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I have learned in the past that a dog being sick may not mean much at first, they clear out their systems i guess. My little one seems to go in spirts every few months getting sick and diarreah. Usually the 10mg pepcid AC works but sometimes she just won't eat and take the pill. We were out at 12 a.m. and then at 5 a.m. She was quiet all day today and then ate a bit at 3 p.m. and is still quiet. She is active, eats well, walks far, etc and will be 11 next week. Shi tzu. I hate seeing her sick, it breaks my heart, but last time it was $500 for xrays etc and she wound up with a pepcid shot and sent home. how do you know when to run....
Usually my gut instinct tells me when something is up...besides the obvious signs they may have of course.
I'm curious, have you priced other vets in your area? Or are you in a rural area where they're few and far between?
I will say, that if I felt hesitant about bringing my dogs to the vet because of the cost only and that was the determining factor....
I'd be scouting around for a new vet.
I feel very fortunate to have the vet that I do. Very reasonable and a very compassionate, and understanding person.
I have learned in the past that a dog being sick may not mean much at first, they clear out their systems i guess. My little one seems to go in spirts every few months getting sick and diarreah. Usually the 10mg pepcid AC works but sometimes she just won't eat and take the pill. We were out at 12 a.m. and then at 5 a.m. She was quiet all day today and then ate a bit at 3 p.m. and is still quiet. She is active, eats well, walks far, etc and will be 11 next week. Shi tzu. I hate seeing her sick, it breaks my heart, but last time it was $500 for xrays etc and she wound up with a pepcid shot and sent home. how do you know when to run....
when my dogs were young, and ended up with diarreah, I was told to leave water, and boil hamburg, and rice it is bland, also, warmed up baby food
is good. I think if after this it does not clear up, say 3 or 4 days a vet visit
is needed. do not force her to eat, try the next day hamburg with rice.
If one of my dogs has been vomiting undigested food or has diarrhea, I boil chicken and rice and give it to him that same day.
The Howell Book of Dog Care has a list of when to wait 24 hours, when to go right away, etc. etc. Very useful- I recommend the book overall, and especially for that list.
Dogs will often get diarrhea if they are eating poop outside (aren't dogs elegant!). I make sure to clean the yard at least once a day and give the poop eater Pepto with dinner, whether regular dog food or boiled chicken/rice.
Canned chicken/rice soup with extra water is good, too. The dog is losing fluids with the diarrhea or vomiting.
thanks for all the input. she seems alot better and very hungry today. i may have over did it on the rice as she is not going at all today but maybe that's because the diarreah blows out the system. For info, pepcid ac 10 mg is good when the stomach is upset.
Here is my rule(s) of thumb:
1 - If I would go to the doctor for the same symptoms, I take my dog to the vet
2 - If it's the first time something has happened, I take the dog to the vet. (After a while you tend to recognize symptoms and what to do)
3 - If the dog is in pain, I take the dog to the vet.
I usually take mine two times per year, just because. A wellness visit is not expensive, and I like to think the vet could catch potential issues in advance. Bloodwork is only done once a year, unless the vet recommends it more often.
You need to be able to trust your vet. Tell them flat out that the last time you paid $500 and ended up with Pepcid. ($500 sounds high - my dogs have had x-rays in two states and $500 seems excessive. They shouldn't need more than 3 films or so.) I would probably look for another vet.
Can you keep a log of what your dog is eating, and maybe then you can figure out what is triggering the episodes? Pepcid is good (I give my dogs Pepcid) but it's like putting a band-aid on a cut that needs stitches if there is an undiagnosed underlying issue that is causing your dog to be sick.
if id run to the emergency room for the ailment...then id run my dogs to the emergency vet.
if id go to the dr about something...then ill take my dogs to the vet for the same symptoms.
so for something like an upset tummy, an occasional upset tummy that resolves itself in a day or 2 by switchign to a bland diet and a little bit if pepcid ect...then no vet...but if that same upset stomach goes on longer, leads to symptoms of dehydration ect...then ill take them to the vet...
How often does a dog need the pepcid shots while on a high dose of Metronidizole for giardia?
I've had several foster dogs treated for giardia. None of them ever needed Pepcid. Not sure if you've got a secondary issue going on which is why you're needing them. But if not, I'd ask the vet why he's giving it. Mine did great during treatment, no problems afterward.
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