Very sick 5 month old yorkie
 

Hi everyone,

I found this forum while searching the internet for information on what may be going on with my sweet 5-month old yorkie, Violet. I'm sorry my first post is such a depressing one, but everyone here seems so knowledgable about yorkies that I'm hoping someone might be able to offer some insight.

Until about 10 days ago, Violet was a healthy, hyper, sweet puppy. Ten days ago, she started throwing up so violently that I rushed her to the animal hospital here in DC. She was treated with fluids and pepcid, and some tests were done. She was also put on a special low-residue prescription food. She was sent home and I was told to bring her back right away if she had another vomiting episode. She was just fine for several days. Then, on 2/13, she had another severe vomiting episode that lasted about 2 hours. I took her back to the animal hospital. All in all, she threw up about 20 times, first her food and then foam and bile. She had been perfectly fine that morning, ate her lunch around noon, then started vomiting around 3:30. They admitted her for the night, did x-rays, did lots of blood work, etc. They could find nothing wrong with her, so concluded it was likely a virus. They told me to keep her on the prescription dog food, and gave me a liquid pepcid to give her twice a day.

She came home on the evening of Valentine's Day appearing a lot better. On Sunday, she slept a lot and wasn't very hungry, but didn't throw up at all. She would not eat the prescription dog food anymore, so I started feeding her boiled chicken with lots of water added in. Monday morning she seemed to be doing very well, and I thought we were in the clear. But Monday afternoon the vomiting started up again, pretty much just electric green and then yellow bile. She only threw up a couple of times, and was willing to drink some water and eat some nutrical and honey, so I did not take her to the vet. On Tuesday, she again was pretty good in the morning... she wanted to play a little, wanted to snuggle, seemed less tired... She ate and kept down breakfast and lunch. She had dinner (boiled chicken and rice) around 6:15, and kept it down until about 9:30, when it all came back up. She refused to eat again, but I figured we'd try again in the morning. She did drink a little water, and just wanted to go to bed. Around 3 am I woke up because I could hear her vomiting in her crate - all yellow liquid. I called the vet (they are a 24/7 animal hospital) and made an 8am appt. for that morning (Wed.). We went in and the vet was very concerned that this was still going on. We had been thinking it was a virus, but the waxing and waning and the extended time period made the vet suspect a partial bowel obstruction that hadn't shown up on the x-rays. They did some more blood work to rule out all sorts of problems. By then, they had ruled out pancreatitis, Addison's disease, liver problems, including a shunt, kidney problems... and probably some other things I'm forgetting right now.

They kept her for the day yesterday and observed her. The vet confirmed what I've already said, that she just wasn't acting like a normal puppy. She told me that because Violet is old enough to be spayed, they could perform a surgery, spay her, and then check her intestines for obstructions. This was an alternative to an expensive barium series, in an effort to save me money, since I'd be paying for her to be spayed in a few weeks anyway.

It was an agonizing decision. I didn't want to put her through surgery right now, but if she did have an obstruction, it was only going to get worse as it moved further down and her intestines narrowed. She spent last night at home and had the surgery this morning. Last night was BAD. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't lick any honey off my finger (and honey is her favorite). She didn't even want to sit with me - she just went into her crate and layed there with her eyes open. Her eyes were very glassy. This morning she threw up again, yellow bile.

The vet just called. No obstruction. The vet said her intestines are very irritated and "angry" and her lymph nodes are swollen (though Violet does not have a fever at all). So we are back to the "really bad virus" theory. They did take some biopsies of her intestines and sent them off for testing. They also put a tube down her nose and gave her some amino acids to help her intestines heal. They are keeping her at least until tomorrow morning, or until she shows some interest in food again. The vet said she feels very strongly that this is a virus that just needs to run its course, and that Violet will make a full recovery. But I am scared for her. It is going to kill me to see her with a tube down her nose when I go visit her tonight.

Has anyone ever dealt with a situation like this, a mystery virus that has lasted such a long time? I am terrified for Violet - she has lost 7 oz. of body weight - she was up to 4 lb. 12 oz. and is down to 4 lb. 5 oz. as of yesterday morning. She has probably even lost more by today. I can feel all her bones when I pet her, and it's scary. I just want to know that she is going to be ok. Though it was killing me to think I had let her swallow something that caused an obstruction, it is worse to have no idea what is causing this. She is the sweetest little girl, and has brought such joy to my life over the past couple of months. I feel very helpless. And this is all taking quite a toll on me emotionally - I am going to have to miss my brother's wedding next week because I can't leave her, and I'm devastated. Between worrying about her and worrying about missing his wedding, I can hardly sleep at night.

