While kissing Maggie good-bye (yes, I do that), I could smell vomit on her. The smell was worse than what I smelled yesterday afternoon. I'm guessing this happened during the night. I went out with them to potty at 11:00 last night and didn't see her throw-up. I was hoping she would be getting better, at least a little bit. You know who better keep a good watch on her today.

I can, certainly, understand what you are going through...it's agonizing, at best...Hopefully, I'm on the tail end of the same issue, w/my Apple...I still don't, really, know what caused Apple to have this gastroenteritis issue...Everything is suspect w/me...toxic plant seeds (hibiscus), sudden food allergy, intolerance to raw, mis-handled bully sticks, possibly IBS (?) etc. I'd sure keep a close eye on your little Maggie for dehydration...It did take Apple a few days to get her energy level up, after each episode...She had two major episodes, so we've been dealing w/this since January 23rd (one ER visit, two vet visits)...Is your pup on a bland diet? Apple's vet put her on hill's RX i/d, and told me not to give her anything, whatsoever, until we are, totally, sure her intestines are completely healed, and then add one thing, at a time, verrrry slowly, back into her diet, to see if anything she was eating may have caused this issue...Apple used to eat so many things, ie. blueberries, spinach leaves, all different kinds of treats, and she was on primal raw....However, she has been on all these things, for 2 yrs., w/no issues, so this is going to be a very slow process of elimination, IF it is a food issue...At first, the bland diet, for my Apple, was to be for a week, but has been exended to two more weeks (from her last episode)...She's been doing really well, but did have a tiny amount of an orange jelly like substance at the end of her stool, yesterday, so I don't know what that's about? Hope this wasn't too much to read, but just wanted you to know my experience, w/this horrible thing, and hope you can glean some info to help your little Maggie get all better too...Keep us posted...
Maggie (that's me lol) & Apple

I did read your thread after Linda told me about it. I'm surprised I missed it as Maggie has been having blood in her stools since last November. In November, it was the dark brown, almost black stool but now it is bright red and really no stool, just blood. The vet did put her on the EN diet, it is bland, he did not say how long, but I will keep her on it until I know she is better. I do have Hibiscus in the back yard, I asked if it could be from one of the plants, but he really didn't know. I found a snake in the yard Sunday in an area she sometimes likes to go, but I don't think it was that. She has been fine since December, maybe I didn't give her enough time to get better. It is agonizing, I know there is something wrong when only blood comes out. But other than that and not eating, she is herself. Now that I think about it, she didn't seem to drink much water over the week-end. While we were out I was offering water to them and she didn't want any. Again...Agonizing.

Yes, Maggie hangs out by the Hibiscus. I haven't noticed her eating anything but then I'm gone during the day. DH is SUPPOSED to be watching them but he says they mostly sleep all day until I get home. I didn't know Hibiscus was toxic! They were covered some last week because of the freeze. She have been spending extra time around them wondering what was going on with the covering and uncovering. She is my Nosie Rosie. She may very well have gotten into the Hibiscus, I was working in the yard all day Sunday and she will stay out there with me when I do. I didn't see if she was hanging out there but she loves to, they are by the pool and she always has a glimmer of hope that she is going to go swimming. Would she have gotten the bloody stools in one day?

Like one poster, my guess would have been Pancreatitis. I hope she is feeling better. I am guessing you have a good vet, but if this keeps up, you might consider a Internal Medicine specialist. I hope she gets better real fast. Yes, it sure is scary when they get sick.

I am so sorry your baby has been sick. I send good thoughts your way. I also would like to thank you all for the good info. I have had problems with chews --so the information you sent is good to have.

Good luck..
Shinja

Hi Steve...Acually, I had the pancreatitis test thingy done, for Apple, after the 2nd event, and they, completely, ruled that out...Like you, I was suspect of the pancreatitis...In fact, my vet (on first visit) and the ER vet (on 2nd visit) neither one ordered that test, until I requested it...So, apparently they weren't thinking along those lines? Pure speculation, on my part, as I can't say what they were thinking...Like you, 'though, I'd want that test to confirm, or rule out...We just don't want to leave any stone unturned..

Switching gears, will be thinking & praying for your little Maxine, this Thursday...

Good morning...I hate to see that you have joined our group of bloody stool moms! It is so, so frustrating and worrisome. We still don't know the origin of Harley's problem, only that we started with all of the same possibilities (minus the hibiscus). I had tried raw food, thinking it was better for my little ones, and also bully sticks. Harley started with these bloody episodes, that sometimes included vomiting - sometimes not, about 6 months apart, then 3 months, and then they began to get more and more frequent. They always began with loss of appetite for about 24 hrs prior to the mucusy, bloody stool. There seemed to be so much blood when it did occur, that it was frightenting - even to the point of having to start IV therapy a couple of times; that was when it was coupled with the vomiting. Anyway, we don't know what caused it, but we are still treating it and tomorrow will be 10 weeks without an "episode". I give him absolutely nothing by mouth except his prescription food and medications...not even pill pockets. The Dr at A&M said NOTHING else - and so far, so good! I was so desperate and scared for him, I have done everything they told us to do and it has worked. I have a sneaking suspicion it may have been the bully sticks, also, because when I gave them to Harley he was like a total bully stick addict! Good luck to you - I hope you figure this out - it is so stressful for us to see our babies so sick.

Honestly, I don't know if she would have gotten bloody stools, in one day, but then I also don't know if these events were even caused by the Hibiscus seeds?...Like you, I'm going nuts, trying to figure out the cause, so as not to see this in my little Apple's future...

Yes, bloody stools could happen in one day. If she did consume a toxin, her liver levels would be off.

Is she feeling any better today?

What are the initials, on the blood test, related to liver levels?

AST, ALT (SGPT), Bilirubin, BUN, Alk Phosphatase, Lipase, Amylase, Albumin. And of course, Bile Acids, if that test is needed.

These are some of the main ones...keep in mind that elevations in and of themselves can mean almost nothing...it's in these levels together and with a CBC that a vet makes an evaluation. :)

You and I use the same vets and I can guarantee you they did consider pancreatitis but in that her lipase and amylase were normal probably ruled it out. I believe you requested the CPL which is specific for pancreatitis but they probably did not do it originally since the first thing they would normally do is basic testing.

You are fortunate to have good vets! I know you know that. I just wanted to clarify that they would never overlook that possibility. :)

Back in November when she got this the test for pancreatitis was done and it was negative. I meant to bring the results of the blood work and forgot them (stupid human), but it didn't seem like anything was too high. The BUN was high but it was only off by a few numbers. A couple of other things were in the red but they were only off by a few numbers. Maybe DH will text me the numbers in the red.

Maggie is her usual self. She didn't seem puny, no appetite is really all she had and I was watching her to see if it picked back up. If I had not picked up her poop while we were walking with a clear baggie, I would not have known it was bloody and nothing but blood. The first time she went, I had a green bag. I could tell it was diarrhea but did not see the color. She did seem tired when we walked and I don't think she really wanted to go. But she's been in the back yard giving "business" to everybody that runs/walks on the greenbelt. She doesn't act like she feels bad at all. I don't know....