Question Re: Dog Germs

[Chef Munky]

We had to take our black lab to the vet yesterday.We didn't know what was wrong with her.It hit her hard and fast.Overnight Vomiting,fever,lethargic,couldn't eat or drink.
After they evaluated her,did some blood work.We were told she has a serious intestinal infection.Possibly pancreatic infection.It was also explained to us as being in the same germ family as parvo..Just great,it's highly contagious,I have 2 other dogs.
They wanted to keep her over night.That wasn't going to happen,she's a rescue.So they injected her with some potent antibiotics,and a nausea medication.Sent us home with oral anti's,and nausea medication.And asked us to keep a close eye on the others.
This was something that she could have caught by air,or contact..Most likely contact by stray dogs that's been roaming the neighborhood.

I forgot to ask what I can do to treat the yard,soapy water?
The vet did mention that he's seen several dogs this week for the same thing.If I had known she never would have been allowed out front.We just paid close to $300.00,not including the follow up,or if the other 2 contact it.

Munky.

 

[Scotch]

Wow, that's the pits! I hope your dog recovers quickly and that the others avoid getting ill.

As for the yard, I'd just make sure all the poop is cleaned up and hose everything down well. I think the sun will probably kill any germs.

Also, wash their bedding and so forth.

If there are particular areas you're concerned about, use a weak bleach solution to sanitize them -- one teaspoon of bleach in a gallon of water should be sufficient. Keep the dogs off it until dry.

 

[Chef Munky]

Thanks for the help Scotch,it's much appreciated
For an old gal (9) she's a tough cookie.Doing better this afternoon,she's at least eating,and drinking a little bit of water.I've given her 1 cup serving of bland chicken and rice.She snubbed kibble..The nausea medication is helping her to keep it all down.It better for $72.00.
Yards done..bedding and such will be taken care of as soon as she's feeling better.She just wants some quiet time and sleep.Without the "brat pak" nagging her to play.

Thanks again.

Munky.

 

[babetoo]

hope she gets well soon and that the others don't have it.

 

[Scotch]

Thanks for the help Scotch,it's much appreciated
For an old gal (9) she's a tough cookie.Doing better this afternoon,she's at least eating,and drinking a little bit of water.I've given her 1 cup serving of bland chicken and rice.She snubbed kibble..The nausea medication is helping her to keep it all down.It better for $72.00.
Yards done..bedding and such will be taken care of as soon as she's feeling better.She just wants some quiet time and sleep.Without the "brat pak" nagging her to play.

Thanks again.

Munky.

My Chelsea (see photo) made it to 14 and was in good spirits and pretty spry up to the end, despite suffering from Addison's Disease, before passing away quite suddenly.

They all go through the sort of spell you've described, and they usually bounce back after a few days as if nothing happened. You're dong all the right things, just give it time to work. It's frustrating because they can't tell you what's wrong or how they're doing.

Let us know how things are going.

 

[Chef Munky]

My Chelsea (see photo) made it to 14 and was in good spirits and pretty spry up to the end, despite suffering from Addison's Disease, before passing away quite suddenly.

They all go through the sort of spell you've described, and they usually bounce back after a few days as if nothing happened. You're dong all the right things, just give it time to work. It's frustrating because they can't tell you what's wrong or how they're doing.

Let us know how things are going.

Wow Scotch,she's a beautiful girl.I'm Sorry for your loss.14 years is a lot of love and commitment.
If you don't mind my asking what kind of dog was she? I'm surprised/saddened to see how much she looks like my Shadow.We lost her in January,hip displacia,dementia,she asked us to let her go,she wasn't happy anymore,so we made arrangements to have her put down.Everyone was with her.She passed in my arms,she was 15.Shadow had the same coat,except her color was reddish brown/black same markings,and had one floppy ear..The vet told us once what her breed was we never could remember it..Age is catching up with us to.I still miss her terribly,she can never be replaced,but she did leave us her sweet wise disposition that she instilled in the rest of the pak.They still behave as if she was still around.Where I went she went if it was safe to do,we were best buds

On to Miss Hannah..she's still the same as last night.fighting that urge,very tired.I know her stomache hurts from all the heaving.It's one mean bug..So far the other 2 seem ok,the incubation period is between 2 to 5 days.So far so good.