I'm sorry this is so incredibly long. I'm hoping someone will respond that they went through something similar and their little sweetheart eventually recovered and is now healthy.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hi, I'm so sorry I dont have any advise but I wanted to let you know I am thinking and praying about you and your baby. Make sure you keep us updated.

I am sorry that you are going thru all this. No advice to offer you, but sending you lots of hugs and kisses :big_hug:. pls. keep us posted on her condition.

I will keep her in my thoughts and prayers..((hugs))

I am so sorry she is sick...I don't have experience, but it sounds like your Vet is taking care of her...

Is the hospital 24 hours???

Have they put her on an Antibiotic? I know that doesn't help with a virus, but seems that it would be a good precaution. Metronidazole, is the one that is used for intestinal problems. Welcome to YT, and good luck with your puppy, keep us posted!

Here is a link that tells about the drug and what it is used for. Metronidazole For Veterinary Use

Thank you all so much. Your support means the world to me.

They did put her on metronidazole because she was having some diarrhea. She has not taken it in a couple of days because I wasn't able to force her to take it yesterday, and then she didn't get any today because of the surgery. But I wonder if they are going to put her back on it tomorrow.

I just got back from visiting her at the animal hospital (which is 24 hours, and you can visit anytime, which is nice). I can tell she's getting great care - while I was there several vets and vet techs stopped by her little area to say hi and tell me how much they adore Violet and how cute she is. She has a habit of "french kissing" people - licking their lips or teeth while their mouths are open. LOL. One of the vet techs said "oh, your baby is the one who french kissed me!" Ha. Yup, that's her!

Anyway, seeing her was awful. She was still coming off the anesthesia, so she was shaking, and she has the tube up her nose and an IV. She looked miserable. The incision on her tummy is so long! I knew it would be longer than a normal spay incision, as they had to do the spay and look at her intestines, but it was her entire little tummy! I wasn't prepared for how terrible the staples would look. I cried, especially because she just seemed so weak and out of it. I know that's mostly the anesthesia, but it was just so sad.

The are feeding her dextrose through her nose tube every 4 hours, to try to build up her strength. I just hope it stays down!

I am going to try to go back around 9 or 10 and visit her again. I have my fingers crossed that she can come home tomorrow, but if she is still not doing well, I'm going to tell them to keep her another night - I want to know that she is hydrated and getting the dextrose and everything. As much as I want her to come home, I'm afraid she'll come home and refuse to eat anything and we'll just be back at the vet in 2 days, anyway.

Thanks again for all of your well wishes. I feel so much better just knowing there are others who understand how much my little yorkie baby means to me!

:hands:I am so sorry your Yorkie baby is sick. She will be in my prayers.

My heart goes out to you. I cannot imagine your pain and pray for little Violet to come home to "french kiss" you soon. Poor sweet thing.:(

I am so sorry to hear about your poor baby. There are two YT members that I can think of that would probably be able to help you: Moses and Ellie May. Whenever I had something wrong with my pups they have always offered helpful and pretty spot on advice and tips.

I hope everything works out for you. Lots of hugs from me and my babies.

I am so sorry that little Violet is this sick :( Hopefully the great care the Vet Hospital is giving her will find out what is causing the sickness. This must be very difficult for you. I can tell how much you love your baby and your doing all you can for her. Suzi has been ill one time and bounced back though. My heart goes out to you and best wishes to Violet. :aimeeyork

I'm so sorry about your baby. But it sounds as if you have a very good vet & clinic. Take heart in that and all the prayers coming your way. Please keep us updated.

Im so sorry your little girl is so sick :( My thoughts and prayers are with you all :hands: I pray she recovers soon.

My little Lexi is just 5 months also, and I know how quickly you can become attached to them! I tear up just reading your posts. It seems like your Violet has a great personality, even kissing the vet techs when she is so sick. Your love and the wonderful vet and techs you seem to have will pull her thru. In the meantime I will pray and send hugs also.

AWww, I feel so sorry for you and your sweet little baby. I really wish that I could help, but all that I can offer are my heartfelt prayers and positive thoughts. I'm hoping one of our ever-so-wise YT'ers comes along to offer some helpful advice. When you go back to see your little one, please give her a big *french kiss* from Missy and I. Sending a :big_hug: your way.

