Question:
Poor lad started acting a bit listless last Saturday afternoon, and was off his food, which is *way* out of character for him. Vet was already shut for the weekend, and it wasn’t severe enough to call the emergency number – he wasn’t in pain, or showing acute symptoms, so we left it until this morning. By this morning, though, he was very lethargic compared to normal, and his stomach was a bit distended, though he’s been eliminating normally. Vet couldn’t find any trace of a blockage (my main worry, since he’s a terror for snaffling any food he finds while out walking – he’ll even try to eat food wrappers – you’d think we starved him or something, which is anything but the case), but said he’s suffering from a bowel inflammation. Has given us some liquid stuff to help his symptoms, and some antibiotics to kill the infection. Any tips on how to look after a dog with a sore stomach, and what to watch out for in case he takes a turn for the worse? Will keep you posted on his recovery. Cheers, — Steve Walker http://www.skwalker.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Response:
Any tips on how to look after a dog with a sore stomach, and what to
watch out for in case he takes a turn for the worse? Will keep you posted on his recovery. Good Morning Steve and Samson~ Make up some chicken rice soup (warmed) and put some crackers in it. Just like with people Chicken Soup is good for the Soul,huh? Feed him small amounts three times a day, with room temperature water. Nothing should be too cold or too hot. Let him be in a quiet spot in the house,and leave him be. Keep him comfy and warm and out of drafts. By tomorrow he should have come around a bit. If not, check his gums to see if they are "whitish" NOT a good sign. See if his eyes appear "sunken" again NOT good, and his general attitude. Is he HOT? Does his tummy hurt? If he is still listless, and NOT eating by tomorrow afternoon, bring him back to the vets and have them do an xray,okay? All good thoughts. Paulette~ A dogs life is too short… Their only fault,really… http://community.webtv.net/BRDOGS/BrownDogsChristmas
Response:
Hi Steve. Not to be an alarmist but here’s one other thing to keep an eye out for that many vets miss. When Gremlin was about 8 months old she started regurgitating everything that she ate. Her bowel movements also suddenly stopped. I took her to the vet for x-rays to check for a blockage. The x-rays were negative. Woman’s intuition still told me that it was a blockage. The vet assured me that it wasn’t because the x-rays were negative. He ordered hundred’s of dollars worth of tests. All test’s were negative. He reordered the tests at his own expense. Still negative. Took other x-ray still negative. Meanwhile Gremlin stopped eating. He had to start feeding her intravenously. Slowly little by little, day by day she was withering away to nothing. The vet called in a specialist who said that nothing was wrong – that the symptoms were psychosomatic. The vet called in a behaviorist who suggested that maybe I was abusing my dog. The vet assured him that this was not the case given that I rescue abused dogs and that I had spent months working with Gremlin to recover from the abuse she was rescued from. He also told the behaviorist that a dog that was being abused would not wag her tail so profusely every time someone came to see her. More tests were ordered. Still nothing. Meanwhile six weeks had passed in which she was in the hospital being kept alive with intravenous fluids. I would visit her every night and out would come this little thing all skin and bones, dragging an I.V. behind her and wagging her tail. And every night I would cry hysterically and pray that whatever was wrong would be found out. The vet at this point had given up hope and said she had maybe a week left and maybe it would be more humane to euthanize her. Since this was in 1990, the internet was just beginning and I was a member of Prodigy. I posted notes about Gremlin’s condition, begging for help, in the dog’s section. And this was what saved Gremlin’s life. I woke up on the morning after I posted the inquiries and the vet called and suggested euthanasia. I told the vet to wait and let me check Prodigy for replies. I logged on and there were a whole bunch of replies from people who had lost their puppies who had the exact same symptoms. It was only after autopsies that it was found that the puppies did in fact have a blockage, but that the blockage wasn’t visible on the x-rays. They said that if their vet had performed a colonoscopy that their puppies lives would have been saved. I called the vet and informed him of my responses. He said I’ll do a colonoscopy right now and hung up the phone. Before hanging up he had also warned me that Gremlin might not survive the procedure given how weak she was. About a half hour later the vet called and said two words "underwear and socks." As it turned out Gremlin had developed an hysterical pregnancy and started eating underwear and socks. He said he found some socks and articles of underwear that were swallowed whole. And that’s the end of the story. In a couple of days, after seven weeks in the hospital and hundreds of tests I was able to bring Gremlin home from the hospital. So I recommend a colonoscopy if your vet doesn’t find a cause of Samson’s symptoms soon. Even though his bowel movements are normal he could still have a blockage. Good luck and keep us posted. — Adrienne Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog" http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max, Hubble and Puppy)
