somethings WRONG with major...

[Dorrie]

Maria:

It's hard to understand why the vet didn't give Major some sub-cutaneous fluids. His condition may not be bad enough to require an IV, but certainly he should have had sub-cutaneous fluids. It would be painless for him, but would do him a world of good, since he hasn't been drinking much.

If he doesn't start drinking normally, please take him back to the vet ASAP for sub-cutaneous fluids. It is painless; they just inject it under his skin on his back. It makes a big "bump" for a while, but in a short time his body absorbs it.

If Major becomes dehydrated, his kidneys will fail and that can be deadly and he can reach the point of no return very quickly!

He should be in the house, too, so you can sleep beside him to watch him and know if he's drinking anything. Sleep on the kitchen floor with him if you have to -- do whatever it takes!

I usually just "lurk" on Dog of the Day, but registered just to be able to write to you.

Dorrie

[luvofallhorses]

Maria,

I am so sorry this is happening. Please get well soon Major, you have to. ((Maria & Major))

Love,

Krista & the fuzz butts

[Den Anne Pen]

I would trust your gut if something is telling you it's not right then get him back to the vet ASAP and tell then you want more options and you want more done for him DON"T EVER RELY ON A VET I LEARNED THE HARD WAY THEY WORK FOR YOU He should defanly have fluids.

If he's not taking any fluids i would give him some pydalight or gatorade and get him to the vet ASAP
You might also want him to stay there overnight if there's someone there all night long so they can montier him and check him every couple of hours

I really would get him back to the vet though and if this vet makes it sound like it' s no big deal Bring him to another one right away.

I hope he gets better soon

[Den Anne Pen]

What is his Tempture and also what color are his gums.

I really would get him back to a vet right away MY Denver acted that same way very lathagic and not wanting food or water and kinda stayingaway from us laying in the kitchen by himself i figured it was just because he was sick and did'nt want to be bothered so i took him to bed with me and 3 hours later i woke up and he had passed away.

I REALLY REALLY WOULD GET HIM TO THE VET ASAP
It does'nt sound to good if he's acting the same way so get him there ASAP PLEASE !!!!!

[Dorrie]

Den Anne Pen had a good idea, to check Major's gums. If they are pale, or if the color doesn't return quickly when you press on them, that is a danger sign!

Also, see if his nose is warm or cold. A dehydrated dog will have a fever.

I don't see why Major should have to wear the big plastic collar all the time, which is making him even more miserable. Seems like a dumb thing to prescribe for a dog as sick as he is. If you bring him in the house and stay with him, you can prevent him from bothering his sores on his backside.

If you Google for dehydration + dog you can find websites that discuss how to test Major for it. This one has a picture, showing how to test with the skin on his back:

http://www.doctordog.com/dogbook/dogdehyd.html

I agree with Den Anne Pen, that not all vets can be trusted to do what is best for your dog. A young vet checked my dog's eye with a test strip, removed it too quickly, and ripped a hole in his cornea. Required a year of trips to a specialist and hundreds of dollars worth of medicine to repair the damage.

Do whatever you have to save Major; he deserves the best care you can give him, after what has happened. It wasn't his fault.

Hoping for the best,

Dorrie

[veegan]

first of all, it sounds like you have 2 different things going on. the anal glands and hot spots in the anal area sound allergy related. does he chew/lick/scratch himself a lot? frequent anal glad problems are related to allergy, and the hot spots in the area could very well be because the gland were full. he is a lab after all, they are very prone to allergies! however thats not an urgent concern.

now more importantly, if he isnt drinking still, def try to get fluids into him by force. when my friends puppy got heat stroke she bought a bunch of gatoraide and just opened his mouth and poured it in slowly, several times every few mins. and within a few hours (with some cool air and rest) he was coming around. so Id suggest at least trying that first, or if that doesnt work, or youre really concerned, take him back to the vet. or perhaps see a different vet! not to say you have a bad vet, but like the others have said, just know there are a lot of not so good vets out there. my dad is a vet specialist and we see cases allll the time where vets did the wrong thing for too long, and majorly messed up the animals. its frustrating and sad, but true.

good luck, I hope he comes around soon

[MariaM]

First I will give a little update, then I shall reply to your posts.

We managed to coax him out of his doghouse about 2 hours ago, using stew meat - plus, he NEEDED to get out of there sometime to use the washroom. Then my mom gave him a little bit of stew/kibble and he drank a bit of water. Then he came inside and I had to clean his spots and put some ointment on them - which he did NOT like.

