# Very Sick Dog has not eaten for 4 days



## chrisl121212

My dog Lexie is very sick. She's been vomitting and had mild diarhea. We took her to the vet and they gave us some medication. She WAS throwing up everything she ate or drank. Now she is too afraid to eat anything. We've been trying to feed the dog everything from treats to freezer pops. She even passed down bacon, cheese, honey, and many other things she loves. She is very thin and starving. She has not eaten anything for 4 days, and we can't afford to hospitalize her and have them put her on an IV. Any suggestions good really possibly save her life. Please give us suggestions, we are VERY desperate.


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## Binkalette

Well, first of all stop trying to feed her things like bacon, cheese, and honey. Her stomach is very sensitive right now, and you need to start feeding her things that are very bland. Things that are high in fat/sugars will only upset her. Give her some boiled chicken and rice. Cook your rice until it's very very soggy (it's easier to digest that way) and mix it with boiled chicken. When I make boiled chicken and rice I put my chicken in the food processor so it mixes with the rice better, and so I can feed it in smaller portions.. you can probably just cut it into small pieces though. I hope this helps!


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## chrisl121212

Binkalette said:


> Well, first of all stop trying to feed her things like bacon, cheese, and honey. Her stomach is very sensitive right now, and you need to start feeding her things that are very bland. Things that are high in fat/sugars will only upset her. Give her some *boiled chicken and rice*. Cook your rice until it's very very soggy (it's easier to digest that way) and mix it with boiled chicken. When I make boiled chicken and rice I put my chicken in the food processor so it mixes with the rice better, and so I can feed it in smaller portions.. you can probably just cut it into small pieces though. I hope this helps!


We did try to give her that first. That is what the vet said to feed her. She didn't eat that, so we got desperate. She won't eat ANYTHING right now. She only vommited 2 times today, so her stomach is feeling better. Any other suggestions on how to get her to eat?!


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## Dakota Spirit

I don't have any suggestions on getting her to eat, but - 

Have you tried calling the vet, just for advice? That doesn't cost anything and they will be better suited to give you suggestions as they know your dog's history/have seen her personally. Was she this bad off when they saw her? Was she diagnosed anything? If the situation has changed, then they'd likely have new treatments in mind. 

Also, have you looked into the possibility of payment plans? Some vets, when the situation is desperate, will offer different options to the owner. 

I know you cannot afford full hospitalization - but I don't think this is a situation that can be fully dealt with at home. She's starving herself, vomiting, and possibly getting worse. There could be some underlying problem there that needs immediate attention.


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## tunisianswife

if she won't eat, at least she has to have fluids. If she is already starting to show some signs of improvement, try giving her some pedialyte unflavored. it will at least replace some of the electrolytes that she has lost through the vomiting. will she possibly drink some chicken broth(sans the fat)? try to get her to drink. 

if she is very dehydrated, and has lost alot of her lytes through vomiting, she could start having heart arrhythmias. 

Have you asked your vet how much it would be to give some IV or sub-q fluids? might not be as expensive as you think. also can shop around if you have more than one vet in your area just to see what their costs are.


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## megbot

Have you tried syringe feeding? I've done this for a pet before (guinea pig... but the principle remains). I mixed in pedialyte with some of her food, and fed it to her with a syringe. There's also a tube of a high calorie supplement, I forget what it's called, you can get from the vet for situations like this.


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## agility collie mom

Did your vet give sq fluids? If you feel comfortable doing it at home yourself most vets will teach you how. It is not that expensive usually a bag of lactated ringers cost around $10 (which should last you quite a while with a small breed dog) and the kit and needles are only a few dollars. Here is a supplement that you can give. It is not that expensive you can find it at most pet food stores.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2755091


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## Dozi

chrisl121212 said:


> My dog Lexie is very sick. She's been vomitting and had mild diarhea. We took her to the vet and they gave us some medication. She WAS throwing up everything she ate or drank. Now she is too afraid to eat anything. We've been trying to feed the dog everything from treats to freezer pops. She even passed down bacon, cheese, honey, and many other things she loves. She is very thin and starving. She has not eaten anything for 4 days, and we can't afford to hospitalize her and have them put her on an IV. Any suggestions good really possibly save her life. Please give us suggestions, we are VERY desperate.