Response:
Good luck and keep us posted. — AHhhhhhhh the wonders of the internet : ) Great advice Adrienne! Also when Brier my GSP had a blockage I kept feeding him scrambled eggs and cottage cheese,ad he had a chicken bone caught in his intestines,and this also did the trick instead of surgery. How come you don’t still have Prodigy??? A dogs life is too short… Their only fault,really… http://community.webtv.net/BRDOGS/BrownDogsChristmas
Response:
Also when Brier my GSP had a blockage I kept feeding him scrambled eggs and cottage cheese,ad he had a chicken bone caught in his intestines,and this also did the trick instead of surgery.
Maybe since Samson is still able to eliminate the cottage cheese, scrambled eggs thing will help. How come you don’t still have Prodigy???
Because they, at least when I was last a member, had the "prodigy police" who would monitor everything written on the bullentin boards. They would automatically delete any posts with the words Prodigy in them that said anything unfavorable. They would also monitor compliance with topics, uses of profanity, etc. While this kept the troll statistics down, it was also a violation of freedom of speech. So even if they changed their policies, I’m too angry for now to join *P* again (the *P* incidently is what we often used to discuss Prodigy without our posts getting deleted : ) Adrienne Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog" http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max, Hubble and Puppy)
Response:
Hi Steve. Not to be an alarmist but here’s one other thing to keep an eye out for that many vets miss.
<snip Thanks for the pointer, Adrienne. We haven’t missed any socks or other similar items, but I will mention this to the vet – am typing this while trying to get through on the emergency number (10:30pm). When I got home tonight, Samson was *much* better – a lot more lively, looked generally much more perky. The vet had given him an injection of Dexadreson (a steroid, I think), and one of Synulox, an antibiotic, as well as Synulox tablets and Kaogel V suspension to be given by syringe (I guess this must be a kaolin-based anti-diarrhoea treatment, although he doesn’t have diarrhoea – his problem was coming out the other end). But he went lethargic again tonight, just lay down next to me, and then suddenly got up and vomited. I got him outside, and he seemed OK, so I cleaned up inside. When I went back out a few minutes later, he was waiting for me, then suddenly started this horrible, gurgling retching that went on in 2 spells of about 30 seconds each. During each spell, his stomach and throat were making constant sounds like a washing machine, coming so close together that the poor lad couldn’t even get a breath. Very little came up, though it sounded like there was plenty in there. 
After that, he seemed to settle, and is lying on his cushion now – I lay with him for about quarter of an hour until he went to sleep. But I’m pretty worried about him. Wish the damn vet would hurry up and get off the mobile. He’s due another antibiotic pill now – he’s not interested in eating anything, so we’re going to have to crush the tablet and syringe it in with some water. Right, that’s done – he is *so* good. Kath held him on her knee while I gave him the antibiotic – had to fill the syringe twice, to get all the powder out of the syringe and into him. When I put the syringe against the corner of his mouth, he opened wide and let me squirt the whole lot in both times, with no attempt to spit any out. Those who believe in prayer – please pray! Will keep you all advised. 10.50pm – just got through to the vet. He’s going to be at the surgery for appr. 11.30pm to see Samson, so I’ll be off there soon. At the moment, he’s just laid on his cushion looking deathly, though he will stick his tongue out to lick my hand when I stroke him. — Steve Walker http://www.skwalker.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Response:
10.50pm – just got through to the vet. He’s going to be at the surgery for appr. 11.30pm to see Samson, so I’ll be off there soon. At the moment, he’s just laid on his cushion looking deathly, though he will stick his tongue out to lick my hand when I stroke him.
