Why is this dog always seem sick...I am tired of worrying! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

cinnamonmon · 07-29-2007, 02:32 PM

I have 3 little ones as Ive posted before...Cinammon is the only purebred yorkie, the other is a maltese and a mix. All little about the same size. I inherited Cinammon from my son and his gf who couldnt care for her. I love her so much but she is seemingly so frail. I have never had to take my other two to the emergency vet...luckily there is one 5 minutes from me. All they have had is regular vet visits, maybe a couple of minor illnesses, but the Yorkie seems to get diarrhea and vomiting every couple weeks from one thing or another...I never really know what it is from. The other dogs are never sick when she is and all eat the same food. She also dehydrates so easily and of course it always happens in the evening or weekends, thus the emergency vet. I have taken her in once with those darn inverse sneezes (scared me to death), once a bad allergic reaction and rash, and twice for vomiting and diarrhea. They never really know what is wrong with her, they usuallly do a blood test or xray and give some medicine to take home...and she is usually herself in a couple of days. I have spend alot of money which I cant afford. (regular vet visits yes, but not $150 for a gastrointestinal upset.

I dont know if I over react,though I never did it with the others, or if something else is wrong with her. I am going to make an appointment with the regular vet this week to discuss this. And, of course, the reason I am posting this is she seems sick again today...not eating, she is drinking, but doesnt seem to be herself, though she was able to take her regular walk and perked up when my son (her former owner who she adores) came over. I do not want to spend Sunday night at the vet but she just is not herself. I guess dogs can have stomach aches though and it is not always serious, right? She only had one episode of loose stool (not diarrhea) and two small vomits...but as I said she is not eating anything.
Anyone have any idea what it could be...Do you think I am over reacting? I can take it if you think so. Do any of you have babies that seem more delicate like this one?
Laura

Julz · 07-29-2007, 02:38 PM

Well, first I'd boil her some boneless, skinless chicken breast and some white rice. Mix this togehter. Feed her this for a few days (no seasonings). How long have you had her? The stress can bring this on. Are you feeding her what your son fed her? Did she have this problem when he had her? Maybe he shouldn't come over and visit until she gets adjusted. It may just keep the stress starting over fresh each time she sees him. When she does the inverted sneeze, gently blow on her face. Try to make her feel comfortable, calm and loved. It is a big adjustment. I wish the 2 of you the best. Please keep us updated.

Julz · 07-29-2007, 02:41 PM

....also, give her some Nutri-cal. Sounds like she definetly needs it.

cinnamonmon · 07-29-2007, 02:59 PM

I should have made myself more clear,but in trying to save space,I didnt give all the details.. Actually I have had her on and off for alot of her life...its complicated, but she is not new to our house. She had been here this time for about a year...part of this year she was going back and forth between my sons house and ours...but mostly ours. My son and his fiancee now have broken up so he cant take her by himself (she is way too needy) but he visits often as he still loves her dearly. He says when he takes her home to his house, the rare times he does, that she seems sad and seems to miss us, her routine,and the other dogs...so Im not sure if this has anything to do with it or not. He feeds her alot of junk when she is with him which I have asked him not to do since I am struggling with these stomach problems with her. Nurtracal is a good idea...hopefully I can get it at the grocery store...since it is sunday night here. Thanks for the help.
Laura

Anna Lou · 07-29-2007, 06:06 PM

try giving her a little cottage cheese or real plain yogurt everyday. Also you can keep her blood sugar with miniture marshmellows as sometimes treats.

JeanieK · 07-29-2007, 06:11 PM

I would definitely not give her junk food. Find a food that agrees with her and stick with it. How much does she weigh and how old is she?

it sounds like she just has a very sensitive stomach. So I would be very strict with her diet.

Yorkiedaze · 07-29-2007, 06:16 PM

I had a little foster that came to me very sick all the time too. It took me about 4 or 5 months to get her straightened out. Some of these Yorkies just can't tolerate medication and most foods because of an extremely sensitive digestive track. Just feed her white rice and cooked hamburger for now. If she does ok on that after 3 or 4 days, then you can try adding steamed broccli. If that works for a few days, then try her on a little oatmeal mixed in with her rice beef and brocoli. Then you can try her on about a tsp. of non-fat plain yogurt. If all this works, then don't try anything else. Just keep her on the same food. If nothing works, then have the Vet. give her a bile acid test because it could be liver shunt. I'd let your son know that he is doing her a great deal of harm by feeding her things that make her sick. I hope everything works out for the poor little girl.

lovmyyorkie · 07-29-2007, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorkiedaze

I had a little foster that came to me very sick all the time too. It took me about 4 or 5 months to get her straightened out. Some of these Yorkies just can't tolerate medication and most foods because of an extremely sensitive digestive track. Just feed her white rice and cooked hamburger for now. If she does ok on that after 3 or 4 days, then you can try adding steamed broccli. If that works for a few days, then try her on a little oatmeal mixed in with her rice beef and brocoli. Then you can try her on about a tsp. of non-fat plain yogurt. If all this works, then don't try anything else. Just keep her on the same food. If nothing works, then have the Vet. give her a bile acid test because it could be liver shunt. I'd let your son know that he is doing her a great deal of harm by feeding her things that make her sick. I hope everything works out for the poor little girl.

