Pokey's Tummy Yet Again

[Pokeys Mom]

Poor Pokey. I'm zipping him off to the vet first thing AM. He seems to have another round of Colitis or IBS/IBD again. He's been to the vet twice already this past week, and we put calls in on top of that.

Last weekend he was at cage-free boarding due to DH's business trip, and my chance to go to with DH. We picked Pokey up and he had loose stools a few hours after getting home. He vomited in the AM, so DH took him to his regular vet. They gave him what is basically an antacid to calm his stomach down. (I'm so frustrated because that hasn't helped in the past.)

Two days later on a rice diet, his stools improved but he was still vomiting one meal per day (he gets fed in the AM & PM). DH took him back to his vet and Pokey was given an anti-vomiting/nausea medication. Pokey started keeping all food down after a day of his new meds.

About a day or two after that he started straining to pass very little, and seems to developed an (even more so) irritated intestine tonight. (It's 4:00am). He keeps straining and passing a little liquid on papers and outside. I'm almost 100% sure he has colitis. DH & I are thinking about an E-vet... but it seems like he'll be ok through the night.

I'm so frustrated. DH is FANTASTIC with Pokey and the vet. For those of you who don't know, I'm burned out on dog trauma and am very relieved when DH can run the puppers to the vet. It just seems like the vet's office didn't check Pokey's file, past history or symptoms.

What's even more upsetting is that we have to board Pokey again this upcoming weekend due to another short business trip. Hopefully Pokey will be on the right course of treatment by then. :(

Numerous vets have said that raw would make his tummy worse. He usually does fine with ID during flare-ups, but this time ID isn't even agreeing with him. He's been having a lot of broth and rice. (We started ID tonight for dinner, before his flare-up of straining/Colitis symptoms.)

This has been a very uncomfortable week for Pokey (tonight being the worst), and a very expensive one for us. :sosad:

He has been zippy and fiesty throughout the week despite all of the tummy woes.

:confused: Why didn't he get treated for Colitis or IBS right away? Sorry for my long vent. It's late (or early).

[Pokeys Mom]

5:31 AM More straining and scary amount of vomiting. DH is rushing Pokey to the E-VET right now.

Why didn't Pokey get treated for this last Monday?? :confused:

My poor baby!!!

[Alex's Mom]

Oh Renée, how upsetting for you!!! :bigrays: :bigrayz: for Pokey's tummy and a :bighug: for you and DH. I feel your frustration (and the pain in your pocket book :))...I went through this with Alex for over a year, up at least 2 and often more times during the night with vomiting and/or diarrhea.That's the problem with tummy issues, isn't it! It can be SO many things, and it's a long process to narrow it down. But have faith...it WILL be ok. It took a couple of years to bring Alex's digestive system around, but she's doing fine now (knock on wood), and hasn't had any tummy problems in over a year. In her case, part of the problem was a tumour in her bowel (I REALLY don't want to scare you, but you might also ask the vet if there's any chance that there might be cancer involved), part of it was a "sludgy" gallbladder (the bile doesn't process the food properly) and part of it was that her stomach doesn't empty itself out completely, so any food that's left in there ends up giving her the mother of all indigestion, which of course also affects her bowels. She's on a drug (metaclopromide) that helps with that, and which is also an anti-nausea drug. Metranidazol also became my good friend with the constant bouts of diarrhea, as did rice. For a long time, all she could keep down was rice and broth, and I gradually was able to add i/d, which she will be on until she crosses; it also helped to break her food down into 3 or 4 meals during the day so that her tummy doesn't really have a chance to get completely empty. Don't know if any of this helps, but thought I'd share it anyway! Please let us know what the vet says, and we're here any time you need to vent!

[K2]

Poor Pokey!!! Sending mega :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: Please let us know what happens at the vet. :hug99: :hug99:

[Jen]

Renée, sending a :bighug: for you and tons of :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: for Pokey! I hope the Vets are treating the right problem. Hang in there! :hug99:

[areese]

:bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz:
for you and Pokey. Keep us updated.
I feel so bad for you all..it's so scary when something is wrong and doubley so when you don't know exactly what..
:hug99: hang in there.

