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post surgery stomach upset and vomiting
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Arizona
Member Since:
23 July 2011
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1
5 August 2011 - 11:26 am
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Max had surgery on Monday and came home Tuesday afternoon. He's regurgitated reddish material several times, so we took him to the ER attached to the hospital where he had the surgery last night. The emergency doc thinks he's got an ulcer from the metacam, so we stopped that and put him on prilosec, and gave him fluids, and took him home with us last night.

Unfortunately, he's thrown up again twice this morning, once after drinking (I think) with just a small lump of red material, and then just now, fully red. He's also whimpering a bit, and he's normally a very quiet dog, so I'm concerned that he's in pain.

I'm starting to get very worried. On one hand, it could just be his stomach bothering him and we need to give the prilosec some time to kick in. On the other hand, it could be something else, even though his clotting time and red count were okay last night.

I called the clinic and the tech spoke with a doctor, then relayed to me that they think he should probably come in and spend the day in the hospital so they can give him anti-nausea medicine, more fluids, and maybe run some more (unspecified) tests to see what's going on. Problem is, if this is just regular post-surgery stomach upset that's going to resolve on its own, I can't afford to pay $200+ (more if he stays there for a bit) every day until this just clears up.

Husband can't talk on the phone, and he's slow at getting to emails (think he's in meetings this morning), and I'm at a bit of a loss.

So, tripawd friends, I ask of you... did anybody here have stomach trouble after coming home from the vet? Did it go away?

Obviously the vet's advice is the best but it'd be good to hear from others here if possible.

Thanks very much.

Julie, mom to Spirit Max the Pomeranian,

the bravest poofle dog who ever lived!

Read a tribute to Max!

Golden Girls
2
5 August 2011 - 11:54 am
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Skyler didn't have any stomach issues after surgery. I just wanted to comment here and let you know that you are in my thoughts & prayers. I know you are really worried and scared. Hopefully the vet can determine what the issue is. Please keep us posted.

Sending you lots of golden hugs...

Cathy

Member Since:
27 May 2011
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3
5 August 2011 - 2:39 pm
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my Dizzy had no upset stomach issues but just to echo what Cathy said thinking of you and hope he is better soon

Dizzy diagnosed with osteosarcoma 24 may 2011 amputated same day doing fine hopping around on three legs giving the neighbourhood cats what for

California
Member Since:
16 January 2011
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5 August 2011 - 4:27 pm
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So sorry to see Max is no doing well tummy wise.....Just wondering what you are feeding him post op - 

Riley had a "green" look for a couple days and barely ate anything and I attributed it to too many pain meds and switched her to white rice and boiled chicken...Maybe doing the same would help Max........

Hope he feels better soon....

Arizona
Member Since:
23 July 2011
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5 August 2011 - 8:17 pm
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Max had a teeny bit of wet dog food when he came home on Tuesday and hasn't had any food since. He's turned up his nose at everything I've offered him. I'm going to go get him some chicken and rice and try that, but the doc said we may have to force-feed him some baby food chicken or something if he still won't eat.

We just got home from the emergency vet, still looks like an ulcer so they gave us one med to coat his stomach and one med for the nausea, and he's actually been able to keep a little bit of water down, so hopefully he'll be willing to eat something bland later tonight.

Julie, mom to Spirit Max the Pomeranian,

the bravest poofle dog who ever lived!

Read a tribute to Max!

California
Member Since:
16 January 2011
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5 August 2011 - 10:46 pm
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Poor little guy..I feel bad for him....the baby food would probably taste good to him - what about a lick or 2 of yogurt?

Its so hard when they won't eat - maybe just water tonight and let his tummy settle and hopefully you will have better results in the morning.

Good luck.....I know its tough...:(

10711
7
6 August 2011 - 8:02 am
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I feel so bad for little Max. Tummy aches are never fun! I hope he's feeling better today and that his appetite is improving.

My heart lives at Rainbow Bridge
Member Since:
28 November 2008
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6 August 2011 - 8:12 am
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The one time Trouble couldn't eat before becoming a tripawd, the baby food worked wonders.  She had a severe cough, and her throat was so sore she couldn't eat regular food. I gave her baby food for two days and she was so happy to get it.

Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul.  Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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6 August 2011 - 12:25 pm
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Oh sweet Max, please feel better. It's good to hear the vets looked at him again. Don't forget, the stinkier food the better. Liverwurst, braunschwager, and other stinky stuff like that really make dawgs want to eat.

We are thinking of you sweet boy, get well!

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Arizona
Member Since:
23 July 2011
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10
6 August 2011 - 4:41 pm
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He's been turning his nose up at food still today, so we gave him some chicken baby food in a syringe (along with his pedialyte) and he's managed to keep it down OK. I'll probably try to boil some hamburger and rice for him tonight and see if he's interested in that, and then I may find something stinky for him. Think cat food would do the trick? We have several cans in the pantry, that might be worth a shot.

Julie, mom to Spirit Max the Pomeranian,

the bravest poofle dog who ever lived!

Read a tribute to Max!

