# Please help ~ very sick chihuahua :(



## Bella'sMama (Apr 9, 2013)

Hi, I am new here but hoping to get some advice if any of you have gone through this with your chi. My girl, Bella, is 6 years old. She started having loose stools soon after the recent loss of our other dog, who was PTS due to cancer. We took her to the vet and she prescribed probiotics and canned Purina EN food. She also suggested giving canned unsweetened pumpkin. They did blood work to check all her levels and also tested for Valley Fever and did a stool test to rule out parasites. Everything came back normal except they said her liver value was on the lower side of normal. They gave me a prescription for Denamarin. It has been less than a week and her symptoms have worsened, no improvement. Today she started vomiting and her stools turned to watery diarrhea. I took her back to my vet and they did x-rays. The xrays showed a lot of gas. They gave her barium to see how it traveled through her and said everything looked normal. My vet said she thinks it is either IBD or pancreatitis. She gave Bella a shot for nausea, fluids (she was dehydrated), and a prescription for a steroid called Prednisolone. Bella lost a half a pound since last Thursday. I am worried sick! The vet said to stop feeding the Purina EN and now I am feeding her rice and boiled hamburger. She said to keep giving the probiotics and Denamarin. We are hoping Bella will start to improve over the next 5 days and then she is to go back for a recheck. If she gets worse then I need to take her to the ER b/c the vet is closed the next 2 days.

My question to you all is if you've gone through this... or if your dog has IBD or pancreatitis. Do her symptoms sound like what you've seen in your dog? Is the prognosis good for either of these? The vet said if she doesn't get better the next step would be to do an ultrasound. I am so scared she is going to keep losing weight and die! I just lost my 12 year old dog and can't handle the thought of losing Bella, too. Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Thank you!


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## I<3Charlie-chi (Feb 25, 2011)

Sorry I can't be of any help, just wanted to say hope your baby gets better soon. Sorry about you losing your other dog, we lost our rottweiler, Jake last year to osteosarcoma and I still haven't got over it  x


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## AussieLass (Mar 1, 2012)

Hi there, thoughts are with you. It sounds like everything that should be done is being done. Did you get copies of the bloods etc? If so, it may help to type them up here because we have girls who can understand & translate them quite well.

I do hope you don't have to go to the ER Vet, but the good side of that is that often they're fantastic with superior equipment, pool their vast collective knowledge, and seem to go to the ends of the earth to get to the bottom of things without delay.

The only thing I would do differently is feed bland cooked rice and chicken because, in my experience, hamburger (or mince as we call it) can be full of chemicals & preservatives to change its colour, keep it fresh & heaven only knows what else. Also some people find beef gives their dogs tummy troubles, especially if they're not accustomed to it.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

AussieLass said:


> Hi there, thoughts are with you. It sounds like everything that should be done is being done. Did you get copies of the bloods etc? If so, it may help to type them up here because we have girls who can understand & translate them quite well.
> 
> I do hope you don't have to go to the ER Vet, but the good side of that is that often they're fantastic with superior equipment, pool their vast collective knowledge, and seem to go to the ends of the earth to get to the bottom of things without delay.
> 
> The only thing I would do differently is feed bland cooked rice and chicken because, in my experience, hamburger (or mince as we call it) can be full of chemicals & preservatives to change its colour, keep it fresh & heaven only knows what else. Also some people find beef gives their dogs tummy troubles, especially if they're not accustomed to it.


Agree with Dee here. I am not a fan of prescription diets. I avoid them and make my own. I would also pick up some pedialyte from store and give her small drinks to keep her hydrated.


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Our cat had IBD for years she was on antibiotics (metronidazole)(prednisone)then steroids,then back on both at the same time, then steroids for life, but in very mild dose the vet had to get the dose just right so took a lot of visits .I do hope she will be ok i know how awful it is for you and her


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

My chi was just diagnosed with elevated liver numbers (hepatitis). She was on a medication like Denamarin and a liver cleanse diet, which I wouldn't recommend until her stomach issues are under control. Also, I would agree with Dee and go chicken instead of hamburger I think. I would be happy to provide you with a protein pureen list that is acceptable for liver but good protein amounts. I also am not a fan of the prescription diets--I prefer homecooking. I may be wrong, but I didn't think pancreatitis was that hard to diagnose. I would think if it's that the vet should know pretty quickly and treat accordingly. Please keep us posted!!! I am so sorry you are going through this on the heels of losing your other beloved dog. I sure pray for Bella's quick recovery.


