Has your dog every gotten seriously ill from vaccines or flea/heartworm meds? Long and some TMI

[katie01]

My dog (she's 13 pounds, a shih Tzu/Bichon mix) had her yearly checkup on Dec. 4, they gave her the three year rabies vaccine, the three year (distemper? I think that's the other one) vaccine, and her bordatella vaccine. We also got refills on heartworm meds as well as flea meds, we went with the chewable flea/tick meds this time, which she had tried as a sample one other time before. I gave her those meds a couple of days after the vet appt since she was due. Now somewhere in there she did have a day where she vomited a small bit, but I don't remember which day, she has a very sensitive stomach and has had random vomiting before. But Sunday night, 9 days after the vet visit and 7 days after the meds, she vomited up her entire dinner. To summarize a long story, she has been going downhill since then, and don't read if you have a weak stomach, but here is the history: Vomiting Sunday night. Monday morning not eating or drinking, acting lethargic, not greeting me after work. Took her to vet, he gave her a flood bolus as she was slightly dehydrated, and prescribed special food. She wasn't interested in the food, this is a dog who LOVES food, any food, will eat anything, normally goes crazy over this stuff. Monday night she pooped in the house, it was like she was too weak to tell us she had to go out, she hasn't had an accident in the house since she was a puppy. Overnight she had diarrhea all over herself, poor thing, I had to really work to clean her up, it was bad. She had two more episodes of diarrhea that morning (outside luckily), the third time there was blood in it. I called the vet, he said it was actually a somewhat reassuring sign that she did NOT have a blockage (that was something we worried about), but seemed to indicate a canine GI illness, as it is moving down her GI tract evidenced by the vomiting first, followed by diarrhea the next day. He prescribed a different food for that, with pills to stop the diarrhea too. Normally it is no problem to get her to take the pills in food, but she wouldn't eat the new food either, I ended up having to get it down her throat by pushing it to the back. by evening she did try some of the food, a very small bit and I was able to get the second dose of medicine hidden in that. But this morning again, she wouldn't touch the food, DH and I both tried all morning to get the pill down her, with no luck. So she has not taken water from her water bowl since Sunday, it's now Wednesday. She of course had fluid through that bolus on Monday, but the only other water intake I can get for her is through small ice chips, I have been feeding those to her whenever she will take them, but it's not a whole lot.

The vet doesn't think it's from her shots or meds since it was over a week after when this happened, but I don't know what else it would be. She does have a sensitive stomach and has had two illnesses like this (one with 24 hour vomiting, the other with 24 hour diarrhea), but both times she recovered after the 24 hours and the same treatments we are doing now. She is not herself at all, she is listless and it's certainly not normal for her to not eat or drink this long. She is only 16 months old, so not an old dog by any means. I am not sure if the vet can do more for her, or if she is better off with TLC at home with me trying to keep feeding her and giving ice chips. She did eat a very small amount of boiled rice off my hand this morning. I took today off work because I was so worried about her. Thanks for any advice you can offer

 

[3Gsandme]

I'm kind of with your vet. I'd really expect her to have a quicker reaction than 7 or 9 days after treatment. This is just my personal observation.

Does she go outside alone at all or are you guys with her? We have big dogs, so they go out alone, but I my neighbors who have small dogs tend to go with their dogs. I mean, the bug is likely, especially with her having been to the Vet and 7 to 9 days as an incubation period makes sense, but I wonder if she got into something outside OR inside the house and it's just a coincidence that she had her shots and flea/heartworm.

 

[katie01]

I'm kind of with your vet. I'd really expect her to have a quicker reaction than 7 or 9 days after treatment. This is just my personal observation.

Does she go outside alone at all or are you guys with her? We have big dogs, so they go out alone, but I my neighbors who have small dogs tend to go with their dogs. I mean, the bug is likely, especially with her having been to the Vet and 7 to 9 days as an incubation period makes sense, but I wonder if she got into something outside OR inside the house and it's just a coincidence that she had her shots and flea/heartworm.

She does not go outside alone at all, as we do not have a fenced yard, and she would eat anything and everything in her path, and definitely would get sick from that if we let her. She is always walked by us, on a harness, as she tries to eat everything on the sidewalk, so we are constantly moving her out of harm's way with that harness. DH and I watch her like a hawk on her walks and she has not been able to get anything in her mouth outside anytime recently. Yes, that does make sense that maybe she picked up a bug at the vet's office, he said there are lots of bugs going around with dogs right now due to the unseasonable warmth. I am worried that she hasn't gotten any better by now, but maybe it will take more time. With her eating at least the ice chips now and then, and a few bites here and there of food, hopefully that is enough to sustain her until she gets better.