Oh, Steve, that’s so scary. I really hope it just some minor bug. –Terri & Harlan — SURGEON GENRERAL’S WARNING: PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ULTRA SONIC BLACK BOXES MAY CAUSE BRAIN DAMAGE IN HUMANS.
Response:
Steve…..I hope Samson is okay. We had a scare with our Kizzy last Friday. I got up about four am for a quick trip to the bathroom and I noticed Kizzy wasn’t lying on the bed like she usually did, but found her in the kitchen getting a drink and trying to look very casual…..if a dog could whistle and put her hands in her pockets, she would have been doing it. If I’d been more awake I would have seen the problem right off, but didn’t and went back to bed. 6am, I woke up to her huddled up against my back, shivering and grunting in pain. When I turned on the lights and looked at her, I was just in shock…..she was so distended and swollen, she looked like a sausage with legs. My first thought was a blockage, so I called my vet, woke him up and insisted he meet me at the clinic immediately. I even thought I knew what she had eaten…..Sable, the GSD had chewed pieces off his hard plastic frisbee, and I’d taken it away from him, and I was positive I’d missed a piece, and it had ended up in Miss Greedygut’s mouth. So I rushed her down the freeway at 70mph, (if I were stopped I’d use my husband’s name and plead a medical emergency) and pulled into the vets’ office, just in time to meet him pulling in as well. "HE" took one look at her and took her right in to be x-rayed……it turned out that she wasn’t blocked (thank doG….I don’t need the bills at this discovered the source of the problem. Somehow she had pushed the babygate in the laundry room, until she could squeeze alongside it, and had chewed a hole in the bottom of the catfood sack….AND HAD EATEN NEARLY THE ENTIRE 12 lb BAG!!!!!!! After an enema (vet provided…..nope not me)….everything worked out "in the end" and she’s feeling much better now. Boy did she have gas tho!! Next time I catch her looking guilty and trying to look natural, I’m going to check to see what she’s gotten into….the little pig!! Hope Samson recovers right away. Lois E.
Response:
Steve, I’d insist he do an X-ray. Fish bones also don’t show up on an X-ray. Has he been eliminating normally? When did he last poop? And what did it look like? What does the vomit look like? As for not missing anything, well, until you have a puppy, you have no idea what your missing! And if you walk him in the dark you have no idea what he ate. One of mine is an expert at looking like she’s sniffing something only to come up chomping on some garbage. We’ll be thinking about you – please post back buglady take out the dog before replying Thanks for the pointer, Adrienne. We haven’t missed any socks or other similar items, but I will mention this to the vet –
<snip
Response:
Those who believe in prayer – please pray! Will keep you all advised.
You got it. We’re here with you and Steve. And, of course, little Samson. — Adrienne Gremlin, Bruno, Lewis, Yoko, Freneau John Muir, "Stickeen: The Story of a Dog" http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_sto… (In memory of Pepe, Pepper, Cinder, Rascal, Tucker, Max, Hubble and Puppy)
Response:
Hi Steve. Not to be an alarmist but here’s one other thing to keep an eye out for that many vets miss.
<Snip I know a Lab that went through something similar. Nothing would stay down and he wasn’t eating or drinking much. The x-rays didn’t show anything blocking his intestines, but they traced some sort of radioactive liquid though his system (can’t remember exactly what, but the same sort of stuff they use with people). The liquid went only partway through his system, but they still couldn’t see anything. Based on his history (two other blockages) they went ahead and opened him up and found out that his intestines had knotted up and a two foot section had basically rotted away. He’s ok now, but it was a close call. Ludwig Smith Dog FAQS http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/ rec.pets.dogs.info
Response:
Glad to hear it Steve! You just never know about these things. Sounds like buglady take out the dog before replying – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK, latest news. So, we’re feeling much happier now, and Samson is going to sleep again – but looking much happier than before.
