# What Are Symptoms Of Blockage??



## babsdawn55 (Oct 13, 2007)

My Cockapoo has been vomiting for 2 days and nights now. She was given pills for nausea yesterday at the vets. She tries to have bowel movements, but only mucus comes out. 
What are symptoms of blockage? Though the vet didn't discuss this possibility, I am concerned... because she does chew on rawhide chew bones...


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

babsdawn55 said:


> My Cockapoo has been vomiting for 2 days and nights now. She was given pills for nausea yesterday at the vets. She tries to have bowel movements, but only mucus comes out.
> What are symptoms of blockage? Though the vet didn't discuss this possibility, I am concerned... because she does chew on rawhide chew bones...


I would take her back to hte vet now..... not being able to defecate and the vomiting are both symptoms..... does the vomit smell terrible...???? 
also is your dog stretching quite a bit.... ???? 

I wouldn't take the risk.... a blockage can kill your dog it is important that you catch this early.... sometimes when the vet palpates they may not be able to feel whatever is blocking the pup until it moves further along the intestinal tract..... 

considering the inability to poop and the straining as well as the vomiting... I would guess that your dog is indeed blocked and I would get him to the vet ASAP Rawhides are notorious for causing blockages...... 

please keep us posted... I have been through this with my cuinn twice in the past six months.... first for a sock.... second for clumping cat litter...... 


VET NOW! 
s


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

Shalva said:


> VET NOW!
> s


Ditto!!! Did the sock thing with Rowdy - Don't waste ANY TIME.


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

Yes! *VET NOW!!!* Vomiting, unproductive poops are DEFINITELY symptoms. Please, do not wait, go NOW to the vet!


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## FriendsOfZoe (Aug 7, 2007)

Ah yes, the blockage. There are other symptoms, too, with the way the stomach feels (looking for gas pockets and such), that only vets should diagnose. I know Zoe eats things that we shouldn't have let her get, so we generally make a vet visit out of every bout of vomiting. It's been nothing every time--just bland diet and maybe an anti-nausea shot, but I don't ever want to take the chance. If she's vomiting, I just always assume she swalled something bad and have the vet look at her, feel her belly, and do x/rays if they feel it's necessary. Especially because productive poop can continue even after something becomes blocked--everything beyond the blockage will still come out, so I generally don't even wait to see if Zoe has BMs beyond the first couple that would be clearing the rest of the system.

I'm surprised your vet did not mention a possible blockage when you went earlier. Our vet always lets us go home with a list of things to look for that, if we see any of them, we are supposed to bring her back immediately.


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## babsdawn55 (Oct 13, 2007)

I'm really frustrated! While you all are telling me to go NOW to the vet... the tech. on call for the weekend is making it look like no big deal, and that I am maybe not doing the right things. She said to make sure Gracie is having NO WATER OR FOOD (I only had given her an ice cube last night and just a tiny bit of water this morning)... then she made it sound like the pill that the vet gave me to give to her ... was making her vomit.???? I'm like... why would that make her vomit? It's supposed to be making her better! So I took Gracie for a walk along the canal (it's a beautiful day!) and she seemed to love it... but I couldn't resist not giving her a drink when she got home. Of course she vomited it up later. Now if I call the tech tonight to tell her she is still vomiting, she will say its cause I gave her the water... but I know that it's not that... 
Gracie is just laying around and hiding under the bed.... but the walk seemed to do her good for a time. We were hoping it would inspire a good BM but not so. 
Like I said, I'm really frustrated with this tech... and the vet she saw on Sat. was not her regular vet, it was a new one there...

Oh... and also I wanted to add that the vet didn't even give her a shot for the nausea... just gave me the pills to take home. You would think she would have given her a shot, since she wasn't keeping anything down... I am just so sad for my baby, I want her to feel better.

Adding one more thing... it is Sunday and the Vets office is closed. It was the emergency number that I called. There were a lot of kids crying and talking in the background, so I'm thinking the tech. had her mind on other things...

Also... no the vomit does not smell bad, it's just yellow and odorless. And no, she does not seem to be stretching much...


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## Renoman (Mar 20, 2007)

Is there a 24 hour emergency clinic you can take her to? If so, I'd be on my way there *now*. 

