My GSD has seen better days - help please - Page 7

We have just been through a mystery illness with both my 2 year old GSD and 6 year old Golden Retriever similar to this in Australia. Last Saturday afternoon we went on our usual walk with both dogs and suddenly our Golden threw up a large amount like a major unload as he was walking along. He seemed ok other than he had vomited and my wife who was handling our Golden took him home and I continued on the walk with our GSD who seemed fine.

I take small doggy treats on walks and noticed that my GSD wouldn't eat a treat, kept turning his head away which was unusual and he has never refused a treat in the past???. Bodily he seemed normal and energetic as usual except that he wouldn't eat. Both dogs ate their dinner that night which is a home made mince, rice and vegetable dish we have fed all our dogs over 30 years as a main meal and didn't think anything much of the vomiting episode and the refusal of treats.

Sunday, they both seemed fine until taking our GSD for his walk, he wasn't sharp and happy, not quite his usual self. Again he refused the treats initially but took a couple only with persistance on my part to try and make him eat them. He seemed on his walk that he was walking to please me, not to enjoy himself as he usually does, he didn't seem really well.

Both again ate their dinner Sunday night, but around midnight our GSD had gone outside to vomit which after 6 hours appeared as undigested food looked like his dinner straight from his bowl to put it crudely. About an hour or so later, our Golden vomited on the mat same thing undigested dinner???.

To cut a long story short, both dogs were a little slow in their usual movements and a little uninterested in anything but sleeping, both wouldn't eat and when they did eventually over a couple of days, threw it up a few hours later with a couple of episodes of vomiting yellow bile, but absolutely no diarreha and stools appeared normal.

We were ready on Wednesday had they not improved to visit the vet where our GSD had eaten and kept down his chicken and rice and seemed to be improving but our Golden's chicken and rice came back up. By Thursday, both had greatly improved, could eat small portions and were on the mend. They have both fully recovered back to their old selves.

The problem was that we couldn't identify really what made them sick, and both sick, same symtoms at the same time would suggest something they had both eaten???. What they did have different to usual on the Saturday around lunch time, was some offcuts of processed meats that my wife had purchsed from a supermaket aimed for pet food, it was off cuts of ham, corned beef and processed fritz type meats that both dogs hadn't had in the past, perhaps the meat was bad in some way, but nothing different was consumed other than the meat offcuts. There is nothing in the garden, no fertilizers, no poisonous substances that we are aware of, nothing that they could have eaten, apart from the meat offcuts, nothing made sense to the reason for their illness???.

We have just been through a mystery illness with both my 2 year old GSD and 6 year old Golden Retriever similar to this in Australia. Last Saturday afternoon we went on our usual walk with both dogs and suddenly our Golden threw up a large amount like a major unload as he was walking along. He seemed ok other than he had vomited and my wife who was handling our Golden took him home and I continued on the walk with our GSD who seemed fine.

I take small doggy treats on walks and noticed that my GSD wouldn't eat a treat, kept turning his head away which was unusual and he has never refused a treat in the past???. Bodily he seemed normal and energetic as usual except that he wouldn't eat. Both dogs ate their dinner that night which is a home made mince, rice and vegetable dish we have fed all our dogs over 30 years as a main meal and didn't think anything much of the vomiting episode and the refusal of treats.

Sunday, they both seemed fine until taking our GSD for his walk, he wasn't sharp and happy, not quite his usual self. Again he refused the treats initially but took a couple only with persistance on my part to try and make him eat them. He seemed on his walk that he was walking to please me, not to enjoy himself as he usually does, he didn't seem really well.

Both again ate their dinner Sunday night, but around midnight our GSD had gone outside to vomit which after 6 hours appeared as undigested food looked like his dinner straight from his bowl to put it crudely. About an hour or so later, our Golden vomited on the mat same thing undigested dinner???.

To cut a long story short, both dogs were a little slow in their usual movements and a little uninterested in anything but sleeping, both wouldn't eat and when they did eventually over a couple of days, threw it up a few hours later with a couple of episodes of vomiting yellow bile, but absolutely no diarreha and stools appeared normal.

We were ready on Wednesday had they not improved to visit the vet where our GSD had eaten and kept down his chicken and rice and seemed to be improving but our Golden's chicken and rice came back up. By Thursday, both had greatly improved, could eat small portions and were on the mend. They have both fully recovered back to their old selves.

The problem was that we couldn't identify really what made them sick, and both sick, same symtoms at the same time would suggest something they had both eaten???. What they did have different to usual on the Saturday around lunch time, was some offcuts of processed meats that my wife had purchsed from a supermaket aimed for pet food, it was off cuts of ham, corned beef and processed fritz type meats that both dogs hadn't had in the past, perhaps the meat was bad in some way, but nothing different was consumed other than the meat offcuts. There is nothing in the garden, no fertilizers, no poisonous substances that we are aware of, nothing that they could have eaten, apart from the meat offcuts, nothing made sense to the reason for their illness???.

Jade, Thanks for that link. I read that web site and have it bookmarked now. Good stuff.


 Char,
I am trying chicken too. She was on antibiotics for about 5 days after surgery. She is improving - I am feeding her 1/2 cup at a time and she is not vomiting that. She still is not drinking all that much - perhaps there is enough water in the rice mixture.

I do have another thread going about feeding and commercial food...................

Thanks

First off, what was the bloodwork on this dog prior to surgery??? This will tell you a lot about infection vs blockage. Did your vet cut into the intestine or open her up to find the gas and close her back up? I am very lucky to have an awesome vet who would NEVER ever send a patient he was caring for... in critical condition... to an ER clinic who didn't know the dog. I understand people have to go home at night to sleep, but if he doesn't have the staff to care for post surgical dogs he should refer out his cases. Is he a surgeon or a general practice vet?

How is she doing?

 She is doing fine. I am still feeding her homemade (but not raw) and may for life. I am now adding a supplement - Wholistic Canine Complete (it has probiotics included). 

Don't get me started again on my old vet - It was a mistake and now I am trying to move beyond that. I thought perhaps my story would be a learning experience for others, but it seems you all were already on top of this and were already prepared for this situation. I wish I was. I wish I had read about this from someone else beforehand, so that I would have been better prepared.
Perhaps someone will read this post in the future and it will set off an alarm if it ever happens to them.

So happy to hear she is doing better. What a relief it must be for you. Does the Wholistic Canine Complete have calcium in it? Is it  a supplement formulated for a homemade diet? A homemade diet long term is good only if it's carefully balanced. I know right now you are feeding her what she can tolerate, but long term is a different story.  I too feed a homemade diet, but I feed 80% muscle meat, 10% finely ground turkey necks and 10% organ meat ,  as well as some cooked veggies and a tiny bit of fruit. Prior to being able to get the ground turkey necks and organ meat, I fed a supplement that was formulated to add to muscle meat and cooked veggies. Of course whether or not dogs need the fruits and veggies is controversial. Raw or cooked is also controversial. Providing the homemade diet is properly balanced, it's definitely better than the commercial dogfoods. I wish the very best for you and your girl. She is lucky to have you.
The best,
Char