My yorkie was vomiting- what is this a sign of?
 

Hello. I am new to this forum. My two year old male yorkie, Romeo, died tonight. Both my husband and I are shocked and devastated. We felt like he was one of our children. I keep blaming myself for not spending the $300 the vet said that we could if we wanted to have tests run. He was vomiting and I took him to the vet. The vet said he may have gotten into someone's garbage or even gotten a virus and that is why he was vomiting, because everything else looked normal. Since by that time, he seemed to be feeling a little better, I decided to forego the tests unless he got worse, which I was hoping and didn't think he would, since he seemed better. He was walking around and seemed more alert. The vet gave him a shot to make him feel better and for the vomiting and something to give him if he started vomiting again. I went home. He suddenly started acting limp, which I thought was a sign that the medicine was working and was relaxing him. He was like that for 10 minutes. After petting him and feeling his body, I decided it tidn't feel normal to me. It was like his eyes were wide open and alert, but his body was not. I called the vet, who said to bring him in. On the way there, he got worse and couldn't even lift his head. My husband and I drove like a maniac to the emergency vet clinic, going way past the speed limit, and praying the whole way. Just before we got there, he threw his head back and his whole body stiffened, like he was going into a coma. I started rubbing him, crying, and praying harder. We ran in as soon as we got there, me bawling my head off and handed him to the nurse, who took him immediately back to the doctor. They tried to stabalize him, but he died in the vet's office. My husband and I are just in agony. He was our only yorkie and was our baby. He had never had any problems before and seemed like any normal yorkie. (although he was almost 10 pounds, it wasn't overweight, he was actually long and skinny.) I can't think of what could have happened to him. Can anyone tell me what this sounds like, or if it signs for something? He vomited quite a bit and acted weak. He acted better after the first vet visit, but then got worse. I took him again, and he got even worse. I just want to make sure this never happens again, but I don't know how I can, since I don't even know what was wrong with him. It just came on so sudden. He seemed so happy and healthy to me before. He was very loved and spoiled. Can someone give me an idea of what it could have been? I just feel like I need to know. And I guess I just need someone to talk to. I can't sleep. It's so hard for me, because I keep seeing him like he was right before he died, not like he was when he was my happy and hyper baby. Anyone who can post would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Bethany..I'm so sorry you lost your little Romeo today. How difficult it must have been for you to go through this.
It could have been one of so many things. Unfortunately these guys are so little that they go downhill so very quickly, it seems.
We lost our terrier mix in January to pancreatitis...there was vomiting involved with that...mostly bile, but with vomiting it could have been so many things.
I hope you're able to get some rest, though I know it's difficult. Please don't blame yourself! Your little one was obviously very, very ill and chances are that tests wouldn't have been able to save him.

There is a wonderful forum here for those who have lost their little yorkies...it's a wonderful place for support. There are some lovely people there who understand your grief and pain. I hope you can stay with us here at Yorkietalk...it's helpful to be able to talk about our heartache...it sure helps one to feel better.

warm hugs
Val

I am so sorry for your loss............deeply sorry.

I am also thinking pancreatitis might be the cause, were you feeding him table food? This can cause severe vomiting and eventual death if not treated.

I am sorry for your loss, most here understand how traumatic it is to loose one! So very sorry.

I am sorry for your loss

So sorry for your loss. It is so difficult to know what makes these little ones go down so quickly. You did the right thing by taking him to the vet so please don't feel guilty. I am sorry your first post had to be such a tragic one. Please stay and let us be there for you at this sad time.

I am so very sorry for your loss of Romeo. Please don't blame yourself. I am sure you did the best you could. Sometimes there is just no explanation.

I copied this from a previous thread posted here last year. Please pay attention and never feed people food. There seems to be a lot of pancreatitis symptoms in the forum lately! I am so sorry for your loss! God bless you in your time of need!




Yorkie Pancreatitis - PLEASE PAY ATTENTION!

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This is been my month so far......On July 2nd we woke and our 6 1/2 year old Precious, 4.8 lbs, had thrown up her dog food in our bed. (All sleep with us)..All cleaned up and then she seemed fine all day Sat and Sun. The morning of the 4th, I woke to diarrea on my pillow and she was still laying there. ...All cleaned up again and she acted ok but like she just had upset tummy or didn't feel really perky. That was about 8 am and approx 3 pm we left to go for a ride and have dinner. When we arrived home about 7 she was GONE! No explanation from our vet, said we could get an autopsy but often they did not show the real cause of death for sure. We didn't want that anyway as the pain was already unbearable for my husband and I. We had her cremated and she sits in my office in her little urn.
On the evening at 2 in the am of the 10th, our other yorkie, vomited. I was still up and saw this. Watched her til about 3 and she kinda spit up again. By 8 that morning my husband had her at the hospital. She was diagnosed with pancreatitis. She was touch and go and in ICU for two days.
Thank God Sassi is home and much better but our sweet baby girl Precious is gone forever, til we meet at the bridge!
This disease runs in yorkies. As a matter of fact they are the #2 most suceptible. (sp?)
PLEASE do not feed your babies table scraps or anything with fat! I beg you to pay attention if your yorkie starts vomiting and get her to a Dr IMMEDIATELY!
Don't want others to go thru what we have been through the last 13 days and certainly do not want any babies to suffer cause you may not know this!