Response:
OK, latest news. Just back from the vets – once I got him in the car, Samson perked up considerably (maybe because the car has really positive associations for him normally?), and was even climbing about. By the time I got into the waiting room, he was walking around sniffing everywhere at all the interesting smells – still subdued by his standards, but I guess he must have looked pretty normal to the vet. Who was very nice about it nonetheless. But my kids have done this to me, and now Samson has too – look like they’re at death’s door, then as soon as the doctor arrives, miraculous recovery. This dog was flopping all over, punctuated only by ‘John Hurt in "Alien"’ impressions at home, then this. 
The vet gave him a thorough check-over, and said he thinks Samson has been suffering from a case of bloat, which he said can be fatal for large dogs but one of Samson’s size should recover just fine. He’s given him an anti-emetic injection to help him sleep through the night, and said not to let him eat anything until tomorrow night, even if he seems well in the morning (so far today, you couldn’t get him interested in food). Samson was an angel, shivering just a little on the examining table, but not protesting at all for the examination – even the injection and the rectal thermometer (which, when inserted, caused a *huge* fart, which probably made Samson feel a lot more comfortable, and the humans a lot less!). So, we’re feeling much happier now, and Samson is going to sleep again – but looking much happier than before. He’s not curled up so foetal as before, and one ear is sticking up like normal, instead of both being floppy, along with the rest of him. We’ve to call the vet again tomorrow if Samson seems off-colour, but the vet thought it likely that he’d be fine, and he even said he was glad I called him out (I was feeling a bit ill at ease over the bloke driving in from the countryside through a heavy frost), as some of Samson’s symptoms could have been signs of something much more serious, and only the examination showed there was no need to worry. Nice bloke – but another 40 quid (appr. US$70) for the call-out. Glad we took out the pet insurance – we have to pay the first 35 pounds, but anything on top of that (per illness) is covered. Just wish we had no need to make a claim. Anyway, wanted to let you all know the good news before I go to bed! Cheers, — Steve Walker http://www.skwalker.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Response:
Anyway, wanted to let you all know the good news before I go to bed!
Thank you Steve. I was kind of worried about the little guy; he deserves only the best. –Terri & Harlan — SURGEON GENRERAL’S WARNING: PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ULTRA SONIC BLACK BOXES MAY CAUSE BRAIN DAMAGE IN HUMANS.
Response:
<snip Make up some chicken rice soup (warmed) and put some crackers in it. Just like with people Chicken Soup is good for the Soul,huh? Feed him small amounts three times a day, with room temperature water.
Hi Paulette! Vet said not to feed him anything until tonight, but this sounds like a good thing to start him on when he can eat again – would help make sure he gets fluid as well, as he hasn’t been that interested in even drinking – though he will take a little when we give him his bowl, just to humour us. Nothing should be too cold or too hot. Let him be in a quiet spot in the house,and leave him be. Keep him comfy and warm and out of drafts.
All done. Though this morning he got out of bed to come over for a group hug from all the family. *Very* sweet and pitiful-looking. By tomorrow he should have come around a bit.
This morning, he’s still very quiet, by his standards, but perked up considerably as I was getting ready to go to work. He thought I was going out for a walk, and he definitely wanted to come with me, which is a good sign. Until I carried him out to the vet last night, he wasn’t showing any interest in getting up for anything. If not, check his gums to see if they are "whitish" NOT a good sign. See if his eyes appear "sunken" again NOT good, and his general attitude.
No, neither of these are showing. Is he HOT?
No, according to the vet his temperature is just as it should be. Does his tummy hurt?
No. Even when it was distended (seems much more normal now), he wasn’t protesting or showing any sign of pain when we or the vet were palpating it. If he is still listless, and NOT eating by tomorrow afternoon, bring him back to the vets and have them do an xray,okay?