I'd also call the tech back and be very insistent on her contacting my regular vet or at the very least the vet she saw on Saturday so you could speak with them directly. I never heard of a tech being on call. At my vet, the answering service contacts whichever vet is on call and they call me back. 

On another note, if you feel the tech did not have your dog's best interests in mind when you talked to her, and you think she was pre-occupied and just blowing you off... call the office Monday morning and talk to the Office Manager or Supervisor, maybe they've had problems with this tech before.


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## FriendsOfZoe (Aug 7, 2007)

I have had the vet say no food or water for 24 hours to let the stomach rest...however, Zoe got an injection of subcutaneous fluids before then so she wouldn't become dehydrated. You can't fast food AND water without having something like that to insure hydration. If it were me, I would be calling the vet or getting to an emergency clinic and demanding x-rays. After 2 days of vomiting, you need the x-rays to at least look for an obvious obstruction. Your dog also needs fluids very badly by this time...either subcut. or possibly even an IV at this point. When Zoe vomited for 2 days before, we had already done x-rays and ruled out a blockage, but she was still not in the clear--she couldn't keep any water down and needed to spend the night at the hospital attached to an IV so she wouldn't become dehydrated. Perhaps the vet already checked the stomach and doesn't believe it's a blockage, but after 2 days of vomiting, any vet should be worried about dehydration even if it is just a stomach bug.

I can't help but wonder if this is a result of people who complain that the vets give too many unnecessary treatments (anti-nausea meds, x-rays, etc.) and charge too much. I would rather pay for too many precautions than not enough, however, and after two days of vomiting, I would demand x-rays and an injection of fluids and an anti-nausea shot so that my dog would start feeling better. I would get to an emergency clinic if I were you, and spell out exactly what your concerns are and what you're looking for. Your poor pup...


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

FriendsOfZoe said:


> I have had the vet say no food or water for 24 hours to let the stomach rest...however, Zoe got an injection of subcutaneous fluids before then so she wouldn't become dehydrated. You can't fast food AND water without having something like that to insure hydration. If it were me, I would be calling the vet or getting to an emergency clinic and demanding x-rays. After 2 days of vomiting, you need the x-rays to at least look for an obvious obstruction. Your dog also needs fluids very badly by this time...either subcut. or possibly even an IV at this point. When Zoe vomited for 2 days before, we had already done x-rays and ruled out a blockage, but she was still not in the clear--she couldn't keep any water down and needed to spend the night at the hospital attached to an IV so she wouldn't become dehydrated. Perhaps the vet already checked the stomach and doesn't believe it's a blockage, but after 2 days of vomiting, any vet should be worried about dehydration even if it is just a stomach bug.
> 
> I can't help but wonder if this is a result of people who complain that the vets give too many unnecessary treatments (anti-nausea meds, x-rays, etc.) and charge too much. I would rather pay for too many precautions than not enough, however, and after two days of vomiting, I would demand x-rays and an injection of fluids and an anti-nausea shot so that my dog would start feeling better. I would get to an emergency clinic if I were you, and spell out exactly what your concerns are and what you're looking for. Your poor pup...


there is no real way to check a blockage..... 
with my cuinn the blockage wasn't apparent either on physical exam or ultrasound.... but there was definitely a sock in there..... 
he had been sick for about 4 days..... we had planned exploratory surgery for the next morning because there was something going on... he couldn't poop and was vomitting.... he crashed that night went into shock and the ER clinic pulled out a sock..... 

there are many things that dont' show up on ultrasound and if the blocking thing is not far enough down the intestinal tract they may not be able to feel it through a manual exam

s


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

I will tell you the story of a foster we had once. He came from the track to our kennel like any other foster. He was a bit reserved for the first few weeks, but I figured that was just his personality. Then one night he refused dinner. The next day he ate breakfast but vomited it up later that day. Refused dinner. OK, maybe he as a bug in his system...tell the adoption group what's going on...the next morning he ate breakfast of boiled chicken and rice. All's fine. During this time he had no abdominal tenderness, eat drinking and eliminating (pee and poop) fine. That night refused dinner again and the next morning ate fine. That night he vomited up a lot of undigested food. I call the group and say, something's wrong, he's got to go to the vet ASAP. Still no abdominal tenderness, abnormal belly sounds or anything like that. A bit of lethargy but if a dog's not feeling well, I dont' expect them to be running circles around the yard. By this point he's up in the house with us so we can watch him. In the hours it took the group to set up the vet appointment and find a volunteer to take him he got very, very ill.