As scarry as it may sound she is very right, when I was reading your post I was thinking the same thing.

Best of Luck,

Chelle · 07-29-2007, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cinnamonmon

Nurtracal is a good idea...hopefully I can get it at the grocery store...since it is sunday night here. Thanks for the help.
Laura

Yorkie's in general tend to be very picky eaters and part of that can be because of sensitive stomachs. Nutri-Cal is VERY important! With the vitamins and calories it provides, it gives them what they need even when they don't eat as well as they should. I've never found it at a grocery store but pet stores might have it. If not, the vet definitely will. Also, Yorkies can suffer from Low Blood Sugar and this can totally mess with their systems and make them sick. It can also be dangerous and can cause seizures. Nutri-Cal is great for helping to prevent this.

Also, when she vomits, is it after she's eaten or is she not eating and then vomits? I had a dog a few years ago, Maggie, who if she didn't eat or if her stomach was empty for too long would vomit (it would look really gross... yellow and foamy, ie stomach acid). Usually getting her something like boiled chicken and rice did the trick to get her to eat and to calm her stomach down.

Hope this all helps!

Archie's Mom · 07-29-2007, 09:11 PM

I understand how you feel -- my little guy is a year and a half old and has had numerous ailments in that time, starting from the third day I had him. He just gets sick: Otherwise he is a happy, energetic, snuggly little boy. This last vet's visit, which was just last week, was for suspected allergies. During my visit, I asked my vet, who is great, if there was something I was doing wrong with Archie -- was I perhaps not taking good enough care of him. She has been his vet from the very beginning so she knows his history. She assured me that, no, I was not a bad doggy mom, but that almost every Yorkie she sees has a thick medical file. She just said that Yorkies seem to be a little more frail that other breeds. So, don't beat yourself up -- it's nothing you are doing -- just some Yorkies are more prone to health problems than other dogs. (I know many of the YTers have Yorkies that are healthy as little horses, so I don't mean to generalize).

Recently, a friend who owns two very healthy Golden Retrievers asked me why I had chosen a breed that had so many health problems (like hypoglycemia and gastric problems some Yorkie's have). I asked her, "Well, have you SEEN him?"

Lady of Yorkies · 07-29-2007, 10:36 PM

See if you can find a product called Dyne. It is good for low blood sugar and as a sole source food.

I have had 2 puppies that were so sick they wouldn't eat and this product pulled them thru and within a few days they were eating again. Sylvia

LilyOfTheValley · 07-29-2007, 11:11 PM

My Hailey had a lot of tummy trouble in the five short years we had her. She was five when we got her, a retired breeder that had the health bred out of her. She'd had a miserable life before we had her. Initially the vet thought she had pancreatitis, and these bouts of vomiting and refusing food always happened nights and weekends. Always.

Eventually we would up at the internal medicine specialist's office in Dallas. They recommended keeping her an Zantac, 0.5 mL twice a day, for life. And it worked, for a long while. So she was better, but not cured. When the vomiting and refusing to eat began again, our vet tested her and said she had liver shunt, the microvascular type, the one you can manage but not really cure. Next came the mild form of congestive heart failure, and the year after that she started having seizures. She was on a lot of meds and it was a lot of work and a fine balance, but we kept her well and happy for five years. I kept a medical diary of all her problems, kept a list of times and doses for all her meds, and kept a written log of when she got what, when she ate, when she peed and pooped, just so we wouldn't over dose her or forget to give her a med and some of them had to be coordinated with meals. It is amazing how often she was sick. We spent thousands, and we didn't really have it, so we went without a lot.

Maya Angelou says when someone shows you who they are, believe them. I initially liked our vet because of the depth and breadth of his medical knowledge, but in the beginning he did admit to us he would provide treatment a dog didn't need if it wouldn't cause injury to the dog if the owner wanted it because it was more money in his pocket. Occasionally, he'd make comments about how to make more money off people. Where was my head?

I wish hadn't spent so much with our nickel and diming vet and taken her to the internal medicine specialist a lot sooner in the game. She got better medical care there, and she might still be with us. She was funny and silly and smart and totally adored us and we adored her. I miss her so much I still cry, and it has been over seven months now. At least she got to know kindness and love before she went to the Bridge.