 

[wilkeliza]

I agree with the vet. 7 to 9 days post medicine or shots is too long to be a reaction to those.

Have you called your vet to discuss that this is still going on? When you took her in on Monday did they run any tests?

Even though she only goes into your yard and it is fenced there are all kinds of things we carry on our shoes in and out of our house. It is possible you picked something up while you were coming and going and then she contracted it. She could have even picked up something at the vet that didn't show symptoms until now like the K-9 flu. Still a week for symptoms seems a lot in that case.

 

[aejammers]

You could try giving her a spoonful of plain yogurt or plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling) for a couple of days. When my dog is having tummy troubles, that usually helps. Also, because you said she ate a little bit of rice, you could give her a mix of rice and plain hamburger instead of the prescription food. My dog won't touch that stuff with a ten-foot pole!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

 

[Luv2Run]

Our 3 year old pitbull/lab mix had a bout of vomiting on Sunday, and was lethargic/listless for the rest of the day. Didn't eat or drink anything, and she was fine after about 24 hours. We kept a close eye on her, since she has a terribly sensitive stomach (that's the pitbull side in her). She's not one to get into stuff or nose around garbage, so we figure she caught something at the vet the weekend before and it just took a while to hit her.

Maybe because your dog is on the small side her immune system is taking her a lot longer to kick it out of her system?

 

[Luv2Run]

You could try giving her a spoonful of plain yogurt or plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling) for a couple of days. When my dog is having tummy troubles, that usually helps. Also, because you said she ate a little bit of rice, you could give her a mix of rice and plain hamburger instead of the prescription food. My dog won't touch that stuff with a ten-foot pole!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

To the bold: that's what we give our dogs anytime they have an upset tummy. They especially like it when we boil the rice with some beef or chicken broth. Spoiled brats, but we love them.

 

[katie01]

I agree with the vet. 7 to 9 days post medicine or shots is too long to be a reaction to those.

Have you called your vet to discuss that this is still going on? When you took her in on Monday did they run any tests?

Even though she only goes into your yard and it is fenced there are all kinds of things we carry on our shoes in and out of our house. It is possible you picked something up while you were coming and going and then she contracted it. She could have even picked up something at the vet that didn't show symptoms until now like the K-9 flu. Still a week for symptoms seems a lot in that case.

I called the vet Tuesday (that is when he changed to a different Rx food and gave her the meds) in addition to bringing her in on Monday. He didn't do any x rays but did palpate her abdomen, take her temp and other vital signs.

You could try giving her a spoonful of plain yogurt or plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling) for a couple of days. When my dog is having tummy troubles, that usually helps. Also, because you said she ate a little bit of rice, you could give her a mix of rice and plain hamburger instead of the prescription food. My dog won't touch that stuff with a ten-foot pole!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

I will try the yogurt and pumpkin, along with some hamburger/rice, thank you!

 

[katie01]

Our 3 year old pitbull/lab mix had a bout of vomiting on Sunday, and was lethargic/listless for the rest of the day. Didn't eat or drink anything, and she was fine after about 24 hours. We kept a close eye on her, since she has a terribly sensitive stomach (that's the pitbull side in her). She's not one to get into stuff or nose around garbage, so we figure she caught something at the vet the weekend before and it just took a while to hit her.

Maybe because your dog is on the small side her immune system is taking her a lot longer to kick it out of her system?

That's very possible. I am glad your dog is better!

 

[wilkeliza]

I called the vet Tuesday (that is when he changed to a different Rx food and gave her the meds) in addition to bringing her in on Monday. He didn't do any x rays but did palpate her abdomen, take her temp and other vital signs.

Hm maybe something changed in the fomula of the RX food? What type of RX food was your dog on now and before?

I am not a vet but worked in the only national ASPCA shelter for awhile. Those RX foods can create issues and if the company switches formulas you may not even know until your sensitive pup is puking up their guts after starting a new bag.

 

[katie01]

Hm maybe something changed in the fomula of the RX food? What type of RX food was your dog on now and before?

I am not a vet but worked in the only national ASPCA shelter for awhile. Those RX foods can create issues and if the company switches formulas you may not even know until your sensitive pup is puking up their guts after starting a new bag.

