system not used to cooked things, but also not used to grains. Both components have a greater chance of causing more problems than fixing it.


yes, that's what I said. I think cooked ground meat would be last (or close to last) on my list for an upset stomach.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Haha I read it backwards. I thought you were saying it WAS a good thing LOL....its been a long day.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

DaneMama said:


> Haha I read it backwards. I thought you were saying it WAS a good thing LOL....its been a long day.


I guess for me too. I read what wrote and it didn't make much sense to me either. I think i will go to bed now!


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

Yep, I screwed up with the rice/ground beef. When I think about it, a complete switch up of cooked- no matter how well-intentioned- was not going to end well. He had no real appetite; I should have just followed this sign.

Okay, so no food today; I may try the broth. I am thinking i should skim off any fat that is in the broth...?


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

I hope your boy starts feeling better today. I know it's stressful, (try doing that with 10 dogs :shocked and I think our first instinct is to want them to eat so we can see that they're feeling like themselves again. I would listen to Danemama and let his gut rest. Please keep us posted on how he's doing. 
I love your squishy faced dog from afar and want to see him well and charming everyone in his hood again real soon!:biggrin1:


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I would remove the fat, for sure.


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## frogdog (Aug 10, 2011)

I hope Mateo is feeling better...let us know how that hunk of love is doing


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Do you go to the dog park often? If Mateo is still having diarreah today I would just take a sample into the vet, it always sounds off to me when a dog who has been fed a raw diet going along fine for quite awhile then suddenly gets diarreah and vomiting is suspect. I hope all is better and I'm over thinking but I always refer to when this happened to my two and it was giardia.....


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> Do you go to the dog park often? If Mateo is still having diarreah today I would just take a sample into the vet, it always sounds off to me when a dog who has been fed a raw diet going along fine for quite awhile then suddenly gets diarreah and vomiting is suspect. I hope all is better and I'm over thinking but I always refer to when this happened to my two and it was giardia.....


Yes, I was questioning the dog park (there's a small one we will usually stop by in the evening; they just started filling up the small pool for the dogs--- it's not always cleaned regularly; he will sometimes drink from there. He loves that silly kid pool...). Otherwise, our main excursion is to Central Park during off-leash hours in the morning. Nature is cleaner! 

Today he has had some broth (his appetite is back), and his energy is better. However, the gooey, slippery stools is still present (only one movement, at about 11 am.)

If it is giardia, is the treatment antibiotics? I'm going to watch him, and keep it a quiet day for him today. He only threw up that one time, but his gut is still upset...


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## lovemydogsalways (Mar 4, 2012)

NewYorkDogue said:


> Yes, I was questioning the dog park (there's a small one we will usually stop by in the evening; they just started filling up the small pool for the dogs--- it's not always cleaned regularly; he will sometimes drink from there. He loves that silly kid pool...). Otherwise, our main excursion is to Central Park during off-leash hours in the morning. Nature is cleaner!
> 
> Today he has had some broth (his appetite is back), and his energy is better. However, the gooey, slippery stools is still present (only one movement, at about 11 am.)
> 
> If it is giardia, is the treatment antibiotics? I'm going to watch him, and keep it a quiet day for him today. He only threw up that one time, but his gut is still upset...


Usually a round of dewormer and yes some antibitoics. It can take along time to get rid of Giradia for some dogs. One person had to do more than one round of dewormer and antibiotics. I think it took a month or more.
ETA: Hope he feels better soon!


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

Donna Little said:


> I hope your boy starts feeling better today. I know it's stressful, (try doing that with 10 dogs :shocked and I think our first instinct is to want them to eat so we can see that they're feeling like themselves again. I would listen to Danemama and let his gut rest. Please keep us posted on how he's doing.
> I love your squishy faced dog from afar and want to see him well and charming everyone in his hood again real soon!:biggrin1:


Yes-- that "first instinct"(emotions!) is what I followed, instead of a more pragmatic approach. Oh, well... live and learn; make mistakes, learn again...hwell:

Poor guy; he was just healing from a limp on his right foot/wrist area that he injured while playing with his best buddy, Nero (the Newf in my sig.)
They play rough and tumble, but Nero outweighs my boy by about 30 pounds, and just kind of squished him. 

