Yorkie throwing up blood

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by lynzy420

I have read this post so many times since you posted it, I want to make some comments but I have held off, first off....perhaps in the future you may not want to get another pup until your children are grown and it is more affordable to have a pup? I can't tell you how much your comment "my family comes first" literally makes me shake and my heart race....wasn't your pup part of your family? Also, these little pups are so vulnerable, I believe you waited 5-6 days before seeking medical care, I want to point out for others who may come along that it is very important to get your pups to the vet ASAP when they become ill, these pups are vulnerable once ill and can go down so fast....

OP I'm so sorry for the loss of your pup, it is heartbreaking, I'm sure you did the best you could and thought under the circumstances.....these pups come with a life long dependency on us for a lifetime of love and care....

Originally Posted by gemy

I am very sorry for your loss -$10K sounds like an awfull lot of money-money many would not have.


This is why we highly recommend pet insurance. These days as opposed to 30 or more years ago, vet medicine has made huge strides, and now owners do have choices when their dog becomes ill. Unfortunately many choices are quite expensive, some prohibitively so. But with pet insurance coverage those options become available to you. If the cost of $30-$40 a month for pet insurance is beyond your means, you need to seriously consider if you can afford any pet at all.


Many of us also do yearly bloodwork, co-inciding with the yearly exam. If done, it might have caught the problem much earlier on, where treatment options might not have been so expensive.


But now you know, we do have threads a stickey here about the cost of owning a pet; it is a good read, to get a handle on likely costs. Just go to our library and browse through it.

I would hope that anyone considering obtaining a pup would read this thread and pay particular attention to the above posts.

I have had a hard time thinking about a response to this thread. It makes me sick to my stomach to know that an animal has suffered and this poor young pup did indeed suffer.

Please know there are always options. Please know that these are tiny beings and they sometimes require very expensive care. If you cannot afford to provide that, yes, I would rather see a pup euthanized than letting the suffering go on; but honestly it should not have to come to that. Even if it means surrendering the pup to someone who can and/or will find a way to provide. Bottom line on this one, it was just too late by the time she got appropriate vet care. No one will ever know if she could have survived.....it is simply tragic.

[cristinaberger]

Thank you all for your encouragement. I definitely made a mistake by not feeding the correct diet to the dog (because I introduced human food) but I did take her to the vet within an hour of her vomiting blood.

I never invested in pet insurance because I can afford couple of thousand of dollars for emergencies but never thought that she will be so seriously ill that she will need thousands of dollars. At the moment he died, I had already spent a thousand, so I had to make a choice between spending 2 more at the ER just for the weekend and then continuing at the vet on Monday for another week of IV or letting her go. Bringing her home was not an option because she was in so much pain that the painkiller would have only lasted 6 hours and she could not take anything orally and keep it down.

Basically after the first 48 hours she was going down, instead of getting better and that was a very bad sign.

I don't understand how she went from being so active to dieing the next day. Her blood work was so off the chart (the LIP values) that the vet said she must have had some genetic disorder where she just couldn't process that fat at all. Her being just 2.5 years old, she said that the diet I gave her still does not justify her numbers being so high (30 times over the normal for amylase etc).

My husband who never wanted a pet and I had to convince him of having this one, now says that he does want another pet in the future. I am not sure at all that I do want one. I am mad at myself because I researched for a whole week what kind of food is best to dogs in general (as in no chemicals, fillers etc) but I never looked at what is best for yorkies in particular. I only discovered this forum when searching for yorkies and pancreatitis on google, but it was too late.

Her white blood cells, red blood cells results were normal, no fever, no diarrhea. Vomiting was the only symptom. I doubt that the vet would have caught this at a regular annual exam without doing any detailed blood test for liver function etc.

If I do get a pet in the future, I will definitely make sure to talk to a pet nutritionist and do a detailed blood exam every year. I also shied away from vets because I was against vaccination, so I didn't want to be pestered about that by going there. Unfortunately, I could not find a holistic vet in my area.

She taught me several important lessons throughout her short life. It is painful that it had to end this way, time will heal everything. If not time, the cemetery will.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by cristinaberger

Thank you all for your encouragement. I definitely made a mistake by not feeding the correct diet to the dog (because I introduced human food) but I did take her to the vet within an hour of her vomiting blood.

I never invested in pet insurance because I can afford couple of thousand of dollars for emergencies but never thought that she will be so seriously ill that she will need thousands of dollars. At the moment he died, I had already spent a thousand, so I had to make a choice between spending 2 more at the ER just for the weekend and then continuing at the vet on Monday for another week of IV or letting her go. Bringing her home was not an option because she was in so much pain that the painkiller would have only lasted 6 hours and she could not take anything orally and keep it down.