It was Hill's brand, it said r/d Weight Reduction. I said something to the receptionist when she brought the can out, like, "Oh interesting, weight reduction?" (I was kind of double checking that it was actually the right can without trying to be rude) and the receptionist said yes, that's what they give for diarrhea because it is high in fiber. The food inside looked the same as what they gave her last time, but I can't say for sure if it was the Weight Reduction version last time, I didn't pay attention to the outside of the can. That is a good point you made too that maybe they changed the recipe even if that was what they gave her before (her other illnesses were many months ago and not this severe)

 

[yoopermom]

I doubt that your dog's current situation is due to the vet visit/vaccines/medications, but, in the future, please consider not doing so much all at once. Although it's an additional cost, I believe firmly in titering first to see if vaccines are truly necessary, rather than following the "it's been a year so let's give them again" theory. For sure, if it's a year when rabies has to be given (every three, legally, and by a licensed vet), I do not have any other shot/medication given for at least a few weeks after. Only our dogs who encounter outside dogs (due to kenneling over the holidays) get the bordetella, and never at the same time as any other shot. Before I became so conservative, I almost lost a dog due to a reaction to a vaccine, and NEVER want to go that again, even if it costs me more in vet visits.

Terri

 

[wilkeliza]

It was Hill's brand, it said r/d Weight Reduction. I said something to the receptionist when she brought the can out, like, "Oh interesting, weight reduction?" (I was kind of double checking that it was actually the right can without trying to be rude) and the receptionist said yes, that's what they give for diarrhea because it is high in fiber. The food inside looked the same as what they gave her last time, but I can't say for sure if it was the Weight Reduction version last time, I didn't pay attention to the outside of the can. That is a good point you made too that maybe they changed the recipe even if that was what they gave her before (her other illnesses were many months ago and not this severe)

Oh the RX food is not normal just for the symptoms of the current illness? That is interesting because switching food so quickly can actually make the situation worse. Especially if a pup has a known sensitive stomach. What do you normally feed when they aren't on the RX food?

 

[katie01]

I doubt that your dog's current situation is due to the vet visit/vaccines/medications, but, in the future, please consider not doing so much all at once. Although it's an additional cost, I believe firmly in titering first to see if vaccines are truly necessary, rather than following the "it's been a year so let's give them again" theory. For sure, if it's a year when rabies has to be given (every three, legally, and by a licensed vet), I do not have any other shot/medication given for at least a few weeks after. Only our dogs who encounter outside dogs (due to kenneling over the holidays) get the bordetella, and never at the same time as any other shot. Before I became so conservative, I almost lost a dog due to a reaction to a vaccine, and NEVER want to go that again, even if it costs me more in vet visits.

Terri

I am absolutely going to space things out in the future. The vet didn't say it was a problem, but after doing some reading since this has happened, I don't want to overwhelm her system with so many things at once!

Oh the RX food is not normal just for the symptoms of the current illness? That is interesting because switching food so quickly can actually make the situation worse. Especially if a pup has a known sensitive stomach. What do you normally feed when they aren't on the RX food?

That is correct, the vet said to give her the Rx food for the current illness...said to hold off on giving her her regular food for a day or two, and just give her the Rx, but she won't eat it. She normally eat Diamond Naturals, which isn't the top tier best food, but not the worst either. That's what she started on as a puppy. We had asked the vet for a recommendation if we should be giving her a "better" food some time ago, and he recommended a different brand. We introduced that slowly according to his directions, but it did not agree with her at all, so we just stuck with the Diamond Natural, and she seemed to do great with it, other than these few episodes of illness which do not appear to be tied with her regular food. My brother and SIL swear by a raw food diet for their (five! they live in the country) dogs, so they are going to tell me about it at Christmas when they visit. Hard to know what is best as I've done some reading on all the different brands of pet foods, as well as about raw food diet, and it seems like for every glowing review of one brand there is another "that food nearly killed my dog!" review.

