My dog's not doing well

[gsganzer]

I travel a lot and when I was home last weekend, I noticed my dog would have a slight cough, or more like he was clearing his throat, every so often. Anyway, I asked my wife to keep an eye on him, because it seemed odd. Thursday, she said he didn't seem like he was hungry. Which is really odd, because his dinner is usually the whole reason for his existence. Last night, he barely touched his food and the wife said he just slept all day behind her recliner and seemed lethargic, something is definitely wrong.

He drank water and pooped when she let him out this morning and the poop looked normal, but he was all mopey and clingy. So, she took him to the vet today. They took an xray and confirmed no intestinal blockage, but his blood work showed him to be dangerously anemic. All the other bloodwork parameters were normal. The minimum normal value for the anemia is 143K and he was 60K. So they gave him a subcutaneous IV of 1500cc's and sent her home with some steroids to give him. They'll follow up in 24 hours. If he isn't improving, he'll need to go to the pet ER.

He's a 6 YO black mouth cur, that's never had any issues, other than a food allergy that will make him itch and lick his paws. I give him a salmon based protein food and he has no issues.

We're trying to figure out if he got into something that's poisoned him or some other cause. I hate that the poor guy is ill, and I can't be there to try to help in some way.

Anyone have a similar issue that could throw out some ideas to look for? I have the wife checking the patio, carport, barn and any other place around the house for something/signs of him getting into something.

 

[dusty3030]

Sorry to hear. Hope your buddy recovers soon.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Not sure what's going on. But I hope y'all figure it out. My Golden retriever got to wear his muscles in his muzzle/mouth/jaw quit working. A specialist figured it out. It was an auto immune thing where I was told his tri-geminal nerve was getting attacked by his own immune system. Had to take steroids for weeks and weeks, tapering off as his blood was tested and he was mostly normal there after until he got cancer multiple times, finally succumbing to it maybe 7 years later.

 

[2manyrocks]

Sometimes a second vet opinion will spot something another vet missed. Not a fan of pet ERs if they can be avoided.

Your wife could try baking some chicken breasts and cutting one up for him into bite sizes. That should appeal to his appetite unless something is really messing with his appetite.

 

[zzvyb6]

thirsty & anemic means rat poison in my neck of the woods.

 

[Hay Dude]

thirsty & anemic means rat poison in my neck of the woods.

I was going to suggest arsenic poison.
I wonder if there’s green potatoes on the property?
Don’t they poison like arsenic?

 

[gsganzer]

The wife said he ate all his food tonight, not with vigor, but at least he ate it. He even barked at someone that pulled up. Maybe the IV and steroids helped get him over it. My wife will continue to watch him.

 

[4570Man]

I was going to suggest arsenic poison.
I wonder if there’s green potatoes on the property?
Don’t they poison like arsenic?

I guess the possibility exists that it got into old pesticides but hasn’t arsenic been banned for a long time?

 

[2manyrocks]

Some rat and mice poison is still toxic to dogs.

 

[gsganzer]

I guess the possibility exists that it got into old pesticides but hasn’t arsenic been banned for a long time?

My wife did the walk through of everything on our property and didn't find anything that he could have gotten into. Doesn't mean he didn't visit the neighbors briefly, when he was let out.

I was happy to hear he did his hound dog bark when someone pulled up tonight, "BAROOOOO-ROOO-ROOO-ROOO".

It's the most trailer-park-trash dog bark you've ever heard.