If she's not getting better I would take her back to the vet or at least call them and tell them what you just posted. Make sure she's pooping because this can also be caused by them being backed up. Which could be the case if you feed her all kinds of nonsense on a regular basis.
If you can't afford medical care for your pet, maybe you should consider giving her up to a home that can provide proper care for her.


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## kritterkare

go to the pet store and get some probiotics it comes in a tube and it will help he stomach get back on tract feed her boiled chicken and rice or any type of bland food. she may come around but its best to check with vet 1st


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## Ludo the Monster

First you need to get liquids into that pup. Most likely she is throwing up now because her stomach is empty (Ludo does this when he is stubborn and wont eat sometimes). If she refuses to drink, grab a squirt bottle and spray it on her tongue (hold her if needed). It doesn't seem nice but she needs to taste water.

Next, get some pedialyte or high calorie liquid supplement. Try rubbing honey on her gums. Ludo did this once (no eating or drinking for days after an illness). My vet told me that dogs get stuck into a pattern. They are sick so they don't eat so their energy drops so they don't need to eat so they don't eat so their energy stays low and so on and so forth. You have to raise her energy level (or blood sugar) back to normal levels. My vet always recommended honey on the gums.

If nothing else works you must take her to the vet. Perhaps they will let you do fluids at home (much cheaper) or work out a payment plan for you. Good luck, and please let us know how it goes.


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## Binkalette

How is Lexie doing?? Any updates?


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## chrisl121212

Binkalette said:


> How is Lexie doing?? Any updates?


We are force feeding her today. Yesterday she was doing fine, only had diarrhea yesterday. Today she is again not eating. She's vomitting, and is having bad diarrhea. We're using the syringe method to force feed her. We've been giving her water with the syringe to keep her hydrated. We called the vet and asked for suggestions and they gave the same suggestions as you guys did. But right after we force feed her, she just throws it up. She's been throwing up her medicine too. We tried feeding her Nutri-Cal®, but she hates it and keeps throwing it up. We have been trying to feed her ground meat with rice. We just finished trying honey on the gums, so we will so how that went. My mother is wondering if is there any baby food that is appetizing and might work?


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## cshellenberger

She needs to be in the vets office on an IV. Dehydration can cause vomiting, which leads to worse dehydration. Once this pattern is established it's VERY hard to break without IV fluids.


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## tunisianswife

sounds like she really needs to get to the vet. a small dog especially can't sustain themselves for longer periods of time with all that vomiting/diarrhea. Have you inquired about the cost of some iv fluids or sub-q??


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## Binkalette

cshellenberger said:


> She needs to be in the vets office on an IV. Dehydration can cause vomiting, which leads to worse dehydration. Once this pattern is established it's VERY hard to break without IV fluids.


I can attest to this. When I had my wisdom teeth out a few years back, I had a reaction or something to either the anesthesia or the pain pills they gave me.. I only took one of the pain pills, but I started throwing up that night, and threw up for five days. I couldn't keep any food down what so ever. My mom had gotten me some anti-nausea type drugs on the second or third day.. but they didn't work at all. 

On the morning of the fifth day they took me to the doctor, who sent me immediately down to the ER.. They gave me an IV and put 2 liters of water into me and some antibiotics. The doctor there had told me that I should be done throwing up now, and I had only been continuing to throw up because I was soooo dehydrated. I hadn't even known just how dehydrated I had been. They had a LOT of trouble finding a vein to put the IV into because of it. I didn't throw up again after the IV.. I was a happy camper. 

Anyway, yes I agree, take her to the vet to get some IV fluids. It shouldn't cost much.


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## agility collie mom

How is your little dog? What did your vet originally say was wrong?


