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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

ANNIE'S UPSET STOMACH

Annie gobbled her dinner last night and afterwards had diarrhea.  She had a restless night (and I had a sleepless one) but she seems on the mend today.  I dread springtime because Annie has a nasty habit of eating bits of leaves or whatever else falls from trees. We are generally very good about catching her in time but she's fast and you can't always prevent her from ingesting something that shouldn't be part of her diet.

How do you handle canine stomach issues?  If the dog is uncomfortable, in pain, the diarrhea contains mucous and/or blood, go to the doctor.  You must be aware of torsion bloat - a severe and life-threatening medical condition.  The pet's stomach enlarges with liquid and gas which can cause dehydration and shock.  In such cases, the stomach can twist and surgery is performed to untwist it.  To prevent a recurrence, the stomach is anchored to the abdominal wall.

In such cases of stomach distress, a foreign object can be the culprit.  We once had a dog who swallowed a sock.  He didn't exhibit any symptoms of discomfort but we realized what had happened and took him to emergency right away.  Such objects can sometimes be retrieved by a Veterinarian before moving into the intestines; if not, surgery is needed. 

Other medical conditions that cause stomach distress?  Gastritis - acute and chronic. Fasting for 24 hours after diarrhea (or vomiting) is recommended; then offer small amounts of bland foods such as cooked, lean chicken and boiled white rice.  Never withhold water but make sure there are small amounts of fresh, clean water available at all times.  Drinking excessively can aggravate an already irritated stomach.  There are homeopathic remedies to administer; you will find them in Dr. Pitcairn's book.

I just checked on Annie.  She is much better and sleeping soundly.  You can be sure I will be keeping a close eye on her for the remainder of the day.  Now I have to go boil some chicken then I'll be ready at the 24 hour mark to start offering small meals.


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