 

[wilkeliza]

That is correct, the vet said to give her the Rx food for the current illness...said to hold off on giving her her regular food for a day or two, and just give her the Rx, but she won't eat it. She normally eat Diamond Naturals, which isn't the top tier best food, but not the worst either. That's what she started on as a puppy. We had asked the vet for a recommendation if we should be giving her a "better" food some time ago, and he recommended a different brand. We introduced that slowly according to his directions, but it did not agree with her at all, so we just stuck with the Diamond Natural, and she seemed to do great with it, other than these few episodes of illness which do not appear to be tied with her regular food. My brother and SIL swear by a raw food diet for their (five! they live in the country) dogs, so they are going to tell me about it at Christmas when they visit. Hard to know what is best as I've done some reading on all the different brands of pet foods, as well as about raw food diet, and it seems like for every glowing review of one brand there is another "that food nearly killed my dog!" review.

Don't worry so much about the brand. Which type of Diamond Natural is she eating? Dogfoodadvisor gives them a 4 out of 5. I try to find 4 star foods for my pups and they are on Halo Spot's Stew. Both dogs do fine with it.

RX food is usually pretty nasty to be honest. We had dogs at the ASPCA who would rather starve than eat it. There is one that you could just tell was probably nasty just by the look, feel, and smell of it.

I am not big on a raw food diet simply because our dogs have evolved past that. The idea of a raw food diet would be like saying that people can and should eat raw food because our ancestors did. It also can lead to bigger issues like salmonella and ecoli and a host of other diseases that come with having raw food. I much prefer just squeezing the air out of the dog food bag and resealing it to having to pay attention to temperature and handling that goes with raw food. At the end of the day though it is up to the individual owner.

 

[katie01]

Don't worry so much about the brand. Which type of Diamond Natural is she eating? Dogfoodadvisor gives them a 4 out of 5. I try to find 4 star foods for my pups and they are on Halo Spot's Stew. Both dogs do fine with it.

RX food is usually pretty nasty to be honest. We had dogs at the ASPCA who would rather starve than eat it. There is one that you could just tell was probably nasty just by the look, feel, and smell of it.

I am not big on a raw food diet simply because our dogs have evolved past that. The idea of a raw food diet would be like saying that people can and should eat raw food because our ancestors did. It also can lead to bigger issues like salmonella and ecoli and a host of other diseases that come with having raw food. I much prefer just squeezing the air out of the dog food bag and resealing it to having to pay attention to temperature and handling that goes with raw food. At the end of the day though it is up to the individual owner.

She is eating the adult food chicken and rice, small breed. That is interesting about the shelter dogs who would not eat the Rx food! Last time she was given the canned food at the vet she acted like it was the best thing ever. I've been giving her the plain rice and she's taking it in small doses, so I will try ground beef and pumpkin later tonight.

Well I thought the same thing as you about the raw food. It sounds gross to me and I also don't want to run the risk of ecoli and salmonella, especially since I have kids on the younger side and they let her lick their faces. My brother and SIL are so enthusiastic about it that I thought I'd listen to what they have to say, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't really want to deal with the "ick factor" there. Thanks for all your help, I appreciate it

 

[3Gsandme]

My Lab was given, what we called, egg gravy when he had crystals in his urine. That dog would eat spoiled meat and wouldn't touch that food.

Hope your pup is better soon.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm not sure what the active ingredient, but we used an oral flea treatment on our cat this summer and she vomited for days after. She had a very rough time with it. The vet said it had to be something else, but I'm skeptical. There's no chance we'll be using that again. She's an older cat and we had a hard time getting her eating again.

Keep at it. I hope she starts eating again soon for you. We tried everything with our cat and some things would work for a bit, then we'd have to find something else. Don't be afraid to keep checking in with the vet until you figure this out.

 

[loves to dive]

Poor little thing, our dog (a little 7 lb yorkie) always gets sick from her shots but not her flea/heart worm treatment. She is a picky eater and will go all day sometimes without eating. When she is throwing up or has other stomach issues, we boil or grill a thin chicken breast and shred that up for her. She will eat chicken when she won't eat anything else, it is bland and has plenty of nutrients. Make sure puppy is getting some liquids and good luck.

 

[mom2rtk]

Poor little thing, our dog (a little 7 lb yorkie) always gets sick from her shots but not her flea/heart worm treatment. She is a picky eater and will go all day sometimes without eating. When she is throwing up or has other stomach issues, we boil or grill a thin chicken breast and shred that up for her. She will eat chicken when she won't eat anything else, it is bland and has plenty of nutrients. Make sure puppy is getting some liquids and good luck.

Plain baked chicken worked great with our cat. We hand fed her and cheered for every bite for more than a week.

OP, if your dog isn't getting much liquid, don't hesitate to bring her in and have them give her some.