Red is not well
- Thread starter Atemas
- Start date
Sorry to hear about Kipper.
I hope Red makes a poo today. The Much-Anticipated Poo (a series on My Labrador Friends!). At least she is weeing, which means she’s getting fluids in. If I chop roast chicken up into tiny bits and add boiling water like a soup and let it cool (but still warm—he likes warm soup), Snowie laps up every last drop.
I hope Red makes a poo today. The Much-Anticipated Poo (a series on My Labrador Friends!). At least she is weeing, which means she’s getting fluids in. If I chop roast chicken up into tiny bits and add boiling water like a soup and let it cool (but still warm—he likes warm soup), Snowie laps up every last drop.
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
Hmm not quite sure how I managed to post the above 
Anyway, hoping Red is starting to feel much better. It's great to hear you're getting fluids into her.
Anyway, hoping Red is starting to feel much better. It's great to hear you're getting fluids into her.
Atemas
UK Tour Guide
- Location
- North Cambridgeshire
Red has had a poo 
this evening thank goodness. This makes me happy 
(I know you all understand). She’s had several small meals which I’ve added water too each time as she won’t go near her water bowls. I’ve started to reintroduce her normal foods gradually so she hopefully will be back on her normal diet in a couple of days. We had visitors this afternoon and although she was subdued she greeted them nicely and some tail wagging so she is feeling a bit better…..but very tired.
How is Kipper @HAH?
this evening thank goodness. This makes me happy (I know you all understand). She’s had several small meals which I’ve added water too each time as she won’t go near her water bowls. I’ve started to reintroduce her normal foods gradually so she hopefully will be back on her normal diet in a couple of days. We had visitors this afternoon and although she was subdued she greeted them nicely and some tail wagging so she is feeling a bit better…..but very tired.How is Kipper @HAH?
This is really welcome news of Red, @Atemas - your nursing is paying off, hopefully she’ll be back to full wag very soon.
Kipper’s feeling brighter thank you, he’s wolfed down two helpings of rice and egg today and he did a nearly-solid poo this afternoon
Hopefully we’ll all have more settled nights! I’ve been on (light) nursing and chauffeur duties today for my mum who’s just had a cataract op, so I’m looking forward to a slower few days when they arrive
Kipper’s feeling brighter thank you, he’s wolfed down two helpings of rice and egg today and he did a nearly-solid poo this afternoon
Hopefully we’ll all have more settled nights! I’ve been on (light) nursing and chauffeur duties today for my mum who’s just had a cataract op, so I’m looking forward to a slower few days when they arrive
Oh gosh Alison I've just read this - what an awful time you've been through! I am so relieved to hear that Red is doing better now. Poppy is also unwell and is on antibiotics.
Atemas
UK Tour Guide
- Location
- North Cambridgeshire
That’s good
I’m sorry she is unwell and hope the antibiotics work quickly
HGE is just awful. Ironically Sky had it when she was 8 but didn’t need hospitalising and wasn’t sick and that was awful. Seeing Red so quickly become very ill was very scary. I am grateful to our vets for their actions. We’ve had a better night - just needed to go out once for a wee.
On another note something many of you will understand - we have had to pay a large amount of money which I am hoping to claim back from insurance. I do worry though how it must be for others to suddenly have to find that amount of money when their dog gets suddenly sick. Pet ownership can be extremely expensive. Obviously we just want her to be well and hope that she doesn’t get this again - I have read that once a dog has had HGE they can get it again
That’s good. I hope Red is feeling more herself today. Try not to worry about her getting it again. Wispa was very ill with HGE symptoms when she was about two, but recovered within a week and didn’t get it again.
Yes, that’s why I hope I can still prioritise insurance. I looked after a friend’s visiting son’s young spaniel yesterday while they went on a family visit to London. On Thursday she had had an op to remove a sock that she’d swallowed, but fortunately her insurance should cover the unexpected expense. Needless to say, I was a bit worried, as I thought she’d outgrown her stealing habit!
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
It's really horrible and sad.
So pleased that Red is feeling better. I didn't know what HGE was until I read up about it following your post, it seems most dogs make a good recovery but it sounds jolly frightening.
@MellowYellow and @HAH - I hope Poppy and Kipper get better soon.
Atemas
UK Tour Guide
- Location
- North Cambridgeshire
Yes I worry far too much. I seem to do a lot of catastrophising this year (we had some big issues with our new home - hopefully
rectified). I don’t know whether it’s an age thing but I don’t like itSnowie had HGE on and off for 3 months many years ago. It was never debilitating; just a lot of “strawberry jam” poo. And a ton of antibiotics. He only really turned the corner when we introduced kefir to his diet (after a visit to the holistic vet), although it’s difficult to say if he would’ve just got better anyway after 3 months.