OK. Maybe a day off eating will bring back his appetite tonight – he *was* showing an interest in our breakfast this morning, which again is a definite improvement on yesterday. All good thoughts.
We and Samson thank everyone for their good wishes/prayers! Cheers, — Steve Walker http://www.skwalker.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Response:
Steve, I’d insist he do an X-ray. Fish bones also don’t show up on an X-ray. Has he been eliminating normally? When did he last poop? And what did it look like? What does the vomit look like?
Samson seems comfortable, though a little weary, this morning. Some interest in what we were eating, which is a good sign, even though we’re not to give him anything until tonight. But if he doesn’t continue to improve, I’ll definitely insist on that x-ray. He’s been eliminating fine, with no diarrhoea or anything – stools look normal in colour and consistency (having a dog certainly ‘lowers the tone’ of one’s conversations, doesn’t it?!). The vomit was initially look like a mix of diced veg and kibble, then changed to being more or less just water, as I guess he had nothing else to bring up. As for not missing anything, well, until you have a puppy, you have no idea what your missing!
This is true! Though he doesn’t have access to areas where he might find socks and stuff to eat, and we’ve changed all our Christmas decorations to make sure there’s nothing in reach that might harm him. And if you walk him in the dark you have no idea what he ate. One of mine is an expert at looking like she’s sniffing something only to come up chomping on some garbage.
Samson is a real vacuum cleaner (I’m sure passers-by must think we starve him or something!), so we’re really watchful when we walk him, so we can pull him up if he tries to eat something. After having to remove soggy chocolate bars and pork ribs from his mouth, we soon figured out it was easier to take preventative action, rather than curative! But as you say, it’s impossible to be 100% sure. If he doesn’t keep improving, I’ll press for the x-rays to be on the safe side. We’ll be thinking about you – please post back
Thanks! I’ll keep you updated. He seems better, albeit a bit weak, this morning. (See other posts as well) God bless, — Steve Walker http://www.skwalker.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Response:
Oh Lois, I’m so glad the Kiz is okay, but I gotta tell ya, I’m laughing away…..now that I know she is okay. That is too funny, I KNOW that look, Ceilidh does it all the time. Of course you know all my stories about her, so I’m wise to it right away. I think sometimes she does it just to get me going, as I find nothing wrong, once in awhile. <EG It’s funny, tho, that even tho she is a goat, I keep their kibble in a fancy type trash can, but Rudy’s is out in the bag in the kitchen, and NONE of my dogs have ever gone after the bag……too weird. Of course now that I’ve said this……<G Thank goodness she was just a pig, now she can join THINAP, I’m sure !!! <G MaryBeth
Response:
Steve…..I hope Samson is okay. We had a scare with our Kizzy last Friday.
<snip Hi Lois – glad to hear Kizzy’s alright, and that you avoided that big vets bill! I don’t need the bills at this discovered the source of the problem. Somehow she had pushed the babygate in the laundry room, until she could squeeze alongside it, and had chewed a hole in the bottom of the catfood sack….AND HAD EATEN NEARLY THE ENTIRE 12 lb BAG!!!!!!! After an enema (vet provided…..nope not me)….everything worked out "in the end" and she’s feeling much better now. Boy did she have gas tho!! Next time I catch her looking guilty and trying to look natural, I’m going to check to see what she’s gotten into….the little pig!!
Like Marybeth, I’m laughing about this now that it’s all over and your dog’s fine. When Samson first went off his food, it did occur to me that he might just be full, but all his food is in a pantry that he can’t access, no other food was missing, and the bits of kibble we use for click-training are taken from his meal quantities, so he doesn’t overeat. As far as we can ascertain, he hasn’t had access to anything he shouldn’t have – we had to completely re-think our decorations this year to make sure they were dog-friendly, but he’s shown no interest in the tree anyway (and doesn’t get left alone in that room, just in case). So I think that if it’s been caused by something he’s eaten, it can only be something he’s snaffled in the street while walking. But Kath & I can’t think of anything troublesome he’s grabbed in the last 10 days or so – nothing more than the odd chip (French fry). Marybeth sent me an email with details about her dog’s pancreatitis (thanks MB!), and some of the symptoms are similar, though Samson hasn’t shown any signs of being in pain – so if this drags on more than another day or two, I’m going to ask the vet to test for that. Hope Samson recovers right away.