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## patiolantern

> If you can't afford medical care for your pet, maybe you should consider giving her up to a home that can provide proper care for her.


I don't think it's fair to tell this person to give up their dog because they can't afford thousands of dollars in medical care. They are here trying to do the best they can with what they can afford and don't need someone telling them they don't provide proper care.


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## spotted nikes

patiolantern said:


> I don't think it's fair to tell this person to give up their dog because they can't afford thousands of dollars in medical care. They are here trying to do the best they can with what they can afford and don't need someone telling them they don't provide proper care.


It's much better to be kind, and not upset the owner, and just let her dog suffer and die...


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## patiolantern

Well as I see it, she is trying to save her dog and is asking for advice on what to do "other" than surrender the dog to someone else's unknown care.


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## spotted nikes

patiolantern said:


> Well as I see it, she is trying to save her dog and is asking for advice on what to do "other" than surrender the dog to someone else's unknown care.


She was told what to do...see a vet. She can beg borrow or steal the money, but the dog needs a vet. I'm sure she loves the dog, but the dog doesn't care that it's owner loves it, when it is suffering. That doesn't make it better. If she can't figure out a way to get vet care (pawn stuff, borrow money from friends, relatives, Carecredit), then she needs to turn it over to a rescue or AC. That is better than letting it suffer and die.

If the dog had been hit by a car and had broken bones sticking out of it's body, what would she do? Post on a BB for hints on how to care for it? Hopefully not. Well, this is as much of an emergency. So she needs to do whatever she would do if there were broken bones/bleeding. Vet, give it up, something.


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## Pawzk9

What does your vet think is wrong with her? A couple of things (depending on age, etc. which you didn't mention) might be parvo or pancreatitis. With pancreatitis, you have to rest the digestive system, and the dog (or human) doesn't actually eat for several days. But of course MUST be supported with fluids. Sometimes vets will allow you to give IV at home if you can't afford hospitilization and most vets offer "care credit" which allows you to make payments. But you need to go back to the vet and figure out what is going on.


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## Pawzk9

chrisl121212 said:


> We are force feeding her today. Yesterday she was doing fine, only had diarrhea yesterday. Today she is again not eating. She's vomitting, and is having bad diarrhea. We're using the syringe method to force feed her. We've been giving her water with the syringe to keep her hydrated. We called the vet and asked for suggestions and they gave the same suggestions as you guys did. But right after we force feed her, she just throws it up. She's been throwing up her medicine too. We tried feeding her Nutri-Cal®, but she hates it and keeps throwing it up. We have been trying to feed her ground meat with rice. We just finished trying honey on the gums, so we will so how that went. My mother is wondering if is there any baby food that is appetizing and might work?


WHAT DOES THE VET THINK IS WRONG WITH HER? (Yes, I am shouting). Vomiting and not eating is a symptom of something. Treatment depends on knowing what is wrong with her. Go to the vet. Get diagnostics. If you can't afford them, arrange credit or pawn a few items. Your dog needs veterinary care. If your vet won't work with you, find another vet. I'm amazed that the vet hasn't offered more, unless you've told him you're not willing to pay for anything.


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## RonE

patiolantern said:


> They are here trying to do the best they can with what they can afford and don't need someone telling them they don't provide proper care.


This thread is from 2009 and the original poster hasn't been here for three years!

In other words, they are not here at all.


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## Pawzk9

RonE said:


> This thread is from 2009 and the original poster hasn't been here for three years!
> 
> In other words, they are not here at all.


Oh, oops. Hope the dog lived, but I doubt it.


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## Fade

To me this is what it means to own a dog. not just paying for food and vaccinations but understanding it also means you need to be able to afford care for a sick dog. I think this dog probably had parvo. and if it DID have parvo...it should not have if the dog was vaccinated...but it is left out A LOT for financial reasons. that is all purely speculation but it really seems like parvo and if it was vaccinated dogs rarely catch it. I sit here wondering if the dog lived or not because those symptoms will take a dogs life very quickly.


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