Worried about Leon....again!

My poor boy, I just never know how he's going to be from one day to the next, and I'm worried sick about him

He had a loose tummy for about a week, nothing serious and he was fine in himself, I just need to alter his feeding around until we get it right.

Over the last couple of days he has been sick, only once or twice and after he had drank a load of water. Yesterday morning he had projectile diarrhoea so I gave him some kaolin when we got home, he laid around a bit but was not in any pain or anything, then he started looking for food.

Now, with his tummy I have to get something into him to stop the tummy rumbles, anything that he fancies I give him, I've learnt that much over the past year, he turns his nose up at fish when he is like this, and the longer his tummy is empty the worse it gets. So, and this may sound like I'm agrravating things but it seems to work usually, I gave him a couple of tiny pieces of cooked liver, just a taster but he perked up and then started looking for food. During the day he had a small amount of his chappie complete, (he's gone off the wet for some reason), and a sprinkling of liver and seemed almost back to normal, although he didn't pass any more poo all day/evening.

When I took him out last night he seemed fine, then as soon as we got back he was sick.

This morning I took him out and he struggled to do a poo, what he did pass was extremely firm and something I was happy about (you do get like this when their tummies play up), but then I got him home, he had a drink and brought it all up. He isn't dehydrated but he does look a bit sorry for himself.

He is looking for something to eat but I'm going to hold off for a while, he just had another drink, only a small one as I only put a bit down, if he manages to keep that down I shall boil him an egg or two.

The last time I took him to the vet they more or less told me that we know he has a sensitive tummy and that, unless he is being sick, I don't need to keep rushing him up there...they made me feel a bit stupid to be honest.

Now I'm in a bit of a dilemma...should I book him in to see them today, (which my gut instinct is telling me), or should I wait and see how he is today as now that he is passing solid poos, could it be he is on the mend.

I have a jam packed day tomorrow with hospital and doctor visits for myself, although I could get him in for the evening in need.

I know that I know Leon well enough to know when something isn't quite right, but am wondering whether I am an oversensitive mummy that rushes him to the vets every time he sneezes

Any advice?

Awww Sheree. I always think going with your gut instinct is the best way.

On the other hand if he is now doing firm poops it might be just as well to monitor him today and see how he goes.

Thing is if you have a busy day tomorrow you have too weigh up if you feel happy not taking him today to ask for advice. How about ringing them ? Thats what I did with Ollie last year when I was worried and they told me the usual stuff starve for 24 hours then a bland diet but if in the mean time he got worse then too take him in.

They are such a worry.

(((Hugs))).

Aw Sheree, poor Leon... no real advise as though Jamie has a sensitive tum, he is not that bad (only when he had the virus last year.) I know Remy would drink loads and vomit it back up, so we gave her warm water and made sure she had it little and often.
Personally I would take him to the vets, I have always had the thought, that I know my dogs better than any vet and if that grain of thought, that he ''isn't quite right'' then I would go...
Not sure about food, I always give mine boiled chicken or white fish and pasta/rice when having dodgy tums..
Please give him a ((((HUGE HUG))))) from us, my favourite blue boy xxxx

Thanks Lynn,

He is now bobbing about and whinging because he wants something to eat, I just gave him a tiny scraping of liver and he gobbled it, he is now sat in the utility room where his sponge fingers are kept, looking all forlorn and starving I think I shall boil a couple of eggs and, if he keeps them down, book an evening appointment for tomorrow so I can fall back on that in need.

I suppose, reading a couple of threads on here, and losing poor Gracie so recently, it is on the forefront of my imagination that he has a blockage or a growth...it's possibly just his arthritis medication playing him up, but I can't get things out of my head once they're in there xxx

Thanks Claire....I'm really in one of those don't know zones, as you know, he is up and down like a yoyo with his tummy...I just can't get those things out of my head that I just mentioned to Lynn.

Thanks again, I've given him the hugs xxx

Aaawwww Sheree,

Please pass on Huge Hugs from me to your Leon, I really hope he feels better soon (((((((((HUGS)))))))))) and loads of hugs to you too babe x x x x x x x

It must be the day for it, last night Scratch had a bout of the squits and made that horrid sounds he hasn't made in ages. Breaks your heart. As others have said go with your gut and having that appt tomorrow evening won't hurt. It is hard when you don't know if you are over reacting or actually onto something. But it is better to overreact than miss critical timing. Heres hoping Leon's tummy settles back down xxxx

Apologies if you have tried all this in the past, but I am just thinking of when my Monty had these problems.