[Rae]

OH NO!!! I hate it when Brave Sir Pokey has trauma, specially tummy woes.

Hoping for a good report from the vet, and :appl: to DH for picking up the torch! (he is settled by now, and it's his turn!)

[Patt]

I am so sorry to hear about Pokey's stomach problems have flared again. Sending many DLC healing :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: to the little man. I hope he feels better soon. :pray:

[Pokeys Mom]

Thank you for the rayz. We will need them!

He was given an injection of Reglan and an injection of Famotidine. I believe it was to stop the vomiting and calm his intestines. (-That's what I get for not going! I'll look it up.)

No water or food until 4:00pm, then just an ice cube. Slowly we are to build him up to 6 small servings of ID a day (1/6 a cup).

At 4:00pm we start to give him Flagyl and Enalapril.

He's resting in Marta's big bed right now (8:00am here), but gets up frequently for intestinal cramping with a little blood. He did vomit yellow bile at 7:45am, but has seemed to calm down.

They did x-rays. His stomach and intestines were clear. However, his heart has become slightly more enlarged and there is some fluid in his lungs. :( We are to take him back next week to get him started on medications for his heart murmur.

Pokey is being really good about trying to use the pee-pads in the upstairs bath. I'm watching him like a hawk and giving him lots of praise when he uses them. (He's an outside kinda guy, and looks really ashamed.)

Can I say again how steamed I am that he didn't get Flagyl last Monday? Grrr. We have never seen him so sick before. I get to love and pamper him all day and pass on any DLC rayz that head his way.

[jenfer]

:bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: for Pokey. I know how frustrating tummy problems can be. I hope it will go away soon. Gigi is on ID too because she has "delicate"/sensative tummy.

[lotsadox]

Sending tons of rayz for poor Pokey. :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: Intestinal/tummy troubles are so awful. :sosad: Raw might not be a good thing for him. My friend has schnauzers that have pancreatitis problems with diarrhea and vomiting. It took her several months under strict supervision of my vet to get hers on a raw diet. She cooked food (chicken or lean beef with rice) for them for several months and gave them special supplements to get their stomaches in order before she could start raw. I hope Pokey gets to feeling better soon.

[JanUet]

:sorry: to hear about Pokey's tummy troubles.
Sending massive amounts of the DLC :bigrayz: :bigrayz: to him and a :bighug: to you and your hubby:hearts:

Please keep us posted!

[Frzframe]

Oh no poor Pookey. I hope the new meds start to work right away!! Many mega rayzzzzzzz :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz:'s coming his way.

[Pokeys Mom]

:bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: for Pokey. I know how frustrating tummy problems can be. I hope it will go away soon. Gigi is on ID too because she has "delicate"/sensative tummy. Poor Gigi! Is she on the ID all of the time? I only ask because a few months ago we thought he should be on ID for quite a long time. Then his primary vet said it wasn't nutritious enough for long term care, but today the E-Vet said that Pokey should be on the ID for long term care. I will ask my vet for sure next week, but I feel confused! ;)

[Alex's Mom]

Alex has been on it for the last 4 years, and will be until she crosses the bridge. She's thrived on it, so I'd say that if he has to be on it for the rest of his life, there shouldn't be a problem.

[Patt]

Poor Gigi! Is she on the ID all of the time? I only ask because a few months ago we thought he should be on ID for quite a long time. Then his primary vet said it wasn't nutritious enough for long term care, but today the E-Vet said that Pokey should be on the ID for long term care. I will ask my vet for sure next week, but I feel confused! ;)
Renee, just to let you know some of our patients are on I/D long term, they can't handle regular food.

[Yolanda]

Renee,

Lots of :bigrayz: :bigrayz: and :pray: :pray: for Pokey and a great big :hug99: :hug99: for Mommy.

,

[Sophie and Lili's Mom]

Oh Pokey! poor guy. Give him our kisses and love!!

Hang in there yourself... take a nice hot bubble bath and when both of you relax it will get better faster.