I am so sorry about your baby Violet, I will keep her in my prayers.

I agree with the other posters it sounds like Violet is getting great care with your Vet.

Please keep us posted.

Thank you all so much. I am going to try to include a picture of Violet here... let's see if it works! This photo was a few weeks ago, when she was "helping" me pay bills - she is in love with the laptop, and loves to walk on the keyboard and press the keys. I am going to leave soon to go and visit her again. I will post an update later tonight.

BTW, you all have such adorable doggies! All the photos are cheering me up quite a bit - it's hard not to smile at such adorable pictures!

Hugs to you and Violet - from Missouri. Get well soon!!!

Yes, we understand how much your baby means to you. Hopefully, you will get a teeth licking soon. Good luck.

sorry to hear your baby is sick
 

I am replying to your story in hopes that maybe the information I was given will help, the breeders we got our baby from told us never to give her honey, Honey sometimes contains a natural bacteria that adults and older children are immune to. You know it is recommended not to give infants under one year of age honey. Our breeders told us Yorkies were so small they should never have honey. I know you say it is her favorite but I personally would not give it to her anymore. You might get on google and read about what honey can do to infants. I hope this helps in some way and I hope she recovers quickly. My baby has had an upper respiratory infection a couple of times. It was very scary and I was very glad when she recovered. My prayers are with you,
Bessie's Mom

Your little Violet is such a little doll. My puppy is also the french kisser type. :) We both wish your puppy a full recovery. And to you, hang in there. I know it's tough to know your puppy is sick and there's not much that can be done until the vets know what it is. Hopefully they will find out soon.

I've read the same thing about honey. While it may not be at the root of this baby's problem, it should be eliminated from her diet.

I just saw Violet again and she seemed a lot more coherent and alert. Still not well, but certainly better than earlier this evening. Thank goodness! I sat and rubbed her little head for a while and told her what a good girl she is. Thank you again for all of your support.

I had been wondering about the honey issue (I've been trying to think of any possible cause of poor Violet's illness), so I asked one of the ER vets a couple of days ago and she said she's never heard of any reason not to give a puppy honey. I certainly hope she wasn't wrong! But it's possible, as this vet was pretty young. I did a lot of research a few days ago and learned that human infants are susceptible to the particular strain of botulism that is found in about 10% of honey, but dogs are not susceptible to it, as far as I know. Dogs do get botulism, but it's generally type C, and they usually get it from the ground or from eating a dead animal. And botulism in dogs is very, very rare, in any event. I do agree that in an abundance of caution, there are plenty of alternative treats for dogs, especially because honey is sugary. But I was desperate to get Violet to consume anything, and there have been times where she'll only take the honey. :( But I was thinking that once she is well, and willing to eat other things, the honey may go in the trash, not because Violet has botulism (she definitely does not), but just to be safe. I just don't know.

Lots of breeders actually recommend honey... one of the books I have on yorkies even recommends it for low blood sugar. It's one of those weird issues that people seem to disagree upon, so it's hard to know the right thing to do. Either way, honey should be perfectly safe for adult dogs, just as it is for human babies over age 1. A lot of dog biscuit recipes actually contain honey. And honey actually has natural antibacterial and antiviral properties. It is also a known immune system booster, and lots of vets recommend it for dogs suffering from kennel cough. I also read that a lot of people give the dogs honey before car rides if they are prone to car sickness, as it soothes the stomach.

That said, I would love to know if anyone's vet has ever told them yay or nay on honey for puppies?

On a similar note: Does anyone give their yorkie human popsicles? I was thinking of trying that to keep Violet hydrated, but I was too nervous to do it, so I stuck with plain ice cubes, but she was getting bored with those...

p.s. I'm so glad Bessie recovered from her upper respiratory infections! How scary that must have been. Poor Bessie! Breathing troubles are awful.

she is beautiful! Prayers sent for her speedy recovery and for you too! People don't realize how hard and stressful it is when your furbaby is sick.