I used to give him some cooked chicken or fish poached in milk and give it with a small amount of rice or potato. I used to keep him on that for a few days until he was eating regularly and not having any problems.

I would avoid things like liver (although he loved it) because I felt it was a bit 'rich'.

It may be the kaolin that caused the constipation so if he gets some chicken and rice inside him that could help with his bowel movements.

At the end of the day, he is your dog and you know how he is normally and how he is now. Dont worry about what your vet has said in the past - they may think you are being over protective but have no right to suggest you ignore his symptoms.

Sorry to hear Leon's poorly again. As long as he can keep some fluids down, I would just keep a good eye on him.

Hugs honey x0x0x

Oh noooooo Sheree not all this again with poor Leon, it must be getting you down poor boy.

Did you ever get the samples of the Fish4Dogs? I can't rave about it enough, coz although both Georgie and Zena would often either have the squits or sloppy poo's, I can honestly, hand on heart, say that since changing over to their food, I have had nothing, but firm rolly poly poo's, no matter what I put in with it! It would be fantastic if Leon liked it, but if not, then what can you do?

What about trying him on the Royal Canin either Sensitivity Control or their Digestive Low Fat Food which is specifically for irritable bowel and dodgy tums, have you tried that?

ONe thing I will say, if I was ever to give Georgie a tiny piece of my own cooked liver he would have the squits next day! Don't ask me why, but that's how liver affects old George, but of course I haven't tried it on Zena! Liver CAKE is ok, but a tiny morsel of liver just comes straight out the other end.

I don't know about the vet, I'd be inclined to at least give them a ring perhaps? I suppose they're not concerned enough if there's no blood in the diarrhea, and knowing what Leon can be like, but they could put your mind at rest, or ask you to come in for some ab's just to settle it all down again?

All the best, I've been through this with Cassie and I've been through it with both the current dogs last summer, but that was that Giardia easily fixed, and since then, all is well, but I'm sure you'd really like to get to the bottom of this (scuse the pun!) wouldn't you. Do you worm him regularly?? What about taking in a poo sample for them to check, it costs £30(ish) and that way, it could tell them a lot? Good luck Sheree, poor Leon again.

Thank you so much everyone

I phoned the vets and explained, they don't have any appointments left for today but would see him if I thought it was an emergency. They think it is a bug of some sort and that all I can do is monitor him and take him up if he deteriorates, we have an appointment for 3.20 tomorrow afternoon which I can cancel if he improves.

Montysmum...thanks so much for the advice, unfortunately I have tried just about everything on my boy, when he decides he isn't going to eat something thats it..he would rather starve and then his tummy gets worse

H, I did get the fish 4 dogs samples and he wouldn't touch them...little rascal, he turned his nose up totally so I took them with me when I visited Ebony the other week, they loved them I know the liver sounds kind of barmy but it is very tiny pieces but it just seems to get his taste buds working as he is always far worse when his tummy is empty and gurgling, if I can get just a small amount of food into him he seems to rally round more quickly.

I can usually cope with him being like this, its just with him vomitting too I know they can quickly go downhill with that. I have checked him and he still isn't dehydrated and has managed to keep down the second lot of water he had, he has also had 3 boiled eggs over the course of the morning and kept them down too.

He just asked me to take him out, we walked to the park, he did a couple of tiddles but then just kept staring around but not really doing anything much so I brought him home. He is back on the sofa now...the strange thing is that he does keep laying in his bed, its a very comfy bed but he usually only goes in there if he has a sweetie or something else to eat, he far prefers the sofa usually. I do wonder if there is something going on, maybe his tummy aches and he feels better on a low bed.

I think I may take him tomorrow as a matter of course, just to get his temperature taken and them to have a feel of his tummy, I would never forgive myself if I missed something serious. That is, unless he gets back to his cheeky self over the next 24 hours.

Thanks again everyone, it really helps to get good advice and support xx