11
6 August 2011 - 7:03 pm
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   Sorry that little Max doesn't want to eat. I know it can make you worried because we are usually so used to dogs loving to eat. So we know that they really don't feel good when they won't eat. Valentina was very picky about eating at first. She had to stay at the vet for 5 days after surgery and the vet actually brought in some turkey from home to try to get her to eat. She did end up eating bits of this and that at the vet and even after 5 days in the hospital she was still somewhat reluctant to eat. She was so focused on eating normally so I found this upsetting but I did read it was normal for the first few days or even a week or so post op. I found that she would eat if I hand fed her but if I gave it to her out of a bowl she would just turn her nose up at it. She did eat eggs and ground chicken out of my hand for the first few days after being home and then she started to get her appetite back. Even then though she still ate way less than normal but I tried to be patient and she slowly started eating more each day. Now she is eating close to her normal pre surgery amount. I am feeding her a little less because the vet said to be careful about her getting fat. She does alot of laying around so I don't think her calorie requirement is the same as before. Trying the catfood does seem like it may work. I had to use catfood in a pinch for my dogs before and they were crazy for it. It sounds like you are trying really hard and you are doing the right things. Just keep on trying different things and I really do think in a couple more days Max will start to eat. Giving him liquids through the syringe is a good idea. I do remember Valentina turning her head away from the water bowl at first and she was usually such a thirsty dog she would never turn down water.Interesting thing was I would give her ice and she would eat that. She has always loved to eat ice. I don't know if you can give Max ice or not because he is so small. I guess you could crush it up. I wonder also if it is ok to give dogs milk. I have never heard of giving dogs milk but it does have calories and some sugars and protein and it is a liquid so it will hydrate. You could ask your vet about that. Hope you find someway to get something significant in him. It will get better! Everyone has their own individual set of trials throughout the healing process and it is frustrating and tiring but it does get better. Just keep telling yourself that. That's what I had to do. Sorry you accidentally got bitten. It must be hard to give the meds if he won't eat. Sometimes I give Val's meds in food and sometimes I just go ahead and shove  em down her throat. But I really hate doing that. It feels so mean and intrusive. She was onto me about hiding it in foods and I was running out of things to hide it in. Also some of the things I was trying to hide it in were giving her digestive problems. Hope things get better for you and Max soon. Keep up the good work!! rasberry

Orange County, CA
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2 January 2010
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6 August 2011 - 8:47 pm
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When our Max was going through chemo and sometimes didn't have an appetite, we had good results with fish. And for maximum stench, there's only one way to go - canned sardines (the ones in water, not oil). Those repulsive little stink nuggets drove Max wild. And fish are VERY good for your dog - lots of fatty acids (the good kind), high in nutrition, and the oils are good for a dog's coat. There's a bait barge in the harbor where I work, and the people who work on it often bring their dogs along for their shifts. Without fail, those dogs have incredible coats from all the live bait they eat - and nasty fish breath to go with it. Tell your Max to take our Spirit Max's word for it - canned sardines are the way to go.

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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13
7 August 2011 - 12:58 pm
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Ohhhh yes, sardines! Although they can give some dawgs runny poos so proceed with caution.

Cat food can work. It's not good for long term feeding but to stimulate appetite it's often successful.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Palm Desert, California
Member Since:
8 February 2010
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14
7 August 2011 - 5:03 pm
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Julie:

 

Sorry to hear that Max is having stomach trouble after surgery; Rusty did not have any serious stomach issues from surgery but after a year on chemo his stomach is so sensitive that we have to really control his diet.  The food that worked best for him during the worst periods of vomiting was Jewish Penicillin (Chicken Noodle Soup); our Oncologist recommended it after all other diets had failed to stop his vomiting.  He now gets some with each meal.

 

Good luck and hope things improve soon.

 

Chuck & Rusty

Rusty is a Labradoodle who was diagnosed with level 3 Fibrosarcoma on January 16th, 2010 and had his left hind leg amputated on January 25th, 2010 five days before his 18 month birthday. Please see Rusty's blog @rusty.tripawds.com.  He is putting up one heck of a fight against this terrible disease.

Arizona
Member Since:
23 July 2011
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15
8 August 2011 - 12:26 pm
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Well, we're now 6 days post-op, and he's STILL not eating. He's been drinking the past few days, but he's been throwing up bright yellow (bile, I think) this morning and won't do more than sniff at anything, even if it's cooked, even stinky cat food.

I know I should call the vet, but I'm afraid all they can do is give him an IV and keep him overnight, which we just can't afford. I'm making sure he stays hydrated and force-feeding him still, but I'm getting very worried. DD says that his stomach is still upset, which I can believe, but it's been nearly a week and I would think he would start to be feeling better about now.

Gonna call them anyways and see if I can talk to Max's surgeon, rather than somebody in the ER, and I might just see if we can get in with Max's regular vet for a second opinion. I HATE dealing with this, and yeah yeah I know it could be worse, I'm just concerned about the little guy.

Thanks again to all for the help.

Julie, mom to Spirit Max the Pomeranian,

the bravest poofle dog who ever lived!

Read a tribute to Max!

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