The first vet he saw didn't do much but take blood. He did not have all the classic symptoms of a blockage but he did have some. She took an xray but *did not read it* IDIOT! Now the adoption group is fighting with the vet (this happened on a Sunday and the vet "on call" said there was no point reading the xray b/c she couldn't do surgery. ARGH! Adoption group insists on picking up the dog and driving him the hour and a half to the normal vet the group uses. Dagger was in surgery pretty much right away. He had a partial blockage where his stomach and intestines meet. So...some food was getting through but some was being backed up. However, some of his intestines caught up in the blockage had died and become necrotic. They removed a large section of his intestines, but he unfortunately died from complications within a couple days.

The vet pulled out a huge wad of carpet and carpet fibers. Now, we don't use carpet or have any in our kennel. The only place he had access to carpet was at the race track where they use carpet remnants as bedding in some kennels. He was with us for roughly a month before he started having *any* symptoms. So...don't think back to what your dog ate recently....it can be anything they've eaten in the last several weeks that is causing a problem.

In my mind, I know that we (me and the adoption group) followed normally accepted protocols when a dog gets in icky tummy. What I would have done for my own dogs. I kept telling myself and the group that it *couldn't* be a blockage b/c I know everything in my kennel and my yard and I always watch the dogs like a hawk. He hadn't eaten anything that would cause a blockage. But, my heart breaks every time I think about it. If I'd suspected a blockage he'd have been at the vet the same day he started showing symptoms...but b/c he didn't have ALL the classic symptoms we waited to see if it would pass. Same thing with the first vet. Idiot that she turned out to be. Some symptoms of a blockage but nothing that was completely obvious. Who knows if surgery a day or two earlier would have saved him. Maybe...in my heart I think probably.

So, if your dog may have a blockage, I implore you to advocate on behalf of your dog! Do not let a vet tech tell you to sit back and wait if you believe your dog is ill. Also, I would not withold food AND water from a dog - there is a risk of them dehydrating. SubQ fluids will help prevent that.

This is Dagger...a dog who died way too young. A dog I will always feel like I failed b/c I waited before insisting he go to a vet. I will never ever fail another dog like that. If I have the remoted suspicions of a blockage, I get a dog to the vet for a thorough exam/xray.









Most likely, it's nothing. Most likely, whatever it is will pass. But, take it from me that the pain and hurt you will feel if it *isn't* "nothing" and if it doesn't "just pass" is heart-wrenchingly awful. It's been almost two years since Dagger passed. His ashes stay beside me on the end table of our TV room. His collar stays in our kennel so that he will never be forgotten.


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## Renoman (Mar 20, 2007)

lovemygreys said:


> Most likely, it's nothing. Most likely, whatever it is will pass. But, take it from me that the pain and hurt you will feel if it *isn't* "nothing" and if it doesn't "just pass" is heart-wrenchingly awful. It's been almost two years since Dagger passed. His ashes stay beside me on the end table of our TV room. His collar stays in our kennel so that he will never be forgotten.


What a handsome boy Dagger was. 

How sorry I am that you had to go through that hard lesson. It's difficult enough when we lose a loved companion, but when we feel we failed somehow and are responsible for that loss, it stays with us a very long time. I know.


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## FriendsOfZoe (Aug 7, 2007)

Shalva said:


> there is no real way to check a blockage.....


Right, I should have made that more clear. The x-rays can show some things, but the vets mostly use the x-rays to look for abnormal gas patterns that could indicate blockage and to have a baseline view if they end up doing a barium test or if the dog doesn't improve. With Zoe, we like to get the initial, "it doesn't look like a blockage right now" and since we don't know of anything for sure that she ate, we are more comfortable going on a 24-hour fast and then trying the bland diet...luckily that has worked every time for us, but obviously with a blockage she would not get better after the fast.

Always hard to tell with a blockage, and it can get so serious so fast (as LMG showed)...which is why we tend to rush to the vet with the first signs of stomach trouble. Better safe than sorry. And that's why I recommended that, blockage or not, after two days of vomitting, the OP really needs to demand some better treatmetnt/examination of his/her dog.

