# HGE? Bloody mucous poop? Vomiting? Please help



## JANIE (Feb 8, 2012)

Bonjour everyone. I am emailing you from Ontario. My chihuahua/jack cross Bosco is 1 year old and 11.8 pounds. Not overweight. Very healthy. Very active. However, Sunday morning he was kind of off, he did not eat his breakfast until noon which is unheard of for him. he is usually a chow hound! Was low energy. Ate his dinner kind of in a picky way.

He vomited all night long, a grey vomit. Lots of poop with mucous, lots of straining. Vomited at 7am the teaspoon of pumpkin I gave him around 6 am.
Weird thing was, though he was low energy, he still seemed kind of bright eyed, not tiptoing around or acting like he was super ill. But I could tell something was off.

Left the house, came back to diarrhea everywhere. Monday night fed him two tablespoons of white rice and about one teaspoon of plain baked chicken breast with NO spices. Threw it up all night. In the morning had blackish poop with red mucous jelly. Smelled bad and iron-y but not like poop at all.

Took him to the vet. They tested his poop. Found NOTHING. Slightly dehydrated but nothing terrible, gums were tacky but pink. 

Vet couldn't really say much more. sent us home with Metronidazole. 250 mg tablets, to take half in morning and half at night, for 7 days. Started last night with a teaspoon of baby food (beef with broth, super bland, I tasted it). No Vomiting or diarrhea. Had again this morning with a tablespoon of baby food with no ill effects. Seems a little better. Drank a teensy bit of water. 

I'm surprised and worried that she couldn't find anything. She didn't deem it necessary to do a blood test, which I guess I understand. The pills ARE helping, but I've been lurking on this board for a while and have seen lots of posts on HGE. What if that is what it is? How could she say the tests were inconclusive?? How could NOTHING have showed up in the bloody, mucousy diarrhea I brought for sample???

If he had ecoli or salmonella poisoning, would that have shown on the fecal?

He eats acana or orijin for brekkie, and ziwipeak lamb for dinner. He gets healthy treats (dehydrated beef lung, dehydrated liver/sweet potato, etc), bully sticks, and soft food frozen in a kong occasionally.

Even though he is doing better, I am scared and worried, and baffled. He DID get into my friend's cat food Saturday night, but not very much and I don't understand how 1/4 cup of cat food would cause this reaction.

Please give me your thoughts and what I should do. I'm concerned we are just treating the symptoms and not what might actually be wrong. What can you all tell me about this drug he is taking?

Janie


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

My cat has IBS she is on Metronidazole,all the time when she has a flare up for 2-3 weeks so i wouldn't worry it will firm up the poos


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## JANIE (Feb 8, 2012)

Thank you for replying Michelle. I'm sorry my first post was so long and serious. I guess I'm just worried that we're not getting to the actual problem and this will happen again. I wish the vet had given me some more concrete answers as to why this happened, you know?


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Looks as if he's on the mend,it's always worrying when they're not well,but the metroniz is brilliant,my cat has been on and off it for 8 years now and steroids .


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## Mel's chi's (Jun 2, 2011)

Maybe he ate something strange that you don't know of? That happened to me with similar results of what you are describing. Metronidazole has worked wonders for me over the years when one of my crew has had tummy issues. See how this goes before you worry up. Glad he is on the mend!


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## JANIE (Feb 8, 2012)

Thanks guys. I appreciate it. 

Today I got home from work to no poo and no vomit. He is a little listless, but I spoke to the vet and she said that is normal since he has not been eating much. Wasn't too interested in the baby food or the yogurt I offered him. Now he's making pitiful whining sounds on the couch. He looks so sad  I just want him to feel better.

I'm happy to hear the meds have been so successful though. Is it true they can cause depression while taking them?


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## OzChi (Oct 26, 2011)

Maybe Bosco snuck something he wasn't supposed to and its upset his tummy? Sounds similar to something I went through with my little guy a couple of weeks ago.

Vomiting, mucous in his poop, very listless. Turns out my guy ate some rawhide and it swelled up in his tummy and iritated it. Vet put him on electrolytes and chicken and rice diet and he was fine in 3 days. It was very scary though, its not nice to see your hyper little man all quiet and feeling sorrry for himself. Hopefully Bosco is on the mend!


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## Kelliope (Mar 11, 2011)

Sorry, I don't want to scare you but I think that does sound serious. If it were me, I would be taking your little guy to another vet for a second opinion. It does sound like your dog does have symptoms for hge. I just wouldn't want to take any chances. I am sending your little guy my best healing thoughts!


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