I am feeling your same pain and dispair right now. We also lost our Yorkie Sammy last night. I have a post in this forum under hemorrhagic gastroenterits and then another one titled Update on Sammy. Vomitting was one of his symptoms also. But he seemed to have more going on as well. What I have learned is to take every little symptom seriously. We are a busy family and perhaps we had more of a wait-and-see attitude at first until we realized he was so lethargic.

Sweetie, I don't know what to say because I am grieving so much today myself. I'm here to talk, feel free to PM me or email me at eahough@comcast.net.

Please don't blame yourself though. You sound like a great Yorkie-mommy and these things can just come on so suddenly. Last week this time my Sammy was jumping and playing in our backyard and now he is gone. Doesn't make sense but at the same time I've heard so many stories about dogs passing away suddenly. It's just not fair.

Big hugs to you and your family. I hope Romeo and Sammy meet up on their way to Heaven. :hug:

Just a Reminder
 

There is a wonderful site called Rainbow Bridge. Please, if you have lost your baby, visit www.rainbowbridge.com:hug: :fallen:

I am sorry about your lost.

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. Don't feel guilty about not spending the $300, you thought he was better. He's in the hands of a greater power now.

I am so sorry that you lost your precious Romeo. My heart goes out to you and please accept my sincere sympathy. I wish I could do more. God bless you!

So sorry for your loss. Since vomiting is a symptom of so many things, only an autopsy would tell you what went wrong. It is so sad to hear things like this. Did he have any diarrhea or was vomiting his only symptom? Do you think it could have been a reaction to the injection given? Maybe the vet gave a broad spectrum antibiotic like ivermectin?

So sorry for the loss of your lil baby...we lost our cocker at christmas last year and it was so devistating..we felt especially guilty as we didnt close the door tightly and he pushed his way out the door and ran right into the road and was hit right away...omg it brings me to tears to think about it...alot here feel your pain and we are here for you anytime!!

Dawn

im so sorry for your loss. you say the little one had wide open eyes and was just stareing? and there body went stiff and then they chucked there head back? well my sasha had a heart attack and did the same thing, but she did cry out when she put her head right back, it sounds to me like a heart attack or a fit as the body goes stiff with some fits.and she was also sick.

Reaction to Shots?
 

Someone mentioned a reaction to shots. My husband actually is afraid that he may have gotten sick, but that the shots made him worse, because of his odd reaction after the second shot, when it seemed to be that he was getting better. He was taken to two different vets that day and was given two different shots by both of them, about 6 hours apart. Here is what kind of shots it says on my vet bill-

First shot- Injection- antiemetic
Second shot- IM inj. #1

We were told by both vets that this was just a shot to get him to stop vomiting and make him feel better, and the second shot the doctor said he was mixing with vitamin B12 or something like that, but not antibiotics. Can someone tell me if he could have had a bad reaction to one or both of these shots? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I'm sorry, I don't have any info on the shots, but I just want to express my heartfelt sympathy for your loss.

Antiemetic justs means an anti-vomiting medication. There are several that could have been administered. Here's a list that shows the mg dosage per kilogram (which is 2.2 pounds). You can't tell which drug and how much was given by your invoice. To further complicate the matter, these are the generic names. For instance Reglan (which is a common one you hear of) is Metoclopramide. See this site for overdose symptoms.

http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/112...clopramide.pdf

Don't know what the IM in the second injection abbreviation mean. I do think it is possible that an overdose or reaction caused a seizure. Did the 2nd vet know what the first vet had given?

TABLE 04: Antiemetic Drugs


Drug Dosage
Acepromazine 0.025-0.2 mg/kg, IV, IM, SC, maximum 3 mg; 1-3 mg/kg, PO
Chlorpromazine 0.5 mg/kg, IV, IM, SC, tid-qid
Prochlorperazine 0.1 mg/kg, IM, tid-qid; 1 mg/kg, PO, bid
Isopropamide 0.2-1.0 mg/kg, PO, bid
Propantheline 0.25 mg/kg, PO, tid
Dimenhydrinate 4-8 mg/kg, PO, tid
Diphenhydramine 2-4 mg/kg, PO, tid
Cyclizine 4 mg/kg, PO, tid
Meclizine 4 mg/kg, PO, sid
Butorphanol 0.2-0.4 mg/kg, IM, sid-bid
Metoclopramide 0.1-0.5 mg/kg, IM, SC, or PO, tid; 0.01-0.02 mg/kg/hr, IV infusion
Ondansetron 0.1-0.2 mg/kg, PO, sid-bid ; 0.22 mg/kg, IV, bid-tid
Dolasetron 0.6 mg/kg, IV, sid

© 2006; Merck & Co., Inc.Whitehouse Station, NJ USA. All Rights Reserved.
published in educational partnership with Merial Ltd. Disclaimer / Feedback

looking at that drug chart, I bet IM stands for intravenous method (giving into the bloodstream) the PO bid (twice a day) and tid (3 times a day) means by mouth, SC would probably be injection subscutaneously (under the skin) and IV would mean through an IV. So if you just look at the ones able to be given by IM that narrows down the drugs that were probably used. The first one could also be given SC or IM since all you know is it was an injection.

Shots
 

IM means intramuscular; the shot is given into the muscle of the hip, flank, neck, etc

IV mean intravenous; the needle is inserted into a vein and the medication is injected into the blood-this is the quickest reacting injection site.

Intradermal is a shot injected into the skin layers; this is the slowest method of injecting medications.

Sub-cutaneous is a shot injected below the skin, but not into the muscle.

IA is intra-artericular; directly into an artery.

PO-per oral
BID-2 X day
TID-3 X day
Qd-4 X day, etc
HD-last at night