Basically after the first 48 hours she was going down, instead of getting better and that was a very bad sign.

I don't understand how she went from being so active to dieing the next day. Her blood work was so off the chart (the LIP values) that the vet said she must have had some genetic disorder where she just couldn't process that fat at all. Her being just 2.5 years old, she said that the diet I gave her still does not justify her numbers being so high (30 times over the normal for amylase etc).

My husband who never wanted a pet and I had to convince him of having this one, now says that he does want another pet in the future. I am not sure at all that I do want one. I am mad at myself because I researched for a whole week what kind of food is best to dogs in general (as in no chemicals, fillers etc) but I never looked at what is best for yorkies in particular. I only discovered this forum when searching for yorkies and pancreatitis on google, but it was too late.

Her white blood cells, red blood cells results were normal, no fever, no diarrhea. Vomiting was the only symptom. I doubt that the vet would have caught this at a regular annual exam without doing any detailed blood test for liver function etc.

If I do get a pet in the future, I will definitely make sure to talk to a pet nutritionist and do a detailed blood exam every year. I also shied away from vets because I was against vaccination, so I didn't want to be pestered about that by going there. Unfortunately, I could not find a holistic vet in my area.

She taught me several important lessons throughout her short life. It is painful that it had to end this way, time will heal everything. If not time, the cemetery will.

Best wishes to you and your family. I am sorry...a very hard lesson indeed.

For me, I chose not to have any dogs while raising my son. I was fortunate to have friends who had been through a lot with sick pups so I was very aware of what can happen. My son wanted a dog, but it was not until he was in high school that I finally got one. It was then that I had the time...and the money for emergencies. I was just lucky that I learned from others lessons.....thank you for sharing your story here because it very well may help another person(s) and dog(s).

I am sorry for this all the way around....for you and your family and for your pup who clearly suffered. Very painful lesson indeed.

[MaWilliams3]

I'm sorry that you had to put your baby down. That is a very difficult decision to make. I lost my Bijou to an unknown illness almost 6 years ago. I couldn't afford a vet. There were some scholarships, and because of that, we were able to narrow down that he had a gastro-issue, but by the time the funds were approved, it was to late. So I have been in your shoes.
One thing I have learned in this forum, less is more. The less information you give, the safer you'll be. I personally waited till I finished college, and could afford a pet emergency. I never want to go through that again, and I never want to see a animal go through that again.
Hugs to you in your time of sorrow.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by cristinaberger

Thank you all for your encouragement. I definitely made a mistake by not feeding the correct diet to the dog (because I introduced human food) but I did take her to the vet within an hour of her vomiting blood.

I never invested in pet insurance because I can afford couple of thousand of dollars for emergencies but never thought that she will be so seriously ill that she will need thousands of dollars. At the moment he died, I had already spent a thousand, so I had to make a choice between spending 2 more at the ER just for the weekend and then continuing at the vet on Monday for another week of IV or letting her go. Bringing her home was not an option because she was in so much pain that the painkiller would have only lasted 6 hours and she could not take anything orally and keep it down.

Basically after the first 48 hours she was going down, instead of getting better and that was a very bad sign.

I don't understand how she went from being so active to dieing the next day. Her blood work was so off the chart (the LIP values) that the vet said she must have had some genetic disorder where she just couldn't process that fat at all. Her being just 2.5 years old, she said that the diet I gave her still does not justify her numbers being so high (30 times over the normal for amylase etc).

My husband who never wanted a pet and I had to convince him of having this one, now says that he does want another pet in the future. I am not sure at all that I do want one. I am mad at myself because I researched for a whole week what kind of food is best to dogs in general (as in no chemicals, fillers etc) but I never looked at what is best for yorkies in particular. I only discovered this forum when searching for yorkies and pancreatitis on google, but it was too late.

Her white blood cells, red blood cells results were normal, no fever, no diarrhea. Vomiting was the only symptom. I doubt that the vet would have caught this at a regular annual exam without doing any detailed blood test for liver function etc.

If I do get a pet in the future, I will definitely make sure to talk to a pet nutritionist and do a detailed blood exam every year. I also shied away from vets because I was against vaccination, so I didn't want to be pestered about that by going there. Unfortunately, I could not find a holistic vet in my area.

She taught me several important lessons throughout her short life. It is painful that it had to end this way, time will heal everything. If not time, the cemetery will.