So his leg is better, and now is tummy is not. Donna, I cannot imagine this... times 10. Can-not imagine. Way more than I can handle with the ease that you do!

Anyway, I will try to manifest your patience and know that he will be back to his ol' sweet self soon enough...


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

When my dogs get diarrhea and vomit, I treat it just as if my kids or myself that had the same problem. I figure they got some kind of 'bug' and rest their tummy's and bodies for a day or two before I rush them to the doctors. I don't assume they picked up a worm or giardia or anything. Usually they get better after a few days of rest. If it lasts longer, then I consider maybe taking them in. 

At the vets we saw a lot of cases of that and we called it "got into something" or 'got a bug'. We'd recommend just what Danemamma said. Fast, rest, then take it easy on the food for a bit. Just as if it were you that got sick.


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

lovemydogsalways said:


> Usually a round of dewormer and yes some antibitoics. It can take along time to get rid of Giradia for some dogs. One person had to do more than one round of dewormer and antibiotics. I think it took a month or more.


So my plan is to wait out this fasting day, and see how things shape up by tomorrow. I will take a sample of his poo later tonight (if he goes.) 

Okay, if i do this, and if I take him and the sample to the vet tomorrow, would I save said sample in the fridge?

Geez, that's a sweet thought isn't it...lol


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

NewYorkDogue said:


> So my plan is to wait out this fasting day, and see how things shape up by tomorrow. I will take a sample of his poo later tonight (if he goes.)
> 
> Okay, if i do this, and if I take him and the sample to the vet tomorrow, would I save said sample in the fridge?
> 
> Geez, that's a sweet thought isn't it...lol


Wait it out as Chowder suggested...But if he continues diarreah tomorrow, take a fresh sample in tomorrow. I never used antibiotics on my dogs, just the panacur paste that I made my vet mix up the dose for them, he wouldn't believe me it would work! It did..


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## dustinshaw98 (Feb 22, 2012)

DaneMama said:


> Honestly, it sounds like he hasn't had a break since it all started. At the first sign of diarrhea, I recommend fasting for 24 hours, especially for such a big guy that he is he can handle it. Then after that fasting, feeding small bone in meals that are as lean as possible...definitely no tripe! Meals should be 1/2 sized at most for the first day or two based on how he does. Giving sodium free broth with slippery elm can definitely help.
> 
> You should also keep him quiet as in no park or rigorous exercise as it can exacerbate the problem.
> 
> ...



aaaww... I feel sorry when I see a dog suffer from this. The fasting idea -- I must say, that's brilliant!


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## lovemydogsalways (Mar 4, 2012)

NewYorkDogue said:


> So my plan is to wait out this fasting day, and see how things shape up by tomorrow. I will take a sample of his poo later tonight (if he goes.)
> 
> Okay, if i do this, and if I take him and the sample to the vet tomorrow, would I save said sample in the fridge?
> 
> Geez, that's a sweet thought isn't it...lol


I would get as fresh of stool as possible.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

lovemydogsalways said:


> I would get as fresh of stool as possible.


This is especially important for raw fed dogs because their poo dries out so much faster. 

How is Mateo doing?


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

He seemed a lot perkier today. I fasted him except for some homemade broth, which he loved. His appetite was back, but he was perfectly fine with just some broth.

No more vomiting (I am sure the onslaught of the pile of cooked rice and gr. beef was just waaay too much for him. My bad!)
And no evidence of diarrhea (or any stool) since earlier today. We had a quiet day... I am hoping that whatever distressed him is going away...

I will be able to say more tomorrow--

Thank you for your advice, and for checking in.


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