He's sleeping right now, he's got this pathetic/cute thing going on, I took some pictures. He looks real sad but cute if you know what I mean. I have a couple of stuffed toys so that his head is propped up and he's a bit more comfortable with the collar. He's laying down, kind of on his side so I think he's not TOO uncomfortable right now. I'm sleeping on the couch tonight - wanted to sleep on the floor but our foam pad thing is way up high in the garage and everyone is already in bed.

Den Anne Pen - we thought he was going to stay at the vets overnight too - so I was surprised when I got home and he was there. My mom kind of wanted him to stay there so they could watch him - and I did too, but we realize now he's getting way more care here and is most likely more comfortable.
They said that his temperature was borderline - they also checked his gums and they were fine. His nose is dry and really warm though.

Thanks for the link - thats what the vet had been doing to Major too.

THanks everyone for your prayers.

[MariaM]

veegan - I hadn't seen your post, sorry, and somebody's probably wrote another one that I"ll have to reply to in a minute, so bear with me everyone.

I think the anal glands were full because he hasn't been eating much - not going to the bathroom much, and the vet said they usually emptied when they went to the bathroom. We're not totally sure of the hot spots but we think its because he's been sitting so much and he usually doesn't do that (ever).

Is he more likely to drink gatorade of can I just give him water? It won't hurt him too much if I flavour it though - will it? (Soup base)

[veegan]

I think the anal glands were full because he hasn't been eating much - not going to the bathroom much, and the vet said they usually emptied when they went to the bathroom. We're not totally sure of the hot spots but we think its because he's been sitting so much and he usually doesn't do that (ever).

oh yeah, that could be!


good to hear that he is drinking! it should be just fine to flavor the water. the reason we used gatoraide for my friends dog when he had heat stroke was because it had salt in it, so it helps the body get back in balance. honestly I dont know much about what to do with dehydration, whether water alone is fine, or if its better to give gatoraide or something similar. I imagine the effects of heat stroke is similar to dehydration..?? lol just guessing here. you could call the vet and ask, or look it up online. or perhaps someone else here could have some insight

again, I wish you luck and him a speedy recovery! thanks for keeping us posted!

[dukedogsmom]

I think the Gatorade would be much better for him in reference to replenishing the lost fluids. The soup base mixture might make him more thirsty because of salt in the base. I hope he'll be much better soon! I hate to think of him not feeling his normal cute self. Give him lots of love from me.

[veegan]

The soup base mixture might make him more thirsty because of salt in the base.

yeah I was thinking the same

[Nomilynn]

Doesn't Gatorade have a ton of sugar in it? That can't be good for him..

[lv4dogs]

Gatorade or pedialyte works wonders for dehydration. The sugar & flavor contents won't do any harm at all. (as long as you don't offer it to your dog as the only source of drinking fluid for the dogs entire life). It is actually really really good for a dehydrated dog to drink.

I'd get a second opinion.

Some vets don't care as much as others, trust your instinct & tell the vet how your dog is acting & what you want done.


An FYI, the wet/dry, cold/warm nose thing is all a myth. Your dogs nose can get warm with a fever but can also get warm just because the dog is warm or comfortable. They sweat from their nose, so it can be wet from sweat or even from being too cold as the surface of the nose is different and can cause like parcipitation or just be runny. etc... etc...

I'm so glad to hear that he's still with you and not getting much worse. I'm still worried so you are all still in my prayers.

[wolfie]

Thanks for the update Maria! I'm glad he's drinking now.

And yeah, I hope the vet is doing the right thing. I'm a little cautious from what you told us, but I'm sure you and your family know better than I do.

I'm keeping him in my thoughts.

[pnance]

Gatorade works great to help keep a dog hydrated if their ill. That's not to say take away the water, but try to get some Gatorade or pedialyte in him as an extra. I'm not sure why the vet wouldn't give sub Q fluids, just to try to get him hydrated seems a little stange. I've attached a link below for the poison control for the ASPCA, I've never had to use them and there's a fee, but if your concerned you might want to check with them to see if your doing everything you can, I'm guessing they'll have a good idea about it. Bottom line is go with your instincts, you know your dog best (a vet only sees them maybe once a year if their healthy), and if you think he's not improving or is getting worse then he probably is. If you have problems or concerns about the treatment ask, the vet should have no problems explaining why their doing or not doing something.

Get better soon Major.


http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer...cc_servicespet