I'm so scared for Maggy May and I'm afraid I may have made things worse for her. Last Monday I could tell Maggy May started acting different, I had moved my box turtle into the house because it has gotten cold and for all the years I've had her, she refuses to hibernate, so I have a huge tank set up in my bedroom I move her to when the temps get to cold. I brought her in Monday and Maggy May was not liking it at all. She's sit in my lap and growl at Daisy (my turtle) when Daisy would come out of her cave. I figured it was going to take her some getting used to so I just hung in there with her. Well by Wednesday I wasn't sure that was the problem anymore. Maggy didn't seem to be feeling well and the only way I could get her to eat was by bringing Dottie (our German Shorthaired Pointer) into my bedroom and making a big deal out of Maggy's food. I'd give Dottie a small piece and then give Maggy a piece, it worked, Maggy May ate it and was fine. I was relieved that she was eating. Come Thursday, Maggy May wouldn't eat, I tried the same thing as the day before but it didn't work, so, off to the vet I went with Maggy May. Doc asked if anyone in the house had been sick lately and I told him yes, 3 of our kids plus my husband had been sick, our youngest had tonsilitis, was on two weeks of antibiotics for it, the other two kids and my hubby had/had sore throats, stuffed up noses, congested but didn't require antibiotics. Maggy May is a real in your face kinda girl, she loves to give kisses and more times than not, she slips her tongue into your mouth before you can get her off your face, she just loves everyone and is super quick at covering your whole face in kisses. I also explained to the vet that I had started (2 weeks prior) switching Maggy May over to Wellness Adult for small breed dogs food.) I had done it over a 2 week period of time because I didn't want to cause any tummy issues. He checked her over really good and said two things come to mind. One being that some dogs just do not do good with adult dog food at all ad requested me to switch her back to her Wellness Super 5 Mix puppy food and just leave her on that for the rest of her life. I asked if it'd hurt her and he said no, but to adjust how much I give her (which I had been doing, her waist disappeared and I was concerned she was a bit over weight, she weighs 6 pounds 13 ounces.) Anyhow, the other thing he said that concerned him was all the sickness going around in the house and he's seen in so many times with people getting sick and then their dogs end up sick. He said he didn't feel comfortable taking chances with Maggy May (she's got a very low immune system) and wanted to put her on an antibiotic. She had puked the previous Monday one time, about the size of a nickle but that was it, no more, and she was having normal bowel movements, now runny stools or anything like that. So, the doc gave her three shots of meds he was sending home with her and gave her a dose of Bene Bac. We got home and she had vomited about a nickle size of the Bene Bac up, no big deal. The meds he sent her home on was, Bene Bac (once a day) Baytril (22.7 mg once a day,) Pepcid (5mg. twice a day,) Rimadyl (25mg once a day.) She did fine Friday and Saturday, had started eating better but still not like she normally does. I was sure to give her some kayro just in case, I didn't want her sugar going low and her becoming hypoglycemic. I was also giving her water through a syringe to make sure she was getting enough. Sunday morning she has the runs a bit, that was it. Throughout the day and the evening, she vomited a total of 7 times. I started to get concerned if the Bene Bac and the Rimadyl were causing her to get sick like this, so, I called the vet to speak with them about the vomiting and to see if I could take her off those two meds. I'm awaiting a call back, the doc wasn't in when I called. The only med I have given her today was the pepcid, she's acting fine now, eating her hard kibble, not as much as she normally does but she's eating and keeping it down. She's also drinking on her own. She had a bowel movement, it was formed, soft, but formed, not runny at all. She's also urinating ok. The secrary at the vet said the Baytril could cause vomiting as well and not to give her anymore meds till they call me back. So, in waiting for a call back, I started doing some research and now I'm scared to death! I came across this about Rimadyl:
The Senior Dogs Project
There's good and bad writings on it but now I'm scared to death I've hurt Maggy May by giving this to her. She had a shot of it on Thursday at the vet and then I gave it to her for 3 days at home, a total of four days. What have I done? I'm so afraid I've done the wrong thing in giving this to her. Do you think she's going to be ok? I thought this drug sounded familiar but I didn't research it before I gave it to her. I was so scared cause of her being so sick I just gave the meds as directed. When I researched it today, I realized this is the same drug that was given to our boxer boy Isaiah over a year ago and it caused him to become VERY bad sick, he passed blood like a faucet from his butt. He made it through but my God, it was horrible. I normally research all the kids meds (skin and fur) before I give it to them, but I was so scared with Maggy May that I threw caution to the wind and didn't research it. We've got so much going on here and I'm at my wits end. Maggy May is sick, my son NOW has strep throat, my Uncle has MRSA, my sister is going in for a heart catherization here shortly. I've got way to much going on and all I want is for Maggy May and the rest of our family to be ok. Please, has anyone every given Rimadyl to their furkids and they were ok?