Just had a telephone call from YORK people. Sadly, they don't do dogs!!! He has, however, given me the telephone number of a particular vet who does do a special allergy test on dogs, so I'll be ringing that when I get back.

That's strange! Let me ask a couple of questions in respect of this elsewhere and I'll get back to you.

Maybe I'm having a senior moment, but I'd swear it was the York test.

Just got back from the vets. Had a good half hour with him, the whole place was empty, even sat in the waiting room with him first off, Zena was absolutely fine with him, but I told him I would muzzle her for the surgery room!

He's glad I brought the poo in, coz that's being sent off for just about everything even a lipase test, which will show him whether or not we actually need to do bloods for a tli test. He doesn't consider a blood test necessary at this stage, because again, she looks too bright, alert and healthy. He put my mind at rest that some nasty bugs, even IBS can cause bloody vomit, and he thinks the mud in that dew pond could have caused a one off situation here, and it's not her IBS problems at all. The metronidazole will sort that out, he also think giardia from that dew pond, which again, these will sort out until we do a 3 day Panacur afterwards, or even more Metronidazole's he said.

He has told me to get some over the counter general vitamins and give her half the adult dose, because he wants to get some B vitamins into her, because he's recently read about the SIBO (small intestinal bacteria overload) and how rife it's getting, so it can't do any harm.

We are slowly changing her food over to the Purina gastro intestinal to see if that helps, and eventually he said, we can get her onto the kibble, instead of me mixing this, that and the other with blooming Chappie, which of course, has nothing very nutritional in it at all, I don't quite know just how she looks so glossy and healthy on it! I have my doubts about that Purina, coz I think that's a bit of a dodgy one for some reason isn't it, so I might head for the Royal Canin equivalent when changing to the kibble.

This man although semi retired now, was head of this practice and I have the utmost faith in him that he will do right for Zena. We are going for bloods IF and only IF the poo samples show anything up, especially pancreatitis which it will if she has that. He says there's a limit to how many boxes he can tick, but he's pretty much covered it all for the poo test, which should come back Thursday.

She was absolutely brilliantly behaved at the vet, no growls, no barks, just sat there like I asked, didn't leg it for the door either like she normally does, and thankfully, he didn't have to put his hands on her this time, so all in all, a very good experience for her. I told them I might start doing this once a month, just so she gets these good experiences, plus she's a lot older now, and we could eventually cure her of her fear (maybe!!).

thanks all, she's still quiet, gone to bed, but the good thing is, if I get her collar off that hook, at least she'll want to go for a little walk, she won't be her normal manic self, but wanting to go out is good, but I think I'll let her sleep now, coz she's had an exhausting morning, had a walk, been shopping with me and then to the vets.

Will let you know what the test comes back with then.

Everything crossed it can all be sorted through the pooh tests and poor Zena doesn't have to undergo anymore tests. also whjatever it is diet and some AB's do the trick.

Big (((hugs))) to Zena for being such a good girl.

Everything crossed for Zena that this is a one off caused by her swim.

Sounds like a good plan. Hope it all clears up very quickly and she's soon back to her normal, crazy self.

Doesn't it make a difference when you get a good vet

I do hope you can get to the bottom of it all, Helena. I had a chat elsewhere about the allergy testing. One or two have said their dogs were York tested through the vet so you have it as I do. General consensus though is still that exclusion diets are more reliable. Bit difficult with Zena though as I imagine that you've already done this?

Fingers and everything else crossed that whatever is causing Zena's problems is found and very easily treatable. Not only do you not need this just now, neither does she.

Could I make one more suggestion? Keep a diary. Log what she eats and any stressful events. See if any trigger comes to light. Again, everything to gain and nothing to lose by doing it

Thanks for all that yet again Chris, much appreciated, and thanks for my good vibes Gerry, Lynn and Nicola.

Well, it's all gone downhill again Went on a walk for 20 mins. left her well over an hour probably more like 2, just fed her a small portion of cooked fish and potato which I bothered to nuke to warm it up for 20 seconds (coz cold it would come back up again), and it's all come back up

Now she's starving again, and I gave her the medicine an hour ago, which I must feed her after so I'm cooking up another slab of fish, get it cooled down, and maybe, just maybe I might be able to get a little nap if it stays down!!! Oh, you wouldn't believe just how painful this is for me to watch her go into her corner to chuck it up, let alone how tiring it is for me to keep cooking and feeding her like this!

Totally fed up with this, but I have to let those ab's kick in, they are good for not only getting rid of any parasites, but also for getting rid of any bug she might have. Strange how everything has stayed down though, that's 3 meals a day, since the episode in the middle of the night on Sunday isn't it....until now, so here we go again, back where I started on Friday!

Gimme strength somebody!

Oh to be able to open a can of dogfood or chuck a cupfull of kibble in a bowl and let her get on with it, no chance!

Oh no, not again.

I hope once the Metronidazole gets in to her system that helps to get rid of any infection that might be lurking and then you can look at what the actual cause is/has been and how to treat/manage it.

Roxy had that antibiotic last year for a bout of sickness and diarrhea. She also had a small amount of blood once in her
stools, that was when she was she was prescribed it and it cleared it up very quickly, I must say.

No idea exactly what caused it, but I wormed her with Panacur for about 5 days, gave her some probiotics (Protexin capsules - see link below) and a small extra meal during the day and bedtime biscuit. Seemed to sort it out.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-supplemen...apsules-p-1176

I finished the above box of probiotics. Opened the capsule and added it to her food.

After they were finished, I then went on to give her the Protexin soluble. on a daily basis, which I still give her now in with her tea. She gets it every day.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-supplemen...gs-150g-p-2383

In the morning with her breakfast I give her a Digestive Supplement pill from Dorwest Herbs crushed in with her breakfast.

http://www.dorwest.com/Catalogue/Die...estive-tablets

This was around last September/October time and she has been fine since with this (apart from the lump removal!).

I've been reading that MCT's can cause sickness, diarrhea and blood in stools but folk at the Glasgow Vet School thinks it's just coincidental with Roxy as her tumour was very low grade, hadn't spread anywhere else and the sickness etc did not happen on a regular basis. That coupled with the fact that the Metronidazole seemed cleared out any nasties in her system. I think it was a upper intestinal infection she had in the end due to the colour and consistency of her stools.

Oh dear, I've just rambled a bit - sorry, H! Anyway, I some of this info helps you in some way.

Hope Zena is better soon. Take care. xx

Just catching up with this thread So sorry to hear what you and Zena are going through, H. I hope the abs kick in really soon and she is back to her usual happy self before you know it.
xxx