Bad trip to the vet

[Hoosierdaddy]

We took our 9 month old female Brit to the vet because she was throwing up too often,and we have not been able to put any weight on her.She is naturally thin,but i did'nt think she looked as though she was filling out properly.After bloodwork,x-ray and stool sample the vet thinks she has an enlarged heart or some kind of hernia.She said if her heart is enlarged it is probably a genetic defect.

We are pretty upset as we surely did not expect this type of problem at 9 months.The dog is going for an ultrasound next week,and we will get a better idea what exactly is going on then.Just wondering if anyone else has been in this situation.After we find out what exactly is wrong with her,should we let the breeder know whats going on?

[ezzy333]

If it is genetic.

Ezzy

[Munster]

I would be on the phone to the breeder now letting them know what is going on. I would want to know what is going on with the pus that I sell.

[Hoosierdaddy]

I would be on the phone to the breeder now letting them know what is going on. I would want to know what is going on with the pus that I sell.

Well the problem is i dont know for sure what is wrong.The vet said with an enlarged heart there is almost always a murmur.the pup does'nt have a murmur,no coughing,she seems to have all kinds of energy and acts like a normal pup.If she has a hernia(which from what i have read is a major problem in itself) it would require a major surgery to repair,but is not considered a genetic defect.

I have had a dog with CHF and am well versed on those symptoms but he was 10 years old,this is just such a sad situation.But we have to deal with hand we are dealt.

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

Could it be a Blockage? How long has this been going on for?

[big steve46]

Could be a blockage, at least a partial blockage in the gut. There could even be a necrotic area there. I'm not a Veterinarian, but it sounds like another Vet opinion might be in order.

[shags]

If she has a hernia(which from what i have read is a major problem in itself) it would require a major surgery to repair,but is not considered a genetic defect.

A congenital hiatal hernia would be considered a heritable condition. A traumatic hernia would not.

Good luck with your pup.

[cjhills]

We breed and sell quite a few puppies, also buy two every year. If something like this would happen with one of ours, we would want to be the first one to know. The breeder may have knowledge of this especially if it is hereditary. Some breeders will get defensive but most will be helpful.
A hernia generally is not terribly expensive to repair depending on where it is.
I think my vote might be some sort of blockage, but seems like it would be worse or pass.
Good Luck Cj

[wems2371]

Well the problem is i dont know for sure what is wrong.

When you have a definitive answer, I would contact the breeder.

Pending there is an issue, and it's proven 100% genetic, than hopefully you can come to an agreement on some kind of refund or another puppy (and still keep your current one if you choose to). And yes, the breeder should know.

If it's not genetic or you can't come up with an absolute answer, and you have a friend in your breeder, they will still want to know what's happening with the pup and be there with concern and support for the situation.

How long has the vomiting been going on for, and how frequently, if you don't mind me asking?

I had never thought about chronic vomiting before, but found a page by a veterinarian on Cesar Milan's website. I'm sure you've done your own research, but thought I would share this piece.

Causes of chronic vomiting

The causes of chronic vomiting are myriad and include gastrointestinal causes and systemic causes such as kidney disease. Common gastrointestinal causes include: inflammatory bowel disease, viral or bacterial infection, gastritis (typically caused by garbage ingestion or changing the diet too quickly), pancreatitis, foreign body and neoplasia. Systemic causes include toxicities and kidney and liver disease. Typical diagnostics include bloodwork and radiography to start and endoscopy with or without biopsy for definitive diagnosis in some cases. Abdominal ultrasonography tends to be a low-yield diagnostic in chronic vomiting cases and should be pursued as a last resort only.

Read more: http://www.cesarsway.com/dogcare/health ... z2Vd5yMpsy

[Hoosierdaddy]

Well the pup was just hurling up with no warning just walking along and she would puke.All my other dogs over the years would give me a little warning.It was not getting any better and we watched her closely for about 10 days and decided her vomiting was not just puppy stuff.That plus as i said before she is thin and not filling out properly.At any rate she is going for ultrasound on wednesday to try to see better what is going on here.

We are feeding her small amounts of food 4 times a day now and she is keeping it down.Its a pain,but she seems to be doing better.When i get results from her test i will check back.Thanks for everyones concern.

[kninebirddog]

You might also consider while you are trying to determine what is going on to feed her easy to digest type foods which the commercial processed dry foods are not ...It is a pain but boiled ground meat cottage cheese yogurts green beans peas rice..you can make big batches of rice adding the green beans and peas this and bag it up serve with some yogurt and cottage cheese ..Might help
Good Luck

[RoostersMom]

It's a no-brainer to contact the breeder. It's a shame that more breeders/owners don't keep in touch when things like this happen. The second call I make after any weird vet visit with Rooster is to call his breeder. She is always open to discussing things - and at least twice has saved me some heartache and worry by letting me know of something that is in that line of Vizslas and explaining what was going on.

I'd call them right away - because you never know if they have a history on the parents of something similar that is not as bad as what you're thinking might be the case. The breeder should know the parents and their history - they would likely have some good information for you.

[Hoosierdaddy]

You might also consider while you are trying to determine what is going on to feed her easy to digest type foods which the commercial processed dry foods are not ...It is a pain but boiled ground meat cottage cheese yogurts green beans peas rice..you can make big batches of rice adding the green beans and peas this and bag it up serve with some yogurt and cottage cheese ..Might help
Good Luck

As of now we have her on Prescription diet i/d. per the vet.No upchucking for two days now.I am more that leery about canned foods for dogs i have always fed kibble.She scarfs it down like there is no tommorrow.Blood test came back today, her blood sugar is slightly low,and has a slight elevation of liver enzyme.Of course all of that means nothing to me,except there could be something else going on.

[kninebirddog]

Has the vet said anything about a possible Liver Shunt?

[Hoosierdaddy]

Has the vet said anything about a possible Liver Shunt?

The vet called on the phone to give us the bloodwork results and we were not home.We probably wont talk to the vet again till Wednesday when the pup goes in for her ultrasound. The vet seems to think that test will tell her more definatively what is going on.

[kninebirddog]

I will have you in my prayers

[dog dr]

Ask them about pyloric stenosis

[big steve46]

Pyloric stenosis is a great idea. Also, at least in humans, I believe there are many cases of "reactive pyloric stenosis," where food is not allowed through due to poor digestion or problems in the stomach. What ever, it seems there is some kind of "blockage," and perhaps time and more maturation will help.

[GWPtyler]

Any updates? Remy had the same thing (puking a bunch, not the heart deal) at just over a year old, and it would up being two big pieces of sock stuck in his gut. No bueno! But at least it was remedied and now he's a healthy, happy 3 year old.

Good luck with your dog. I'll keep you in our prayers.

[Hoosierdaddy]

Any updates? Remy had the same thing (puking a bunch, not the heart deal) at just over a year old, and it would up being two big pieces of sock stuck in his gut. No bueno! But at least it was remedied and now he's a healthy, happy 3 year old.

Good luck with your dog. I'll keep you in our prayers.

The only update i have is she had the ultrasound yesterday and i wasted the whole day figuring i might get some answers.The vet was not there when we picked her up.The pup is eating like a pig,has only thrown up once in the past week but she has lost another pound.She still has lots of energy,and does not act sick.This wieght loss thing on top of everything else has us worried.