Thanks! — Steve Walker http://www.skwalker.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Response:
Hi Steve, glad to hear Samson’s doing better. Best of luck and keep us posted. Christine
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK, latest news. Just back from the vets – once I got him in the car, Samson perked up considerably (maybe because the car has really positive associations for him normally?), and was even climbing about. By the time I got into the waiting room, he was walking around sniffing everywhere at all the interesting smells – still subdued by his standards, but I guess he must have looked pretty normal to the vet. Who was very nice about it nonetheless. But my kids have done this to me, and now Samson has too – look like they’re at death’s door, then as soon as the doctor arrives, miraculous recovery. This dog was flopping all over, punctuated only by ‘John Hurt in "Alien"’ impressions at home, then this. The vet gave him a thorough check-over, and said he thinks Samson has been suffering from a case of bloat, which he said can be fatal for large dogs but one of Samson’s size should recover just fine. He’s given him an anti-emetic injection to help him sleep through the night, and said not to let him eat anything until tomorrow night, even if he seems well in the morning (so far today, you couldn’t get him interested in food). Samson was an angel, shivering just a little on the examining table, but not protesting at all for the examination – even the injection and the rectal thermometer (which, when inserted, caused a *huge* fart, which probably made Samson feel a lot more comfortable, and the humans a lot less!). So, we’re feeling much happier now, and Samson is going to sleep again – but looking much happier than before. He’s not curled up so foetal as before, and one ear is sticking up like normal, instead of both being floppy, along with the rest of him. We’ve to call the vet again tomorrow if Samson seems off-colour, but the vet thought it likely that he’d be fine, and he even said he was glad I called him out (I was feeling a bit ill at ease over the bloke driving in from the countryside through a heavy frost), as some of Samson’s symptoms could have been signs of something much more serious, and only the examination showed there was no need to worry. Nice bloke – but another 40 quid (appr. US$70) for the call-out. Glad we took out the pet insurance – we have to pay the first 35 pounds, but anything on top of that (per illness) is covered. Just wish we had no need to make a claim. Anyway, wanted to let you all know the good news before I go to bed! Cheers, — Steve Walker http://www.skwalker.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Response:
The vet gave him a thorough check-over, and said he thinks Samson has been suffering from a case of bloat, which he said can be fatal for large dogs but one of Samson’s size should recover just fine.
