Fletch has GHE!
 

Omg...im freaking out!!

Fletch has bloody diarrhea, and minimal vomitting. Started yesterday morn. Took him to the vet this morn and he is borderline on his blood work. He almost has Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. He has to get more sub q fluids tomorrow and his temp checked. Since he is borderline dehydrated, I got a dropper and pedialyte to give him tonight every couple hours. What else can I do for him? He's eating a tiny bit of science diet G/I wet food, but not enough. I can't get him to drink on his own. I don't want him in the hospital if possible, vet says he's borderline needing hospitalization. This came on very suddenly. I'm so worried!! Uugghh.

Sooo sad! :(

What did the vet suggest? My girl had HGE a couple of months ago and required hospitalization...it is very scary :( My understanding is that all you can do is "supportive" care, which means keep him hydrated. I wouldn't worry too much about food unless your vet has indicated otherwise, but I would be popping him full of pedialyte as often as possible, and then keeping him warm and clean. Any sign of worsening symptoms I would get to the nearest vet hospital ASAP.

Prayers for a quick recovery.

I'd never even heard of this till a couple of months ago and now it seems like it's popping up all the time, I don't know if vets are diagnosing it more or if dogs have been catching it more lately. Sounds really horrible, hope Fletch recovers soon!

My Allie had this in February, as like Fletch came on suddenly. There is really no known cause for this, some say stress, but it hasn't been documented.

Lot's of fluids is the key answer. I also had Allie on antibiotics as well. Just make sure Fletch stays real hydrated.

I'm sorry you are going through this. Prayers going out for Fletch.

It's not contagious.... It is the body's Abnormal response to bacteria or hyper sensitivity to food. Starts with vomitting and then it's diarrhea that is more blood than stool. Very scary. Blood thickens with dehydration which is what is dangerous.

Fletch got antibiotics, anti-nausea and sub q fluid injections today. I have scripts for oral antibiotics and anti diarrhea meds starting tomorrow. I pray this brings relief for him! My poor baby!

Well wishes coming Fletch's way.
I hope he feels better very very soon!

If the vet said to do that I'd be glad to.... But the vet didn't say that, I asked him if that was best. He said he was borderline with his bloodwork so he wants him for more fluids tomorrow. Tonight we are giving him pedialyte
every hour, 20 ml s of it. He's alert and acting normal for the most part. A bit lethargic but the vet saw that and said he was not confused or out of it, so it's not alarming. For now we will give more fluids tonight and take him in tomorrow for more sub q fluids.

Sending prayers for Fletch that the meds will help him heal soon. I agree with Vicki, that it might be a good idea to leave him at the vet's office during the day with an IV.

I really want to know if doing pedialyte is good, the right thing. I asked the vet to keep him, I asked him if he wanted him tomorrow, but he said no. He says he's borderline, he thinks more fluids tomorrow in outpatient but he didn't tell me to give him fluids tonight. I just did that on my own.

Oh I should say that he only vomited once yesterday morn and this morning. So vomitting is not the issue, it's the bloody diarrhea, it's almost straight blood.

I just went through this with Mikki. She was borderline dehydrated and we too did the forced fluids. I gave pedialyte every hour too. The next day she was better. My vet told me not to worry as much about foods, the main goal was to keep her hydrated. If you are concerned about using pedialyte, you could use water. I sure hope he is better soon.

Did your vet say to feed him? Maybe his tummy needs to "rest".

Scary stuff...hope he shows improvement tomorrow

I am worried about this baby....you must keep him hydrated and I do not think you will be able to get enough fluid in him with a dropper....did your vet tell you how much pedialyte you need to get into you baby, according to his size, every couple of hours? Heallthy dogs drink about 1 oz/pound of body weight/per day.... This issue needs to be treated with sub-q fluids.... It would be great if your vet would teach you how to do this , and tell you how much to give him so you may be better able to avoid a hospitalization....1 oz. = 30cc, so that will be 30cc/pound of weight/24hours... Calculate how many cc's (do you have a syringe like they give shots with?) you need to be giving your baby over 24 hours....and you will know how much you need to give him every 2 hours, in order to keep him hydrated. 150cc/5lb dog/24 hours, 6.25cc/hour, needed, by mouth, at least......You might be able to get that much down him.....I am praying for a speedy recovery for Fletch....if you see any changes in his condition, for the worse, you need to get him to the ER, ASAP....