He’s never had it again like that, although I do believe many of his issues (especially skin and yeast overgrowth) stem from too many antibiotics over the years and possibly a very poor gut microbiome. In his case, I do believe the vet dished out antibiotics willy-nilly, but we were nervous first dog owners and never questioned anything.
He’s never had it again like that, although I do believe many of his issues (especially skin and yeast overgrowth) stem from too many antibiotics over the years and possibly a very poor gut microbiome. In his case, I do believe the vet dished out antibiotics willy-nilly, but we were nervous first dog owners and never questioned anything.
This is a very interesting thought. I was chatting to a security guard last week—he commented on Snowie’s shoes when we walked past, and then told me his sad story. He had a German Shepherd, loved his dog, took her everywhere with him. Dog got sick. Took her to the big animal hospital and they told him she had parvo. (I didn’t go into too many details, and it did seem odd because my understanding is that parvo affects puppies, and this sounded like an older dog. I just listened sympathetically to his story.) They told him there was nothing that could be done to save his dog and they put her to sleep. I’m guessing they assessed his level of income (he’d be on the most basic pay with his job) and realised he would not be able to pay the overnight hospital fees (which are enormous here, but which insurance—if you have it—does pay). Of course I’m guessing all this. But it seems likely that if you have insurance or the means to pay, the first choice of the vet wouldn’t be to put a dog to sleep. This poor guy is still devastated, said his kids cried.
On the other hand, I wonder how many dogs just get well on their own? I know my husband and I have always rushed to the vet at the slightest hint of anything. I think we fall into the category of the “worried well”.
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
We are fortunate here, as an independent vet has just opened and already has 450 clients who have been taken from the corporate vets. No point in saying we shouldn't have animals if we cannot afford vet fees as a lot of people already had dogs/cats before these corporate vets took over. I remember working in an office at the vet, it was separated from the consulting room by a central wall with openings both ends, so I could hear the consultations. Several times owners had to have their animals destroyed because they couldn't afford the fees, I wanted to run round and say "I'll pay". There seems to be a lot of dogs abandoned in the next county and this is probably because people cannot afford the fees. The introduction of emergency vets has already increased fees that very few people can afford, probably go into debt on their credit cards. Though my credit card has a limit which wouldn't match much.
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Vaccination prevents it in older dogs. It's a very nasty illness which needs prompt treatment to prevent death
Parvovirus in dogs
Parvovirus (parvo) is a nasty virus that causes causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting and illness in dogs and puppies.
www.pdsa.org.uk
Thank you for sharing that. If I were to guess, his dog was most likely unvaccinated due to his low income.Vaccination prevents it in older dogs. It's a very nasty illness which needs prompt treatment to prevent death
.Parvovirus in dogs
Parvovirus (parvo) is a nasty virus that causes causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting and illness in dogs and puppies.
When I consider how expensive Snowie is to care for (insurance, vet, meds, medicated shampoo, food, etc), I can imagine that dogs in poor communities are the last priority in the house budget regardless of the love felt for them.
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
We are not well off at all but in our home , the dogs welfare comes high on the list of priorities . We have always said that we would live off beans on toast rather than not provide for our dogs . Reubs is insured but Nelly isnt due to health issues which make her almost uninsurable and honestly , it took almost all our savings to pay for her recent surgeries and care but we simply do it because they didnt ask to come to us and we feel honoured to have them both . I feel desperately sad for those who do not have a sympathetic Vet as we do and cannot pay fees, I cant imagine how awful it must be to have to make choices regarding a dogs welfare , what a world we live in x
I sometimes wonder if that's why some old dogs are surrendered to animal shelters, because their owners just can't afford the constant costs that having an older dog entails. Poppy costs us around 300 pounds in vet bills alone each month at present. She cannot be insured due to her epilepsy. Of course we don't begrudge paying for her medications and general veterinary care; that's just part of having an older dog. However, we are both retired now and that amount of money every month is not nothing for us. Nonetheless, like @kateincornwall, we'd make all kinds of trade offs rather than skimp on care for the dogs - they are family, and that's all there is to it!
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Yes, one overnight stay in emergency, some scans and the treatment cost just over $2,000 and we don't have insurance as it is ridiculously expensive. We are lucky enough to have a fund to dip into. What really annoyed us is the head vet decided to take him off the antibiotics after only one day as she had just come back from some conference where they recommended letting the dog's natural immunity take over. I do agree with that but Maxx was on death's door just one day earlier and the treating vet said she didn't think it was a good idea but she had to go with her boss. Of course within another 24 hours he was very sick again so back we went and more AB's. He quickly picked up then
Our usual vet is a one-man practice but he was closed so we went to the big vet hospital nearby. I'm glad we did because they can take the dogs overnight whereas our vet cannot
I hope Red, Poppy and Kipper are all on the mend now