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Sick after neuter.

Species: Dog
Breed: Lab
Age: 6-12 months
On March 26, 2012 I took my two dogs and my friend’s dog to get spayed and neutered at a local spayed/neutered clinic. A week later all three caught kennel cough. I was told if they were eating, drinking and acting normal they should be okay. They were acting normal except for the cough. Now my lab has been vomiting since yesterday 04/16/2012 and last night he had bright red bloody diarrhea. He was not able to hold down water yesterday, but today 24 hours later he has been able to keep liquids down. The reason I am asking you and not going to the vet is because I called the clinic, they said him vomiting and diarrhea had nothing to do with the neutering or kennel cough and to get him to a vet. I got info of a low cost clinic from them and called. They will not see him without $500 up front. I am having this problem with 3 other vets that I called. I explained that I have $200 right now and will have more Friday on payday. I am told to wait till payday. Is there any hope that he may make it that long? Could he have pneumonia? He is drinking water and I was going to give him some broth but I don’t want to make it worst. Will pedialyte help him?
Thank you for your answer,
Brenda

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Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am sorry to hear that Bubba is having problems. This is a tough case!

Vomiting and diarrhea and not normally associated with kennel cough. I have seen some dogs with kennel cough that look like they're vomiting when actually they are coughing so fiercely that they make themselves vomit. But, if this were the case, it doesn't explain the diarrhea.

There are a great number of things that can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Is Bubba fully vaccinated? If not, I would be really worried that he has picked up a serious virus like parvo virus. He possibly picked this up at the spay neuter clinic.

It's also possible that he's dealing with a serious parasite issue. Or he could have eaten a foreign object (which is common for a lab). Or, he could have gotten in the the garbage or had too many treats perhaps.

Blood in the stool isn't always something to be extremely worried about. It can mean that there is inflammation in the colon which can be the result of either stress or of eating something unusual. However, if the stool is very watery, and again if he is not fully vaccinated, then parvo virus can cause very bloody watery diarrhea.

I'm surprised that you need to pay $500 up front to have him seen. That sounds unusual. You may want to call some additional clinics. Even if you can't afford to do blood tests or xrays they should be able to get him some medication to help his symptoms. Additionally, they can help you decide whether he is sick enough to need hospital care.

I don't like to wait too long with a dog who is vomiting several times per day as he really has a risk of getting dehydrated and then he will be even sicker.

Pedialyte (unsweetened) is not going to hurt, but in a lab, it's going to take an awful lot to actually combat dehydration. You're likely not going to make much difference.

If you really can't get him to a vet, then I would give him small amounts of water as frequently as possible. The goal is to see how much he can tolerate without vomiting. Feeding ice cubes can help as well. If he goes several hours without vomiting you can try feeding small amounts of cooked chicken and rice which are both easy on his intestines.

I hope he feels better soon!

Let me know if you have more questions.

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.