You've gotten good advice here. You have to get her on a regular routine. If she has pancreatitis, greasy or fatty foods can make her deathly ill, even one bite. You might want to put her on a kibble meant for dogs with pancreatitis. Don't let your son take her if he is going upset her dietary routine. He doesn't mean to, but he's hurting her when he does this.

All I can add is if you have the good fortune to be within a reasonable commute of an internal medicine specialist, whether at a University Veterinary Clinic or in private practice, bite the bullet and take her sooner rather than later. Have them run all the tests they can to find out once and for all what is causing these problems. If it's the microvascular type of liver shunt, she probably has a bacterial overgrowth in her tummy, and the right type of antibiotic can alleviate that. She will probably have to be on it for one week every month, just to keep the bacterial colony down.

Since our dogs are usually rescues, I've had a lot of experience with illness and learned more than I ever wanted to learn, but you do what you must do.

Good luck with your furbaby.

07-29-2007, 02:32 PM	#1
cinnamonmon Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: cincinnati Posts: 194	Why is this dog always seem sick...I am tired of worrying! I have 3 little ones as Ive posted before...Cinammon is the only purebred yorkie, the other is a maltese and a mix. All little about the same size. I inherited Cinammon from my son and his gf who couldnt care for her. I love her so much but she is seemingly so frail. I have never had to take my other two to the emergency vet...luckily there is one 5 minutes from me. All they have had is regular vet visits, maybe a couple of minor illnesses, but the Yorkie seems to get diarrhea and vomiting every couple weeks from one thing or another...I never really know what it is from. The other dogs are never sick when she is and all eat the same food. She also dehydrates so easily and of course it always happens in the evening or weekends, thus the emergency vet. I have taken her in once with those darn inverse sneezes (scared me to death), once a bad allergic reaction and rash, and twice for vomiting and diarrhea. They never really know what is wrong with her, they usuallly do a blood test or xray and give some medicine to take home...and she is usually herself in a couple of days. I have spend alot of money which I cant afford. (regular vet visits yes, but not $150 for a gastrointestinal upset. I dont know if I over react,though I never did it with the others, or if something else is wrong with her. I am going to make an appointment with the regular vet this week to discuss this. And, of course, the reason I am posting this is she seems sick again today...not eating, she is drinking, but doesnt seem to be herself, though she was able to take her regular walk and perked up when my son (her former owner who she adores) came over. I do not want to spend Sunday night at the vet but she just is not herself. I guess dogs can have stomach aches though and it is not always serious, right? She only had one episode of loose stool (not diarrhea) and two small vomits...but as I said she is not eating anything. Anyone have any idea what it could be...Do you think I am over reacting? I can take it if you think so. Do any of you have babies that seem more delicate like this one? Laura

07-29-2007, 02:59 PM	#4
cinnamonmon Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: cincinnati Posts: 194	thanks for the suggestions I should have made myself more clear,but in trying to save space,I didnt give all the details.. Actually I have had her on and off for alot of her life...its complicated, but she is not new to our house. She had been here this time for about a year...part of this year she was going back and forth between my sons house and ours...but mostly ours. My son and his fiancee now have broken up so he cant take her by himself (she is way too needy) but he visits often as he still loves her dearly. He says when he takes her home to his house, the rare times he does, that she seems sad and seems to miss us, her routine,and the other dogs...so Im not sure if this has anything to do with it or not. He feeds her alot of junk when she is with him which I have asked him not to do since I am struggling with these stomach problems with her. Nurtracal is a good idea...hopefully I can get it at the grocery store...since it is sunday night here. Thanks for the help. Laura

07-29-2007, 09:11 PM	#10
Archie's Mom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 580	I understand how you feel -- my little guy is a year and a half old and has had numerous ailments in that time, starting from the third day I had him. He just gets sick: Otherwise he is a happy, energetic, snuggly little boy. This last vet's visit, which was just last week, was for suspected allergies. During my visit, I asked my vet, who is great, if there was something I was doing wrong with Archie -- was I perhaps not taking good enough care of him. She has been his vet from the very beginning so she knows his history. She assured me that, no, I was not a bad doggy mom, but that almost every Yorkie she sees has a thick medical file. She just said that Yorkies seem to be a little more frail that other breeds. So, don't beat yourself up -- it's nothing you are doing -- just some Yorkies are more prone to health problems than other dogs. (I know many of the YTers have Yorkies that are healthy as little horses, so I don't mean to generalize). Recently, a friend who owns two very healthy Golden Retrievers asked me why I had chosen a breed that had so many health problems (like hypoglycemia and gastric problems some Yorkie's have). I asked her, "Well, have you SEEN him?" __________________ Archie's Mom

07-29-2007, 02:38 PM	#2
Julz Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 4,347	Well, first I'd boil her some boneless, skinless chicken breast and some white rice. Mix this togehter. Feed her this for a few days (no seasonings). How long have you had her? The stress can bring this on. Are you feeding her what your son fed her? Did she have this problem when he had her? Maybe he shouldn't come over and visit until she gets adjusted. It may just keep the stress starting over fresh each time she sees him. When she does the inverted sneeze, gently blow on her face. Try to make her feel comfortable, calm and loved. It is a big adjustment. I wish the 2 of you the best. Please keep us updated.