I'm so sorry you had to go through this, I think losing a beloved pet is one of the hardest things we ever have to go through. I know much has been written about over-vaccination, and we've had many threads here discussing vaccination protocols, so that a pet owner can work with their vet and find the best answers for her dogs. Please don't believe that no vaccinations ever is the answer. If they have no immunity to any of this, even going to the hospital, may expose them to diseases that could kill them. I don't want to lecture you and I know you thought you were making informed choices, but it just scares me to death when a person says they don't believe in any vaccinations.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by cristinaberger

Thank you all for your encouragement. I definitely made a mistake by not feeding the correct diet to the dog (because I introduced human food) but I did take her to the vet within an hour of her vomiting blood.

I never invested in pet insurance because I can afford couple of thousand of dollars for emergencies but never thought that she will be so seriously ill that she will need thousands of dollars. At the moment he died, I had already spent a thousand, so I had to make a choice between spending 2 more at the ER just for the weekend and then continuing at the vet on Monday for another week of IV or letting her go. Bringing her home was not an option because she was in so much pain that the painkiller would have only lasted 6 hours and she could not take anything orally and keep it down.

Basically after the first 48 hours she was going down, instead of getting better and that was a very bad sign.

I don't understand how she went from being so active to dieing the next day. Her blood work was so off the chart (the LIP values) that the vet said she must have had some genetic disorder where she just couldn't process that fat at all. Her being just 2.5 years old, she said that the diet I gave her still does not justify her numbers being so high (30 times over the normal for amylase etc).

My husband who never wanted a pet and I had to convince him of having this one, now says that he does want another pet in the future. I am not sure at all that I do want one. I am mad at myself because I researched for a whole week what kind of food is best to dogs in general (as in no chemicals, fillers etc) but I never looked at what is best for yorkies in particular. I only discovered this forum when searching for yorkies and pancreatitis on google, but it was too late.

Her white blood cells, red blood cells results were normal, no fever, no diarrhea. Vomiting was the only symptom. I doubt that the vet would have caught this at a regular annual exam without doing any detailed blood test for liver function etc.

If I do get a pet in the future, I will definitely make sure to talk to a pet nutritionist and do a detailed blood exam every year. I also shied away from vets because I was against vaccination, so I didn't want to be pestered about that by going there. Unfortunately, I could not find a holistic vet in my area.

She taught me several important lessons throughout her short life. It is painful that it had to end this way, time will heal everything. If not time, the cemetery will.

I'm sorry if I came of harsh in my other post I am just sad for any dog in that situation. In the future though vets are very important as are vaccines. Puppy shots and one year boosters are a must then after that you can chose not to give anymore except rabies which is against the law not to give. You also need to do yearly blood work not just to check there health but to get them heartworm prevention, heart worm meds should be given yearly. I know you think you were doing things healthy but in the end that ended up not working out. Vets are very important in owning a dog.

[Maximo]

I am very sorry your dog was ill and put to sleep. Some vaccinations are absolutely necessary for the good of dogs, and rabies vaccination is required by law. You don't need to go to a holistic vet to determine which vaccinations will be given.

I work with my regular vet to determine which vaccination schedule I am comfortable with.

Regarding food, I see a lot of people whose intentions are good, but their dislike or fear of commercial dog food ends up causing great harm. The same applies to vet care. Good intentions that lead to poor choices in care because of fear of something being "unnatural" or "unholistic."

People who homecook for their dogs or who choose not to use 'conventional' health care need to be particularly vigilant in having their dogs tested regularly to make sure all body systems are working properly. I'm not opposed to homecooking or home remedies (I do a little myself), but they require extra care and consideration.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by MaWilliams3

I'm sorry that you had to put your baby down. That is a very difficult decision to make. I lost my Bijou to an unknown illness almost 6 years ago. I couldn't afford a vet. There were some scholarships, and because of that, we were able to narrow down that he had a gastro-issue, but by the time the funds were approved, it was to late. So I have been in your shoes.
One thing I have learned in this forum, less is more. The less information you give, the safer you'll be. I personally waited till I finished college, and could afford a pet emergency. I never want to go through that again, and I never want to see a animal go through that again.
Hugs to you in your time of sorrow.

Not sharing all the info makes it harder for people to help and it will also make people fill in the blanks. I'm very sad you can't enjoy this message bored and trust it like a lot of us.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by MaWilliams3

I'm sorry that you had to put your baby down. That is a very difficult decision to make. I lost my Bijou to an unknown illness almost 6 years ago. I couldn't afford a vet. There were some scholarships, and because of that, we were able to narrow down that he had a gastro-issue, but by the time the funds were approved, it was to late. So I have been in your shoes.
One thing I have learned in this forum, less is more. The less information you give, the safer you'll be. I personally waited till I finished college, and could afford a pet emergency. I never want to go through that again, and I never want to see a animal go through that again.
Hugs to you in your time of sorrow.