Bloat is very common in my breed (Great Dane) and what is recommended for dogs who are prone to bloat is elevating the food dish, no excercise before or after eating, access to water while eating, moistening dry food, and two or more meals per day as opposed to one. Just some helpful hints for ya Dogstar716 Come see Gunnars Life: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/Gunnar " I AM a lunatic, and I AM obsessed with this business" – Jerry Howe
Response:
OK, latest news. Just back from the vets – once I got him in the car, Samson perked up considerably (maybe because the car has really positive associations for him normally?), and was even climbing about. By the time I got into the waiting room, he was walking around sniffing everywhere at all the interesting smells – still subdued by his standards, but I guess he must have looked pretty normal to the vet. Who was very nice about it nonetheless. <snip
Glad to hear everything is ok … don’t feel bad about an unnecessary trip to the vet: it’s a new parent thing! I took my new dog to the vet’s over a torn toenail… Emily * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Response:
I keep their kibble in a fancy type trash can,
I had a piggy golden years ago who jumped into the 55 gallon can I kept the dog food in and got stuck there, face down, back legs hanging over the edge… he was happy as a clam until he ate enough food that he lowered the level so he couldn’t reach it anymore. THEN he raised a ruckus for me to come get him :- This is the same dog who dug out of the yard and was rescued by a kind lady from inside the grocery store . He was running up and down the isles with a large roast in his mouth. I offered her a reward, which she refused, although she did have to pay for the roast. And then there’s Shammie, aka as The "Chow"mie, who is such a snarfer that I feed her "air cookies". I snatch an imaginary treat from thin air and offer it to her, and in her haste to gobble, half the time I’m pretty sure that she really thinks she’s gotten something! Susan Fraser, Sheeb ‘n Sham
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK, latest news. Just back from the vets – once I got him in the car, Samson perked up considerably (maybe because the car has really positive associations for him normally?), and was even climbing about. By the time I got into the waiting room, he was walking around sniffing everywhere at all the interesting smells – still subdued by his standards, but I guess he must have looked pretty normal to the vet. Who was very nice about it nonetheless. <snip Glad to hear everything is ok … don’t feel bad about an unnecessary trip to the vet: it’s a new parent thing! I took my new dog to the vet’s over a torn toenail…
Yup – if only I had a pound for every time my kids did that to me (and not just when I was a new parent!), I’d have a lot of pounds! ’Broken’ fingers in the casualty department, causing agonised screams if you even think about touching them, that miraculously disappear as soon as the doctor shows up to examine them; ‘meningitis’ causing pain, total apathy and aversion to light – until the doctor on call-out gets there (don’t know what it’s like in the US, but here they give you a *really* hard time before they’ll send out a doctor, so false alarms do *not* make you popular!), when they suddenly sit up and make another miraculous recovery….. Kids and dogs – who’d have them!? Us, I guess! — Steve Walker http://www.skwalker.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Response:
The vet gave him a thorough check-over, and said he thinks Samson has been suffering from a case of bloat, which he said can be fatal for large dogs but one of Samson’s size should recover just fine. Bloat is very common in my breed (Great Dane) and what is recommended for dogs who are prone to bloat is elevating the food dish, no excercise before or after eating, access to water while eating, moistening dry food, and two or more meals per day as opposed to one. Just some helpful hints for ya
Thanks! Samson is *much* better. He hasn’t eaten yet – when I called in to settle the bill, the vet said to leave it until this morning before feeding him – but he’s definitely wanting to, and we had a houseful of visitors last night and we wanted to keep him quiet in his bed in the kitchen, but he was having none of it, and ended up having a whale of a time getting petted and pampered by everyone. At one point, he came up to sit on my knee, and I was surrounded by attractive young ladies – but may as well have been furniture for the amount of attention they were paying to me. I can remember the days when I didn’t need a dog on my knee to be the centre of attention for young women…… well, actually, no I can’t! My wife has no need to worry! Cheers, — Steve Walker http://www.skwalker.demon.co.uk/index.htm
Response:
<snip And then there’s Shammie, aka as The "Chow"mie, who is such a snarfer that I feed her "air cookies". I snatch an imaginary treat from thin air and offer it to her, and in her haste to gobble, half the time I’m pretty sure that she really thinks she’s gotten something! Susan Fraser, Sheeb ‘n Sham
What a great idea! gotta try this one with my food fiend… Emily * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Response:
Categories: Bowel Inflammation | 
No Comments »
Dave Ok I am dumb, what is an osteopath and what is a git? Mike my email address to reply]" I had an osteopath manipulate my git. It hurt, but the next day I was in remission. I am assuming it was a coincidence. Thanks, Mike — To reply via email remove the (SPAM_BLOCKER) from my email address: Anybody have any luck with Chiropractors giving you relief, or…ANYTHING? I went to a free screening once and they said something like if I came in everyday forever AND bought their vitamins I’d be swell. Dave — Dave’s Crohn’s Disease Page CD Class of ‘94 http://crohnie.healingwell.com All opinions expressed are mine unless otherwise noted. Copyright 
f fruit? : :Thanks for any comment. :