You're right about honey being a debatable issue. I only found 1 thing online about the dangers of honey but lots about it being good. I never asked a vet about it but don't use it on my dogs because of the possible danger. I keep Karo and Nutri-cal for puppies but not honey. These are both easy alternatives to honey. I'm not sure about popsicles. Has your baby got a sweet tooth?:D

our prayers r with you
 

I know what you are going through since my little guy has been in and out of the hospital since Christmas...it all started with throwing up for a few hours then Theo went into a seizure as we rushed him to the vet...he also thought it was an obstruction and told us if he could stabilize him we would have to rush to a hospital that was about 45 minutes away as fast as we could...after two hours he was ready to be transported and once again he had another seizure on the way to the hospital...up to this he had never one before and it was so scary...for 3 nights they didn't think he was going to make it but he pulled through..unlike my vet they believed he has a liver problem and after a week released him to us to get him strong enough to undergo more test...The last one confirmed liver problems and at this point we decided that we would not put him through anymore painful test since it is making him a nervous wreck...it took forever to draw blood last week and I couldn't take the painful look in his eyes any longer...with much thought and prayer we have decidd to keep him on medicine and a special diet for liver problems and see what happens... But the strange thing was that liver problems did not show up in his first round of blood work and not until he had a bile acid test did it show up...so it could be one shunt, many shunts or even liver disease but no matter the out come is the same...I can only tell you to keep asking for everyone you know to pray from your little Violet and give her all the love and support...it is all in Gods hands...I never thought a little tiny fur ball could tear my heart into pieces so much but I do love him as much as I love my kids and I know he will pull through all of this...at least he is running around again and having fun...even if he has to take medication twice a day and only get Hills Science Diet L/D food for his liver problems...I sometimes think these vets have no clue what they are doing because if it was up to some of them they only want to find out the medical reason you baby is sick and they forget about all the pain and suffering they go through with all these test...You may want to try a pure pumpkin in the can with small amounts of chicken in your blender...it really helps settle their stomachs...also chamimile tea helps too....just keep the dosages low since these guys r so little...pure chicken can be too much for these guys too since they don't do well with high protein diets... my prayers are with you and please let us know how she is doing... God Bless...

I have been pushing sugary stuff, like honey and Nutrical, on her when she won't eat... I have been worried about her blood sugar, and about her getting some calories, since she sometimes won't eat, and when she does it often comes back up. I hope she doesn't end up with cavities. :D

And I was actually thinking the other day that she was getting awfully used to me cooking chicken for her, and I hope she will go back to dog food once she's well again! I may be creating a monster. :)

Love the picture of her helping you pay bills! Very cute little girl!
I will keep her in my thoughts and prayers.
Sounds like she is getting excellent care! Hope she is home soon so she can help you pay "her" bill. :D

My little girl, Gracie who is 3, has had similar problems. She takes metro daily and has been taking it for two years. The first time she was sick it was as you described with your little one. I too was cooking chicken and rice for her daily. She is now eating Royal Canine for Yorkshire Terriers and actually seems to like it. She has not had any serious vomiting problems in over a year now, but I can always tell when she is not feeling well because she gets a little finicky and I have to boil some chicken. I hope your little one gets better as Gracie did. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you.

Sarah, I don't even have my Yorkie yet but I have been doing alot of reading the past few months in preparation of the "blessed" event.

Your mention of popsicles brought to mind some molds I bought to make dogsicles for our Yorkie. It could be ice but the recipe I saw with the mold involved chicken broth and in one picture they had even placed kibble in it while it was firming up so that it was suspended in the chicken broth ice.

The mold is in the shape of a bone, too, which gives it the cute factor. However, I was interested in a treat on those hot days of summer and to use when she is teething. Again, I have no personal experience with this yet but I intend to quite soon.

Also, I don't know if Schwan's still has their dogzerts in stock but they resemble ice cream which should tempt your Yorkie but they are actually made of liver. Again, I haven't tried them but thought they looked interesting when I saw them.

Another thing that the Yorkies on here seem to love are the Yorkie Yummies made by chattiesmom. I've read many good reviews of them and have already stocked the treat pantry with these treats. I won't presume to try to tell you what they are maxe of but I do remember eggs and meat. The point is though that they are natural, healthy ingredients.

Now, if I may offer a suggestion that is nothing less than pure old meddling... Since she is getting so familiar with the vet staff, why not consider asking them if they could board her for a day or so while you attend your brother's wedding? I understand your need to be with her but those who are not as involved with Yorkies may not understand and your absence could begin a less than perfect relationship with the new sister-in-law.

I only offer this idea as a possibility that could work and you wouldn't have to feel that you've abandoned her since the staff seems so taken with her. Think about it, pray about it, and reach peace about whatever you decide. The stress is not good for you and you already have enough stress dealing with her health.

I wish you peaceful sleep and a healthy Yorkie,
TOY