Out of curiosity, Shalva, did Cuinn get a barium series w/x-rays? Or did you already know he ate the sock and were able to push right for surgery?


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## babsdawn55 (Oct 13, 2007)

Thank you all for your input. I found a veternarian hospital just minutes from where I live and luckily there was someone there I could talk to. She called the vet who was on call for the weekend and we met him there 1/2 hour later. He examined Gracie and kept her there for blood work, x rays and and IV. He just called me a while ago to let me know that there was nothing in the blood work, but that the xray showed a lot of gas that has collected in a spot in her intestine. He said it could be a number of things but first he will treat her overnight for virus or something else??? ... I forget what he said... but he was going to give her the meds to fight whatever it was... and tomorrow see how she does on water and bland food .. if there is no improvement then it could be that she would need to go for exploratory surgury. He said IF it would be a blockage it wouldn't be a total one, but partial. 
I am so sad  to have my Gracie in the hospital. But I am grateful to all of you who encouraged me to pursue this. Even if she is better by tomorrow  .... 
Needless to say, Gracie's "used to be" vet will get a letter from me explaining why she is no longer a patient.
THANKS AGAIN.... and say a prayer for my Gracie....

Oh.. and if there is abnormal gas patterns.... what exactly can that mean??? (other than a blockage)? He explained it to me on the phone, but I forgot some of what he said... I am praying that she wont have to have surgery.


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

I am so glad your kid is at the vet where they can watch her. I am very concerned about her so please keep us posted. 
s


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## Renoman (Mar 20, 2007)

I am so glad you decided to follow everyone's advice. You may be looking at nothing, but you may be looking at something that could have been a major problem if not treated immediately. It's so much better to err on the side of caution than to beat yourself up because you didn't. 

At least now Gracie is being watched and treated accordingly.

I agree, you should send a letter to your 'previous' vet letting them know why you have gone elsewhere. They may look at their procedures/practices and rethink them. Like having a tech on call instead of a vet! 

I hope Gracie is going to be alright. We will be thinking of her.


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## FriendsOfZoe (Aug 7, 2007)

Glad to hear she's at the hospital getting the help she needs. 

As for your question about the gas on the x-rays, all I know is that some gas patterns can indicate possible obstruction...pretty vague, sorry. Next time you talk to the vet, you could ask them again what different gas patterns could mean.


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## Ella'sMom (Jul 23, 2007)

Praying for Gracie. Please let us know how she is.


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## Chikadee (Feb 27, 2007)

Hopefully she is ok!

Achilles was just at the vet for the same thing about 3 weeks ago. He was lethargic, not eating and vomitting everything, so I took him in and they took x-rays, did tests, etc, and they couldn't figure out what it was and he had a fever of 106.4, so they transfered him from the ER vet to his regular vet the next morning where he stayed for 2 days. His x-rays showed a lot of abnormal gas patterns at the ER vet and they re-did them at the normal vet the next afternoon and they hadn't changed, so they did an ultrasound as well and they thought he could have had a blockage, but they couldn't tell without exploratory surgery. Poor guy looked so miserable. The vet wanted to watch him overnight and keep him on fluids so we did that and if he didn't improve by the next afternoon he was going to have to have the surgery. So there I was stressing out, trying to figure out how to get the $500 deposit for the surgery, calling everyone I knew (finally got it from my ex-step mother) and the next afternoon the little booger was perfectly fine! His x-rays were clear, they never did find out what was wrong with him... but I'm so glad I took him in anyway, you never know what could happen. 

I hope your Gracie is doing ok! Make sure you let us know how she's doing!


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## babsdawn55 (Oct 13, 2007)

Thank you! Ahhhh (Ellas mom).... your puppy looks like my Gracie, except Gracie is just a bit darker. Adorable!!!! I tried to download her pic on here but couldn't get it to work. Thank you ALL for your support and advice. I will keep you updated.


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

So glad you were able to get her some help! Any word on how she is doing today?