Thanks again,

Munky.

 

[Scotch]

Glad to hear the other dogs have avoided the bug. I hope Hannah continues to improve, as I'm confident she will.

I'm sorry to hear about your other losses. It's just something animal lovers have to endure, and the best we can do is to be grateful for the time we have with them, for the joy they bring us, and to do our best to care for them.

Chelsea was a rescue, so we can't be sure, but the vets believed she was a mix of German Shepherd and Australian Shepherd. Very smart, very sweet dog. Her fur was like soft mink.

Chelsea was about 1½ years old when we got her. As I said, she developed Addison's Disease when she was about 8 -- dropped from 45 to 30 pounds before it was diagnosed, but she bounced back once the drug therapy was started (monthly shots, daily pills). It was expensive, but the drugs seemed to keep her young, and she was quite vigorous right up to the end.

One night in August 2007 she threw up and seemed to collapse. She was in doggy intensive care for three days. Tests showed that her heart function had declined more than 50%. The vets said although they could keep her alive, she would be extremely weak and would never recover, so we did the kind thing, as hard as it was.

Those final three days cost a fortune, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. She was the best dog, ever!

Her successor, Cody (see photo), is trying to live up to the standard set by Chelsea, and she's doing a good job so far. She's a 65-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback-Golden Lab mix who was also a rescue (actually, adopted through Craig's List from a young man who had to move and couldn't take her along). We got her not too long after Chelsea died. She was also 1½ and is now 3. Smart, lovable, mildly insane.

 

[BreezyCooking]

They wanted to keep her over night.That wasn't going to happen,she's a rescue.
quote]

Since all my dogs/cats (and one horse) are "rescues", I'm having more than a bit of trouble with this comment. How does the fact that she's a "rescue" automatically decide the quality of care she should receive?

Please do correct me if I'm wrong, but you make it sound like the fact they she's only a "rescue" versus a purchased dog is the deciding factor on her care.

Again - I'm not trying to start a fight or sound snarky, but having worked for animal shelters in the past, I've come across this sort of thinking frequently, & it really pushes a button. Whether you buy/rescue/adopt, you're dealing with a living creature that doesn't know or give a hoot how you obtained it. As such, it deserves every possible consideration you can give re: it's care & welfare. At the shelter we try heavily to advise folks of all the possible expenses in the future they may encounter, & encourage them to seriously keep this in mind before adopting. One is the very real possibility of up to $1,000 or even more in emergency vet care. We don't expect folks to automatically be able to pony up that kind of money - we just want them to be aware of what they're getting into.

Long story short - a "rescue" is no more valuable than a dog you paid $$$$$ for from a breeder.

Okay - off my soapbox, & hope your dog is recovering & your other dogs haven't become ill.

 

[Scotch]

It has nothing to do with the relative value of rescue dogs, and I'm certain that Munky didn't decide against overnight stay because of the cost.

Rescue dogs often have more separation anxiety than other dogs because they've been abandoned by their people in the past. It can be very upsetting for such a dog to be placed in a cage as his owner turns his back and walks away. You can't exactly explain to the dog that his person will return in a couple of days. This goes for boarding and even leaving the dog at the groomer's, at least until they get used to the idea.

The onset of Chelsea's Addison's Disease occurred the only time we boarded her. The disease is characterized by insufficient adrenaline (ultrasound tests later showed that she was missing one adrenal gland and the other was very small). That makes it difficult for the animal (or human -- JFK had the disease) to cope with stress. Fortunately, it's easily treated once diagnosed.

 

[Chef Munky]

They wanted to keep her over night.That wasn't going to happen,she's a rescue.
quote]

Since all my dogs/cats (and one horse) are "rescues", I'm having more than a bit of trouble with this comment. How does the fact that she's a "rescue" automatically decide the quality of care she should receive?

