Holly was sick - unknown cause

[Ivan]

A week ago, Holly got sick. Very sick.

Holly refused all food, incl. all her fav meats! (Huh? Normally she's a chow-hound). She stopped all activity, only slept all day & night long, not alert, had liquid poops, no obvious signs of pain, and was very weak, and VERY lethargic. Holly is a senior with chronic respiratory issues (scarred lungs & collapsed trachea) and so she coughs a lot, esp. difficulty breathing during hot weather, but even her coughing was far weaker than normal. Yikes! This really scared us.

The vets were stumped, cuz all test results, incl. blood-work, etc. were perfect. They suggested we wait.

Happily, this week she's 100% normal, and "right as rain". I dunno why?
Perhaps she ate something on the roadside? CHF? Virus? Who knows?
I hope this won't happen again.

Oh, it's tough getting old.

[BeauBuddy]

Oh what a worry! These guys can give us grey hair.

Did the vet check her stool? When my 3 went through this the vet found a couple of bacteria that knock them down, often carried in goose and bunny poop. If there was some on the sidewalk let's say, or the grass, they can pick it up between their toes and clean their feet later. Her being older with health issues can really knock them for a loop.

So very glad the precious girl is better. Give her a big hug from me.

[lotsadox]

Sweetums had a lot of problems like that when she was about 16. We had her on okra pepsin twice a day for months but that seemed to clear everything up. Sending :bigrayz::bigrayz::bigrayz: that Holly continues to do well with no recurrence of this.

[Lisa]

So glad she is doing better! :cheer3: :cheer3: :cheer3: :cheer3:

[LexieLuvr]

Wow, scary! So glad she seems to be okay now. More :bigrayz::bigrayz::bigrayz: just in case. And :hug99: to mom.

[Ivan]

Holly was given Slippery Elm Bark, for possible GI issues. I wonder if it did anything? Holly's belly looked rather swollen & hard, to me. Not so much, now. My sweetie brought her to the vet, so I don't know if they checked her stool?

We suspected a toothache, cuz she reluctantly agreed to eat a scant few weensy bits of venison but only from 1 side of her mouth. But vet said her teeth are good.

Good that little Miss Munchie is no longer Miss Cranky-pants.

[lotsadox]

Who suggested the Slippery Elm Bark?

[Ivan]

Holistic vet did.

[lotsadox]

What did he/she say about it?

[Ivan]

I don't know. Perhaps he thought it might help her? I doubt it did anything. Impossible to tell what was ailing her. How I wish our furkids could talk to us. Do you think the Okra Pepsin helped your Sweetums with her GI issues, or was it just the passage of time?

[Rae]

I'm so glad she's ok. Those seniors... We have to watch them like hawks! And that's mighty awesome that your sweetie co-parents!

[lotsadox]

I don't know. Perhaps he thought it might help her? I doubt it did anything. Impossible to tell what was ailing her. How I wish our furkids could talk to us. Do you think the Okra Pepsin helped your Sweetums with her GI issues, or was it just the passage of time?

I think the okra pepsin definitely helped. It's amazing stuff. I'm currently taking it for some stomach problems I've had and it works really well.

Don't ever underestimate herbs. Just because they're herbs and natural doesn't mean they aren't powerful medicine and need to be used carefully. I've had some personal experience with not being able to tolerate some herbs.