I am sorry for your loss of Bijou.

Regarding less information being safer in this forum: I disagree if the person is seeking information that may help save a dog's life or improve quality of life. A complete picture may reveal vital info, something that someone else has experienced with their pups.

If a person only wants support, it is perfectly okay not to share. I don't share everything about my dogs.

None of us is perfect or all knowing. Everyone makes mistakes. I've made some whoppers from lack of knowledge.

I am very thankful for this forum and its members who have taught me so much -- even when it was a little painful to hear. If it benefits my pups or future pups, I am more than willing to take it.

[MaWilliams3]

Originally Posted by Maximo

I am sorry for your loss of Bijou.

Regarding less information being safer in this forum: I disagree if the person is seeking information that may help save a dog's life or improve quality of life. A complete picture may reveal vital info, something that someone else has experienced with their pups.

If a person only wants support, it is perfectly okay not to share. I don't share everything about my dogs.

None of us is perfect or all knowing. Everyone makes mistakes. I've made some whoppers from lack of knowledge.

I am very thankful for this forum and its members who have taught me so much -- even when it was a little painful to hear. If it benefits my pups or future pups, I am more than willing to take it.

I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to offend, I was simply implying or replying to lynzy. I felt that lynzy came across a little brash toward the OP. Especially while the OP is grieving the loss of her baby. No harm no foul.

[Maximo]

MaWilliams, no offense taken, and no apology necessary.

[joyce evans]

I am so so sorry for the loss of this pup. Who could have known that it would have turned out this way. There are many people on this site that could have afforded to take this pup into their care including a rescue but I didn't see where she asked for it or that this was offered before that final decision was made. She probably didn't know that it was an option and I'll bet her vet never discussed it with her. Just like no one here could have predicted that this was the route the OP was taking. Maybe it was her vets recommendation that the pup be put to rest. IDK I just wish there was a better way to guide pet owners (not that I'm the one qualified to do it) in a pups time of need. Maybe we should have assigned people that deal strictly with the "Sick and Injured" or maybe something that pops up in bold on the thread so this never happens again. This one just breaks my heart and I truly feel for the pup and the OP. Wish more could have been done that's all. Maybe as yorkie owners we can all discuss this situation with our vets and offer help where we can. Like I said IDK!

[SirTeddykins]

I'm sorry to learn about your recent experience resulting in the loss of your baby. That is very difficult for me to read so I can't imagine what it must've been like for you to experience.


Reading some of these posts is very tiresome for me as they can be construed as judgmental and ignorant. For example, insurance is not a guarantee of coverage. I have worked in insurance for many, many years and know this better than anyone.


Also, as much as animals are a part of the family, I do not agree that their welfare should ever be more important than humans.


Despite the above, however, I hope that this experience and the comments from some here have given you new perspective on what needs to be considered should you decide to get another pet. Though, it is probably too early for you to consider this right now anyway...


Thoughts with you x

[megansmomma]

I am sorry for the loss of your little one. What a very tragic lesson to learn in that using Google to make health decisions regarding the care of beloved pets is not a reliable source in their care. It seems that if there was an actual genetic disease it would have been caught much earlier if the decision to follow the latest all "natural" no vaccines which in turn lead to avoiding the vet who might have caught an issue that could have been genetic. Feeding a balanced diet formulated by a qualified Vet Nutritionist that would have required basic blood panel. To me it seems that if there was an actual genetic disease it would have been caught much earlier if the decision would not have made that resulted in the expert (Vet) bringing up the need to vaccinate. There is a lot of misinformation that needs to be weeded through and if you chose to follow some of these self proclaimed experts regarding not vaccinating with basic vaccines or feeding a well balanced diet without actual veterinary advice sometimes there is no turning back.

[MaWilliams3]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

I am sorry for the loss of your little one. What a very tragic lesson to learn in that using Google to make health decisions regarding the care of beloved pets is not a reliable source in their care. It seems that if there was an actual genetic disease it would have been caught much earlier if the decision to follow the latest all "natural" no vaccines which in turn lead to avoiding the vet who might have caught an issue that could have been genetic. Feeding a balanced diet formulated by a qualified Vet Nutritionist that would have required basic blood panel. To me it seems that if there was an actual genetic disease it would have been caught much earlier if the decision would not have made that resulted in the expert (Vet) bringing up the need to vaccinate. There is a lot of misinformation that needs to be weeded through and if you chose to follow some of these self proclaimed experts regarding not vaccinating with basic vaccines or feeding a well balanced diet without actual veterinary advice sometimes there is no turning back.

Wow! That was brutal. Remind me to look you up if I am ever grieving, that way I can even feel worse about myself. Kudos!