07-29-2007, 02:41 PM	#3
Julz Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 4,347	....also, give her some Nutri-cal. Sounds like she definetly needs it.

07-29-2007, 06:06 PM	#5
Anna Lou YT Addict Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Kentucky Posts: 435	try giving her a little cottage cheese or real plain yogurt everyday. Also you can keep her blood sugar with miniture marshmellows as sometimes treats.

07-29-2007, 06:11 PM	#6
JeanieK Donating YT 12K Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa Posts: 12,552	I would definitely not give her junk food. Find a food that agrees with her and stick with it. How much does she weigh and how old is she? it sounds like she just has a very sensitive stomach. So I would be very strict with her diet.

07-29-2007, 06:16 PM	#7
Yorkiedaze My hairy-legged girls Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: lompoc, ca. Posts: 12,228	I had a little foster that came to me very sick all the time too. It took me about 4 or 5 months to get her straightened out. Some of these Yorkies just can't tolerate medication and most foods because of an extremely sensitive digestive track. Just feed her white rice and cooked hamburger for now. If she does ok on that after 3 or 4 days, then you can try adding steamed broccli. If that works for a few days, then try her on a little oatmeal mixed in with her rice beef and brocoli. Then you can try her on about a tsp. of non-fat plain yogurt. If all this works, then don't try anything else. Just keep her on the same food. If nothing works, then have the Vet. give her a bile acid test because it could be liver shunt. I'd let your son know that he is doing her a great deal of harm by feeding her things that make her sick. I hope everything works out for the poor little girl.

07-29-2007, 10:36 PM	#11
Lady of Yorkies YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,562	See if you can find a product called Dyne. It is good for low blood sugar and as a sole source food. I have had 2 puppies that were so sick they wouldn't eat and this product pulled them thru and within a few days they were eating again. Sylvia

07-29-2007, 11:11 PM	#12
LilyOfTheValley Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 124	My Hailey had a lot of tummy trouble in the five short years we had her. She was five when we got her, a retired breeder that had the health bred out of her. She'd had a miserable life before we had her. Initially the vet thought she had pancreatitis, and these bouts of vomiting and refusing food always happened nights and weekends. Always. Eventually we would up at the internal medicine specialist's office in Dallas. They recommended keeping her an Zantac, 0.5 mL twice a day, for life. And it worked, for a long while. So she was better, but not cured. When the vomiting and refusing to eat began again, our vet tested her and said she had liver shunt, the microvascular type, the one you can manage but not really cure. Next came the mild form of congestive heart failure, and the year after that she started having seizures. She was on a lot of meds and it was a lot of work and a fine balance, but we kept her well and happy for five years. I kept a medical diary of all her problems, kept a list of times and doses for all her meds, and kept a written log of when she got what, when she ate, when she peed and pooped, just so we wouldn't over dose her or forget to give her a med and some of them had to be coordinated with meals. It is amazing how often she was sick. We spent thousands, and we didn't really have it, so we went without a lot. Maya Angelou says when someone shows you who they are, believe them. I initially liked our vet because of the depth and breadth of his medical knowledge, but in the beginning he did admit to us he would provide treatment a dog didn't need if it wouldn't cause injury to the dog if the owner wanted it because it was more money in his pocket. Occasionally, he'd make comments about how to make more money off people. Where was my head? I wish hadn't spent so much with our nickel and diming vet and taken her to the internal medicine specialist a lot sooner in the game. She got better medical care there, and she might still be with us. She was funny and silly and smart and totally adored us and we adored her. I miss her so much I still cry, and it has been over seven months now. At least she got to know kindness and love before she went to the Bridge. You've gotten good advice here. You have to get her on a regular routine. If she has pancreatitis, greasy or fatty foods can make her deathly ill, even one bite. You might want to put her on a kibble meant for dogs with pancreatitis. Don't let your son take her if he is going upset her dietary routine. He doesn't mean to, but he's hurting her when he does this. All I can add is if you have the good fortune to be within a reasonable commute of an internal medicine specialist, whether at a University Veterinary Clinic or in private practice, bite the bullet and take her sooner rather than later. Have them run all the tests they can to find out once and for all what is causing these problems. If it's the microvascular type of liver shunt, she probably has a bacterial overgrowth in her tummy, and the right type of antibiotic can alleviate that. She will probably have to be on it for one week every month, just to keep the bacterial colony down. Since our dogs are usually rescues, I've had a lot of experience with illness and learned more than I ever wanted to learn, but you do what you must do. Good luck with your furbaby.