Dog People

Lenore2010 · August 2010

I am truly not wanting to do a "poor pity me" here, just looking for some tips from people who know dogs. TMI warning!

We have just had all the luck with our animals this year. We treated a serious cat eye injury (saved the eye!) , had to help my mom with putting down her cat a few days prior to our April wedding, and just yesterday had to put down our 15 year old cat due to diabetic complications leading to multiple organ failure.

NOW, we have this. My little Pom, the rescue dog I got a month ago has had very persistent blood in her stool. It has been going on a good three weeks now. She had two rounds of antibiotic, a probiotic, an Rx diet. Tonight she had X rays. Nothing abnormal to vet, being sent to radiologist. She had blood work. Nothing abnormal there. An advanced fecal culture is being done now by a special lab to look for weird infections, remote parasites and the like. Next step is either an untrasound or a camera up her butt with biopsies if all agree these tests are normal and she does not respond to diet #2, the hypoallergenic diet.

She appears healthy, bouncy, and has enough butt blood to appear on exam at the vet.

Has anyone even heard of this persisting? They are 85% sure it is not cancer! Thoughts and suggestions welcome!

[Deleted User] · August 2010

I don't know what it is but I do want to say good luck, and I hope everything turns out okay!

katiewhompus · August 2010

My first thought was bowel obstruction or cancer, so I've got nothing

Is it maybe stress or could she be cutting her butt/hips on something and it's showing up in the stool? I know when Katie came back from the kennel she had some blood in her stool and the vet just attributed it to stress.

Maybe try giving her a wet food diet? Something in the dry food may be catching on her stomach/intestines?

missy68 · August 2010

Is it bright red or tarry/coffee grounds? Bright red would indicate something on the outside. Coffe ground like would be more inside and possibly more serious.

Have they checked for allergies like to grasses and weeds, etc? It's a long shot.

LoveOfMikesLife · August 2010

I would say stress. have you been gone more than normal, or had more people over than normal. Also if you've switched the food recently

katiewhompus · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_dog-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:56599008-cb3d-42fb-b9e4-c28d6d1a0b5cPost:62f954b4-4161-44d3-985a-62d9ece84f2a">Re: Dog People</a>:
[QUOTE]Is it bright red or tarry/coffee grounds? Bright red would indicate something on the outside. Coffe ground like would be more inside and possibly more serious. Have they checked for allergies like to grasses and weeds, etc? It's a long shot.
Posted by missy68[/QUOTE]

Or maybe check your outside environment for poisonous plants. Maybe there's something causing the blood that wouldn't pop up in normal tests.

Steph0871 · August 2010

Ditto the stress idea? If she's a rescue and new to your home, that could definitely be an issue. Sorry I don't have much other info.

Good luck!

jelique7 · August 2010

I knew a dog that always had blood in his stool because another dog attacked him and almost killed him and tore something inside of him and even years later he still had bloody poop. I forgot what exactly happened but it is along those lines.

Sorry about your dog, I just had an emergency with my dog so I feel your pain. Hopefully everything works out and they can find the reason behind this!

leayn · August 2010

Our puppy had some bloody poo when we first switched her to dry food. We went back to chicken and rice for a few more days, then gradually added soaked dry food to her diet. She has been fine ever since. Have you given her new food or treats lately? They may be just to rough for her belly.

I did something horrible today. I took our puppy to the vet, and on the way there let her put her head out the window. She just recently discovered this and she really enjoys it. When it is time for the window to go up, I ask her to sit and she does...then I put the window up. Not today. She sat, then at the last second crept back up to the window just as it shut. The very tip of her ear ripped off. When I put the window down, it fell out! It is only about 2 millimeters of ear, a very small strip, but that sucker led all over the place. Luckily we were at the vet, and they just out some of that Kwik Stop powder on it and she's fine. I still feel so bad...I cried in the vet's office and he laughed at me. He said he has seen 100 times worse, but no matter what he said I still don't feel better about it.

Steph0871 · August 2010

leayn- I'll be honest, I laughed a little at your story. But only because that's my worst fear! I'd probably react the exact same way. I clipped the puppy's nail a tinylittlebit too short once and was almost in tears, even though he had completely moved on.

I'm sure he's fine! I bet tomorrow he'll be back at it with his head out the window again! Doesn't that just make him feel like a 'real' dog when they do that?

jelique7 · August 2010

OMG I would cry too if I did that to Tiny, I am always afraid of that happening! Try not to feel too bad it was an accident. How rude the vet laughed at you I would have said "let me roll your ear in the window and see if you are still laughing" hahaha.

leayn · August 2010

Steph - So did everyone else I told! She doesn't even know it happened and only let out one yelp right at that moment. She went right back to ruining my life within minutes, so no worries here.

katiewhompus · August 2010

Last night I almost quicked Katie's nail. The vet purposefully quicked each one when she went under for her dental so we're being really careful not to let them get long again. She kept squirming around and the clipper slid up and she gave this huge yelp and started licking me. There was no blood but I almost started crying because I felt so bad, and Scott started laughing at me.

leayn · August 2010

Aw Katie I feel your pain. Just the thought of hurting any of my pets, even a little bit, really shakes me up. Luckily it rarely happens, but I hurt myself almost every day so it is only a matter of time for them.

jasmineh7777 · August 2010

Lenore- I'm sorry. That is a lot to deal with.

You are doing everything you can. Thank you for being such a good pet owner.
Have you tried home cooking? Stress almost makes sense. How much time does pom spend alone? Maybe she is having some seperation anxiety?

Leayn- Poor puppy! Not your fault, but I would have cried too.

Lenore2010 · August 2010

Leayn, I would feel really bad about that too but sounds like your dog is just fine. It was an accident, she forgives you

At this point, they are thinking physical rather than stress cause because it has gone on so long, but yes this dog has had a lot of changes in her life since June. That is when she went into rescue, and then I took her home a month ago There have been a lot of diet changes since then. I got her on Science Diet, then when the bleeding started she went on an Rx diet. Now that has been changed as of last night to a hypoallergenic diet.

I am hoping the sample they are sending to the outside lab turns up with something they can fix. The blood is bright red so that part is good at least-I knew the part about dark blood.

Thanks all, different things to chew on here and more information is always good.

Birdie1483 · August 2010

I've actually heard of dogs having doggie hemmroids. It can be due to food changes, etc. A girl I know actually had her puppy get such a bad hemmy that it made it's butthole pop inside out. Completely gross, I know, but it had to have surgery to fix it. If you've taken it to the vet, I'm sure they've already checked this out, but just wanted to throw it out there since you said it was bright red blood.

Lenore2010 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_dog-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:56599008-cb3d-42fb-b9e4-c28d6d1a0b5cPost:16b18ac9-561d-41b4-8426-23e8f28ab697">Re: Dog People</a>:
[QUOTE]I've actually heard of dogs having doggie hemmroids. It can be due to food changes, etc. A girl I know actually had her puppy get such a bad hemmy that it made it's butthole pop inside out. Completely gross, I know, but it had to have surgery to fix it. If you've taken it to the vet, I'm sure they've already checked this out, but just wanted to throw it out there since you said it was bright red blood.
Posted by Birdie1483[/QUOTE]

Thanks-I was thinking myself of the possibility of something like that further up the gastric tract, like a polyp. I am eager for answers but have to wait around 4 days for the smear culture results to come back. The vet is so weirded out by this super-healthy acting dog with otherwise normal stool having this issue I think she will be happy to send up to a specialist.

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