Stomach Virus, Infection or Giardia?
 

I took my 7.5 month little lady to the Vet on 4/13 to have several of her baby teeth extracted. I know this can be stressful to our little ones - Especially, after having 16 toofers removed at once! Well, her stools have been exceptionally loose since the procedure...Even turned watery with traces of blood. So, I called the Vet and he promptly put her on "Hifactor" dog food. All this has done is make her stools the consistency of cooked wheat germ. This has been ongoing for three days now. My neighbor who is a Vet Tech says it sounds like Giardia :confused: - So, now not only am I concerned for my little lady but wondering where on earth she could have contracted it from if this is the case. :( She went into the Vet's office seemingly healthy and parasitic free. Should I give things a little more time to work through her system or should I put in another call? :confused:

i would call the vet. i was told heathy poop = healthy dog. if the poops don't look good there could be something brewing.

I agree with your neighbor. Pulling baby teeth is not that big of a deal. Yellow mucus poop with blood or watery poop with blood is some type of problem and your little one could easily have picked this up from the vet, a dog park or a simple walk on the sidewalk. Coccidia and Giardia are fairly easy to treat but left to long can really harm a dog. Frankly I am very surprised a vet would not first ask for a stool sample before changing a dog food.

i would take her in and get a fecal exam. it seems too long to be just a result of stress. Giardia stools are usually pale in color and greasy looking.

Worried Sick!
 

Thanks for all your words of advice. I physically took Muffin in to the Vet this morning. Once there, the Technician weighed her and she had went from 3.3lbs down to 2.7lbs - Even weighed her twice to make sure! I couldn't believe my eyes. I followed the feeding schedule to a T with the newly prescribed goop! The Technician immediately wisked Muffin into the Vet - Which took one look at her and said she had to be admitted! I'm so worried... :cry: And, now I am sitting here at home waiting anxiously by the phone for a call from the Vet's office with what I am hoping to be good better news than I left with, i.e. "We have to run a few tests!" Sitting here waiting is making ME sick to my stomach... :hands: :xfingers: :cry8:

That's a big loss of weight - keep us informed. we'll be thinking of you and praying for the best.

I'm not even going to mention the possiblity of what I think it might be (not stool related) and so all I can say is I hope for the best for you and your little ones!
I don't pray, but best wishes from my furry family to yours!!!
:aimeeyork :aimeeyork :aimeeyork

OMG this is scary. I pray that this all turns out very well.

Good luck , and keep us posted.

Update... Even Worse!
 

Well, I got Muffin home today! Should be over joyed... But, I'm not!!! The Vet sent her home with one tablet of Metronidazole 250 mgs. broken into quarters for administering for the next four days, Albon Oral Suspension to be given to her twice daily over the next five days and a shot of Ivomec? Which I'm freaking out because from what I've read online at "Drs Foster & Smith" about this medicine, it is not approved for usage on small animals!!! But, still...I'm still following the Vet's orders as instructed but I swear she appears worse off than she was yesterday! She's lithargic - Has literally slept ALL day with the shivers and jitters. I've had to hand feed food and water as she won't do it otherwise. She's only gone to potty once today and still she sleeps. Has any one out there ever had these symptoms for what I was told was and inflamed small intestines with a slight case of Giardia? Should I be wisking my little girl off to the nearest 24 hour emergency veterinarian hospital? I'm so worried... :(

i would be giving her nutrical at least 3x a day and giving her pedialyte in a dropper or syringe every 30 minutes around the clock.

You probably just need time for the meds to kick in and start helping her. Good luck I know it is stressful when they are sick.

just was looking up Ivomec myself - can't understand why your vet gave it, especially to one so small - watch for dilated pupils and drunken gait. the emergency room could put her on iv fluids, but if you give her pedialyte every 30 minutes around the clock you are doing the same thing, as long as she is not vomiting it up. i wouldn't leave her alone at all. i don't understand why she is so tired - you can give Karo syrup rectally for faster absorption, there is also a product called Nutri-drops that is absorbed very quickly into the blood stream. lethargic, shivers, and jitters sounds like low blood sugar to me - did the vet test her blood sugar level?

Thank you ever SO much "Lacy's Mom"! I've just given her a dose of Nutrical and it seems to have subsided the shivers and jitters a little. I also just sent my son out for the Pedialite because her pupils do appear dilated and still she's lying around like a ragdoll in my arms. Doubt very much if the Vet did a check on her sugar unless it is hidden in the "Exam/Daily Exam/Eval. treat" indication on my recent bill for her over night stay. Will keep you posted as it looks like the beginning of a long worry-filled night...

well, its midnight here. hope everything is going well. i'll say a prayer for you both.