Please do correct me if I'm wrong, but you make it sound like the fact they she's only a "rescue" versus a purchased dog is the deciding factor on her care.

Again - I'm not trying to start a fight or sound snarky, but having worked for animal shelters in the past, I've come across this sort of thinking frequently, & it really pushes a button. Whether you buy/rescue/adopt, you're dealing with a living creature that doesn't know or give a hoot how you obtained it. As such, it deserves every possible consideration you can give re: it's care & welfare. At the shelter we try heavily to advise folks of all the possible expenses in the future they may encounter, & encourage them to seriously keep this in mind before adopting. One is the very real possibility of up to $1,000 or even more in emergency vet care. We don't expect folks to automatically be able to pony up that kind of money - we just want them to be aware of what they're getting into.

Long story short - a "rescue" is no more valuable than a dog you paid $$$$$ for from a breeder.

Okay - off my soapbox, & hope your dog is recovering & your other dogs haven't become ill.

Alright Breezy I can and will correct you on a few actual facts! The deciding factors on whether she stayed over night wasn't a decision I made lightly! I weighed the options,talked it over with my sons,and the vet as well.Not that I NEED to explain myself,I'll do it anyways.

The deciding fact that she's a rescue and her care had a lot to do with MY decision.
She was abused as a pup,dumped off on a deserted road.She has issues with confinement.
The vet told me she would be crated all night with no attendance from anyone.I could care for her at home better then he could provide.They would set me and her up for home care.And you know what? The suggestion was made to me in writing "pre approval form it will cost for our services $579.00" by one of his staff! Without ANY tests being run on her at all! We weren't told yet what the problem was.Knowing all that,if she needed to be kept over night I would have made arrangements with an emergency all night veterinarian office.We would have lost 9 years of hard work,loving attention,most of all trust! she requires THAT much care!

What would you have done Breezy? Don't be so quick to judge me.
I have 2 rescues,one purchased purebred golden retriever
None of them go without anything at anytime! I pony up and have money set aside for emergencies.I'm not stupid or an unfit dog owner.The vets been paid in full!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Now just hold on there!! I was only "judging" you based on your original off-hand remark that an overnight stay wasn't going to happen because the dog was a rescue. That's all you said. Upon re-reading, exactly how does that sound to you? To someone like me who's been working with shelters & rescues for over 30 years now, it probably comes across a lot differently than it sounds to you. Not every single rescue is so utterly traumatized that it can't spend a night or longer in a veterinary facility if illness/accident absolutely requires it. Nine times out of ten the ultimate decision made unfortunately doesn't concern the animal's welfare at all. Sad, but true.

Thank you for providing the additional information. I asked to be corrected if necessary, & you did. No need to get huffy about it. If you've seen what I've seen over the years, you'd most likely excuse me my soapbox stance. In the long run, it's pretty darn sad that I've been forced to feel this way.

 

[Chef Munky]

Now just hold on there!! I was only "judging" you based on your original off-hand remark that an overnight stay wasn't going to happen because the dog was a rescue. That's all you said. Upon re-reading, exactly how does that sound to you? To someone like me who's been working with shelters & rescues for over 30 years now, it probably comes across a lot differently than it sounds to you. Not every single rescue is so utterly traumatized that it can't spend a night or longer in a veterinary facility if illness/accident absolutely requires it. Nine times out of ten the ultimate decision made unfortunately doesn't concern the animal's welfare at all. Sad, but true.

Thank you for providing the additional information. I asked to be corrected if necessary, & you did. No need to get huffy about it. If you've seen what I've seen over the years, you'd most likely excuse me my soapbox stance. In the long run, it's pretty darn sad that I've been forced to feel this way.

You didn't need to judge me at all! who do you think you are?
I didn't ask you or anyone else here any questions on her medical care,just asked what I could do for the yard.
Most people know just what I meant,Scotch certainly got it,he knows.You wanted to harp on it.You took your previous 30 yr experience and assumed.All you had to do was ask me about it.

The right decision was made,and that's something even you can't disagree on.Let it go.