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## babsdawn55 (Oct 13, 2007)

UPDATE on Gracie: She was still not eating today, but drinking small amounts of water without vomiting. She had been on an IV and some meds to help with the sickness. She refused food though, so I brought her home today for about an hour to see if I could get her to eat broiled chicken but no go. I did take her for a walk around the block before returning her to the hospital and she did a watery BM which I thought was a good sign (at least she's getting it out). I stopped back after work to visit with her and the assistant told me that she offered her food when I brought her back in and she did eat a little  Hopefully she will keep it down ok. I have to go out of town tomorrow and will be back the next day... and am praying all goes well and she'll be able to come home then. I'm still not sure what it is ... but I know the vet is giving her antibiotics and something to stimulate her apitite also. She seemed a little better tonight... I'm hoping she doesn't get depressed that I'm not able to visit with her tomorrow... She seems to like the people there. It is a great Animal Hospital and I'm glad you all encouraged me to take her in yesterday... She will be going there permanantly. I'll keep you updated... and thanks again!!!


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## Chikadee (Feb 27, 2007)

How is Gracie today?


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## babsdawn55 (Oct 13, 2007)

Gracie came home tonight  and she is her fiesty little self again. She is on an antibiotic and the vet diagnosed her with gastroentritis????.... She has to stay on I/d food for a time till her stomach is back to normal. 
Thank you for asking! Gracie says to tell all thanks for caring!!!


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## Chikadee (Feb 27, 2007)

Oh good!! I am so glad to hear it!


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## FriendsOfZoe (Aug 7, 2007)

Yep, gastroenteritis=stomach bug. She'll be feeling great in no time. Just make sure you slowly transition away from the ID. With Zoe, we usually try to do 2-3 days of ID (giving her a couple of days once she's back to normal eating and poos) then start adding back one meal of kibble a day until all 3 meals are kibble with normal poos.

Another word of caution: ID plugs Zoe up (I think it's the rice). So your pup may not go poop much or very regularly. I think Zoe once went like 36 hours after going on ID before she pooped (because we were adding it back in small amounts and it doesn't go through the system so fast like normal kibble). The vet said this is normal (actually, its' why ID helps with diarrhea! ), but I thought I'd warn you in case it happens to you. I know I start getting really nervous that maybe she DID have a blockage and I'm anxiously awaiting that poo, but sometimes it takes awhile to come. Good luck!


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## babsdawn55 (Oct 13, 2007)

Thanks for the word of caution! It will keep me from being worried too much if she's not going. I am so thankful for the advice... oh, do you think she could have picked the bug up the week earlier when she was at the vets for her shots? Just curious.


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## 007Dogs (Aug 22, 2007)

You are still going to have to keep a close eye on her. Sometime they can have a blockage that will not show up on an X-ray or ultra sound. I am not trying to scare you, but make you aware. This is someone else's story taken from a different forum. 

Wow this really sounds like a Boxer we had about a year ago.For the longest time it had chronic diarrehea and vomiting. To make a long story short, they finally did an exploratory surgery and found an old baby bottle nibble. 
Unfortunetly it didn't show up on x-ray and didn't make a full lodge, so the dog continued to eat, but did have the diarreha and vomiting and lost so much weight to the point of being a skeleton. 
Because they didn't catch it in time, the intestines had sections that were basically dead, so it looked like swiss cheese. The dog did die 2 days later.

Just be be aware of any and all changes in her eating and eliminating patterns. Keep notes, so if you need to return to the vets, you have documented information for them.


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## babsdawn55 (Oct 13, 2007)

Yesterday Gracie was fine... and my husband took her for a walk, said she did 3 BMs normal.... She ate her I/d food fine.... Then was up in the middle of the night and vomited. ?????? She's laying around this morning again. Last night she had wanted to play, so I played with her and she was pretty active, do you think it might have triggered a relapse? She was starting to perk up a little before I went to work this morning. 
Thanks ... I will take notes each day and watch her (I always do anyway, but will be more aware)


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## Renoman (Mar 20, 2007)

Could it be too much food too soon? Would Gracie be better with frequent very small meals? It might be something to ask the vet.


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## babsdawn55 (Oct 13, 2007)

I found out that my husband had snuck her a couple marshmallos the night before  so maybe that's why she vomited that night. I am keeping her on the i/d and she is doing very well. Today she was back to her old self. It's good to have my dog back and not hiding under the bed or in the corner. 
Thanks for the advice....


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