I have the Veterinary Drug Handbook and it says Ivermectin (Ivomec) is the protype avermectin drug used in variety of species as an antiparasitice. It's main purpose is for Heartworm. It goes on to say that dogs may exhibit a shock-like reaction when ivermectin is used as a microfilaricide, presumably due to a reaction associated with the dying microfilaria. It does say that overdosage could cause tremors but overdosage usually happens over a number of days.

Metronidazole is used extensively in the treatment of Giardia and is also used for parasites. The adverse effects are: neurologic disorders, lethargy, weakness, neutropenias, hepatotoxicity, hematuria, anorexia, nausea, vomitting and diarrhea.

Albon is usually prescribed for Coccidia and very little reaction unless the dog is allergic to sulfer.

It is important to make sure the dog does not get dehydrated.

I am not sure if I have helped you or not or given you more worry but I think it helps to know exactly what the vet has given your little one. Just remember this book is no different than the human pill book and boy, sometimes when I have read about a drug prescribed to me it scared me.

Please let us know how she is doing but I am sure the shot is really doing a number on her system trying to kill the parasites.

when you get a minute, let us know how she's doing.

Thanks a BUNCH! That eases my worries some what. I kept up the 30 minute intervals of Pedialite ALL night. This morning about 8ish Muffin had a slight burst of energy, wabbly - walked around a bit - bumping into walls along the way, ate a little and drank a little on her own and back on my lap and back to sleep she went. I'm still following "Lacy's Mom's" instructions, i.e. Nutrical and Pedialite. And, the shivering and tremmors seem to be lessening. By the way, I may be wrong for doing so, but I haven't given her any of her prescribed meds today...I personally feel that she's just too over medicated. Planning to drive her straight back to the Vet in the morning if I don't see the slightest change by then. Once again, thanks for all your kinds words of wisdom... And, I'll post an update if and when anything changes. Have a Blessed day!

Glad to hear you both made it through the night. :) Don't really know about stopping her medications, but I'm not sure I wouldn't do the same thing. I know I get really sick if I try to take antibiotics on an empty stomach. If she starts eating today maybe you could restart the antibiotics. The ivomec injection is a broad spectrum antibiotic so I would think that would cover her until you can get her back into a vet. It really sounds like your vet didn't have a diagnosis so he just bombarded her with everything. Keep up with the pedialyte and nutrical and hopefully she's much better by tonight and you can just give the pedialyte a couple of times during the night and get some rest.

I agree with you - seems like the vet went for overkill unless he saw something in the stool he didn't tell her about. Usually with rescue's pulled out of the pound just using the Albon and the Metronidazole have worked for us.

I would only offer bland food for the time being and just in little amounts.

How is she doing today? Still keeping you both in our thoughts and prayers.

I was wondering also and I hope she posts and lets us know.

What A Difference A Day Makes!
 

Sorry for not updating earlier... I put in a call to the Vet - Told him what I had been through with Muffin over the weekend and he advised to keep up the outstanding "Tech Job" and to try to put her back on Alborn starting tomorrow. And, skip the Metronidazole entirely :confused: But, split the prescribed dosage to twice a day in lieu of all at once. His overall explanation as to why put her back on it for another five days is something along the lines of "Although she appears back to normal, whatever bug she had or has may not yet be cured." Also, went on to further explain that Ivomec is a catch all intervention that can some times give off the side effects that we went through this weekend. NOW HE TELLS ME!!! :mad:

But, I'm happy to report my little Muffin is doing exceptionally better! :happyboun She woke up about 80% herself... She ate, drank some water and even had the strength to put out a few barks at Biscuit (my other little one - Which has not had a symptom the first). As the day went on, she got even better - Putting up a scuffle or two with Biscuit! I can't thank you all enough for listening to my woahs and helping me through them! :thumbs up I will let you all know how she does over the next few days with the lowered dosage of Alborn.

Glad to hear how much better she's doing. :) I was so concerned about her.

This is wonderful news, and I hope she just keeps getting better.

Maybe you can calm down a bit now. I have been through hectic times, and it is no picnic.

Wonderful news!

Glad to hear your little one is doing better.... Did the vet ever say how she contracted her illness?.... Was it the teeth removal... and the stay at the vets?

Hope things keep getting better! :)