This is great!! You are certainly getting way over the minimal amount of fluid into him by mouth...so that is great! Hopefully he wont vomit it up....he can also get very anemic if he is loosing alot of blood.....watch that also....

HGE is very serious, but I am sure that your vet knows what he is doing. If his levels hadn't been borderline, I would imagine that Fletch would have been hospitalized. However, if he can be maintained at home, I believe our babies do better in the security of their own home with our loving attention. For a regular case of HGE, I know I would have no choice to leave Katie with a veterinarian overnight, but for a borderline case, I would do exactly what you are doing. I really hope Fletch gets better quickly. I have never had any experience with HGE, but my dear friend Jackie's (JacquelineBabco) baby, Wyatt, was hospitalized with it. It came on so suddenly, and she rushed to the ER in the middle of the night. He was able to come home later the next day, but it was so scary. He is a very healthy little boy, which is usually the norm with HGE. I'm sure that, with the fluids tomorrow, Fletch will get better. You both are in my thoughts and prayers. Please give your little boy a hug from Katie and me.

Thanks so much for your info and concern! It really helps! I promise you my baby is in no danger of not getting proper care. He got appropriate sub q fluids at the vets today. He is going again tomorrow for more. We are giving him fluids on top of that. He is alert and more active tonight than today. He sleeps with me and the ER vet is 2 mins away from me. He has not vomitted since 730 am this morning.
The vet said to give him a small amount of the hills science diet G/I food if he's interested. Up to a 1/3 of the can. Well in 6 hours he's eaten about a third of the can. We just let him out again and no bloody stools at all. No stool at all, but a nice healthy pee, so I know he's hydrated. He's got me and I'm his biggest champion, I just wanted to make sure I am doing the right thing. If he has a temp tomorrow, he will be admitted to the hospital. But right now he's seems to be better than today and we start the diarrhea meds tomorrow.

Thank you!!! Hugs are underway! Fletch is usually so healthy too! This is scary. I have to go back to work tomorrow, but hubby is home. Fletch is spoiled! Lol. Not left alone for 1 min since this started yesterday morn! :D

((hugs)) to you and Fletch! Poor little man. Get better!

Sending prayers that Fletch is feeling better tomorrow. What a scary thing for you all:(

I am so sorry that your baby is ill. I will keep you in my prayers. One of my babys has had this and yes it was very scary. I truely hope that your little one will recover.

Praying Fletcher continues to improve...

Keeping Fletcher in my thought's and prayers' Get well soon Little Man:animal-pa

Hoping Fletch is better this morning.

Thanks so much!!!
Fletcher had an eventful morning! I woke up to find him soaking wet. Realized he peed the bed (all the fluid we gave him yesterday). I guess this is good for him (bad for me at 6am!) so we went out and he peed again and he pooped. His poop was soft, but formed, and no blood at all in it. He was a lot more alert this morning, even chasing a bird off the lawn. :) Then he had a bath and got to snuggle with us in a towel until he was dry. I don't think he minded that too much! Today he goes back to the vet for more fluids and a temp check. He also starts his antibiotic and anti-diarrhea meds today. We are hoping to see his appetite start to return today. He has not thrown up in over 24 hours now.

I would like to think we are out of the woods at this point with him, but you never know. I would like to see a more solid poop and just more often with no blood to feel more comfortable.

Here is the kicker.... tomorrow we leave on a 4 day vacation. :( I hate to leave him, even though he\'ll be in completely capable hands, if I think he\'s still even remotely sick. :( The girl who watches the dogs has been watching them since they were pups. They know and love her and she loves them like her own. She has the vets number and her mom will watch them when shes at work. My only other option is to put him in the hospital, but I just don\'t think he needs that, I think we are doing well with him and with someone watching him all the time at least, we\'ll see any symptoms right away and get him to the hospital. I told her if she has to take him to the vet at all, just call me and I\'ll give them my CC# over the phone and I\'ll just admit him for the remainder of our trip in the hospital. Then he\'ll be where he needs to be and I\'ll feel comfortable knowing hes in the best place he can be while I\'m away. :(

The timing could have been worse, but not by much. I\'m grateful he didn\'t get sick on a day we were away at least.

Very relieved Fletch is doing so well! Great job mom!

Hubby is at the vet with him. Vet said good job with giving him fluids on our own last night. Hubby says he\'s acting more himself this morning and once he gets back from the vet he\'ll try to give him food with his meds. YAY! We might be out of the woods now! **PHEW**