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## EmberLuvu (Oct 24, 2011)

I'm sorry to hear this. Don't feed rice and hamburger, it's best to feed bland chicken and rice right now, instead of hamburger or prescription diets for reasons explained above.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I second the suggestion of getting some pedialyte or a subsitute the vet prescribes. Very good at preventing dehydration.


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## ittychichilover (Feb 10, 2013)

I hope your little one gets better soon!! I agree with the bland diet...rice and stove top boiled chicken breast without any seasonings and fat/skin pulled off etc. The darker chicken meat can be a bit rich for their tummies when sick. When my chi was puking and had diarrhea this is what I fed him per my vet. He got into something and had a reaction. We still are not sure what that was. She gave him a shot to stop the vomiting and pink medicine to coat his tummy. Anyway, he drank a bit of pedialtye the 1st night and when he wouldn't drink that anymore I added plain coconut water to his chicken/rice to at least get him hydrated. After his tummy started to settle I also gave him coconut water with a baby dropper that you would use to give a toddler cold medicine. The coconut water really helped with hydration. The vet said if he couldn't keep the chicken and rice diet down to feed him chicken baby food. I didn't have to do that though. Good luck


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

My little dude has IBD. He's on antibiotic (metronidazole) and steroid therapy. It's under control enough now that we are only having to use the Meds about once a week. Pancreatitis can have similar symptoms. Chance is on Hills ZD, prescription diet. And while I hate the prescription diet, it helped in getting him well. He was very sick as you mention your baby is. Lots of vet visits, blood work, etc. We also did vitamin injections at home. The vitamin he was taking escapes my mind right now. We did that for 6 weeks. The combo of Meds and diet I believe saved his life. He would get so dehydrated that we were doing sub q fluids regularly. It was getting very expensive. But the worst part was watching him be so ill, and the fear of his prognosis. Pancreatitis and IBD are treatable. But both can be life threatening without proper treatment. Usually within a few days after start of treatment you should see improvement. I personally would not feed hamburger. It's a greasy meat which will only aggravate either illness. You definitely don't want anything greasy in their diet with pancreatitis. I would get a second opinion ASAP. Please keep us posted. Healing thoughts being sent to your Angel. 

Chance's IBD is now under control well enough that I'm slowly trying to get him off the ZD diet. But I'd rather feed that than have a very ill pup. I think soon I'll have him off the ZD completely. He's been on it for going on 2 years.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I would not try a bunch of different foods, home remedies, or anything until you know what's going on for sure.


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## Bella'sMama (Apr 9, 2013)

Hi, thank you all so much for the replies & advice. I'm sorry I haven't posted an update sooner. I had already started Bella on the hamburger and rice (93% lean, boiled and drained). I did ask my vet about the chicken but she said to stick with one protein source and I had already fed her the other. Bella's bowel movements have definitely improved ~ she is still going quite often (4-5x a day) but it is formed now, though still too soft and don't look 'normal'. The new concern I have is a symptom that started today and I have never seen before in any animal ~ her rib cage started contracting and expanding really strange. I just got home from work and I called my husband (he works opposite shifts so he was here with her this morning/afternoon) and he said he saw her do it then, too. What the heck is that???  My vet is closed today but they are open tomorrow. If she starts acting weird I'll bring her to the ER tonight. She seems a little more active today and she definitely still has her appetite, but she's SO skinny and the rib cage thing is freaking me out. Any ideas? PS To answer one question asked, I don't have copies of her bloodwork but I will ask for it when I go back to the vet and let you all know the actual #'s. Thank you again!!


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

Sounds like dry heaving. Like she's nauseous and trying to throw up. I'd stay on top of everything until she's showing significant improvement. Keep us updated. xxx


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