The night before last, Snowie wanted to go out every hour, trying to poo without much success. Pacing around the garden, squatting everywhere but very briefly each time, then going to another place. Endlessly. Sitting in the cold night in my gown and slippers waiting for him. Exhausting! My husband did the first few times while I was sleeping obliviously. Then he took a sleeping tablet!! Then I was up every hour from 1am. Torture!! In the morning, Snowie only ate half his breakfast but had an energetic walk (with my husband) and made two good poos.
But restless the rest of the day, or sleeping. Slept through his afternoon walk—unheard of! Ate most of his dinner, but not all. At 6pm I thought we should take him to our vet, still open till 6.30pm. But he seemed okayish and I was concerned I was overreacting.
From 10pm the garden pacing began again. When inside on our bed, he had rigours, felt like the whole bed was trembling. This made me worried! Eventually at midnight, when Snowie just wanted to lie outside on the grass (he’d also gone into the pool twice, I guess for relief), I woke up my husband and said we must take him to the emergency vet. (Thankfully we weren’t stopped by the police—Covid curfew 11pm-4am.)
With Covid regulations, we weren’t allowed into the examination room. X-rays showed pockets of gas, but no obvious torsion or blockage. Gave him a strong pain med injection, smooth muscle relaxant injection, and an antibiotic injection (if I’d been in the exam room, I would’ve refused the antibiotic, feel mildly annoyed that they didn’t consult us first). Said he should stay to be x-rayed again in two hours to see if the gas had shifted. Is this life threatening? No. Is there a danger if we take him home? No. He came prancing out of the exam area, pain meds obviously kicked in. Pulled me outside where he promptly squatted, farted! And made a decent poo. And we all slept soundly for the rest of the night.
Why is it that the middle of the night is when we panic? Why not panic at 6pm when my regular vet is open, where I can be with him in the exam room and refuse an unnecessary antibiotic injection? I’m sure my vet probably wouldn’t have done X-rays either. She probably would have given him pain meds and buscopan and “call me in the morning”.
Look, I am incredibly thankful for the emergency vet. But the invoice has a few unnecessary items imho.
And the other thing… the vet, who was so sweet and compassionate, started to give us the “dogs must die of something” lecture. WTF????! “He’s 10 years old [he will be in Jan] and this is when things start to deteriorate. Some dogs go downhill very quickly.” Here is a usually energetic “young” almost-10-year-old who has an emergency tonight, and you’re saying he’s dying of an age-related condition? It was a shock, and I had to remind myself that I know my dog better than a vet who only met him tonight when he’s in pain.
I’m thinking he must’ve eaten something. Obvs. He eats everything!! And there are builders next door and they eat their lunch on the pavement much to Snowie’s delight. Can’t wait to get outside and scavenge. I’ll let them know their messy ways must end today! Why do builders think it’s okay to toss bones and leftovers into the gutter and the road?!
Anyway, all well this morning. Ate all his breakfast. Drank up the kefir he refused yesterday. Had his walk. No poo, but he pooed at 1.30am. Now totally relaxed and sleeping.
But restless the rest of the day, or sleeping. Slept through his afternoon walk—unheard of! Ate most of his dinner, but not all. At 6pm I thought we should take him to our vet, still open till 6.30pm. But he seemed okayish and I was concerned I was overreacting.
From 10pm the garden pacing began again. When inside on our bed, he had rigours, felt like the whole bed was trembling. This made me worried! Eventually at midnight, when Snowie just wanted to lie outside on the grass (he’d also gone into the pool twice, I guess for relief), I woke up my husband and said we must take him to the emergency vet. (Thankfully we weren’t stopped by the police—Covid curfew 11pm-4am.)
With Covid regulations, we weren’t allowed into the examination room. X-rays showed pockets of gas, but no obvious torsion or blockage. Gave him a strong pain med injection, smooth muscle relaxant injection, and an antibiotic injection (if I’d been in the exam room, I would’ve refused the antibiotic, feel mildly annoyed that they didn’t consult us first). Said he should stay to be x-rayed again in two hours to see if the gas had shifted. Is this life threatening? No. Is there a danger if we take him home? No. He came prancing out of the exam area, pain meds obviously kicked in. Pulled me outside where he promptly squatted, farted! And made a decent poo. And we all slept soundly for the rest of the night.
Why is it that the middle of the night is when we panic? Why not panic at 6pm when my regular vet is open, where I can be with him in the exam room and refuse an unnecessary antibiotic injection? I’m sure my vet probably wouldn’t have done X-rays either. She probably would have given him pain meds and buscopan and “call me in the morning”.
Look, I am incredibly thankful for the emergency vet. But the invoice has a few unnecessary items imho.
And the other thing… the vet, who was so sweet and compassionate, started to give us the “dogs must die of something” lecture. WTF????! “He’s 10 years old [he will be in Jan] and this is when things start to deteriorate. Some dogs go downhill very quickly.” Here is a usually energetic “young” almost-10-year-old who has an emergency tonight, and you’re saying he’s dying of an age-related condition? It was a shock, and I had to remind myself that I know my dog better than a vet who only met him tonight when he’s in pain.
I’m thinking he must’ve eaten something. Obvs. He eats everything!! And there are builders next door and they eat their lunch on the pavement much to Snowie’s delight. Can’t wait to get outside and scavenge. I’ll let them know their messy ways must end today! Why do builders think it’s okay to toss bones and leftovers into the gutter and the road?!
Anyway, all well this morning. Ate all his breakfast. Drank up the kefir he refused yesterday. Had his walk. No poo, but he pooed at 1.30am. Now totally relaxed and sleeping.
- totally unnecessary and all seems over the top. Sorry you have had all of that and pleased that Snowie is ok
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Probably got gastro, which made him want to poo, but no poo to come out, which is why he was pacing and squatting endlessly. Gave us Buscopan for the tummy ache. And a targeted antibiotic for gastroenteritis. Bland food for a few days. And if he’s not better in a week, then scan him.
Problem is the plug isn’t watertight so it drains eventually and then he’d wake me up again to fill it. This went on till 1am. It was torture for me! And he wanted to go out for a wee. And he wanted to go out onto the balcony a few times—too cold to leave the door open, so I was in and out of bed. Then he dug his bed a few times—does this when he’s out of sorts. Husband fast asleep, took another sleeping tablet! But he woke up at 1am and I said, “I’m done. You’re on now!” Eventually we all got to sleep. But I think we’ll feed Snowie his usual food now but prevent him from scavenging on the pavement. I walked a different route on our walk this morning to avoid the building sites where all the tossed leftover food is.
