Scarey experience with Mikkie - Montana Owners Club

Chuck and Carol · 07-09-2006, 09:19 AM

Thursday night Chuck came home and we decided to go somewhere for the weekend. This job for the Air Force is messing us up. They never did give us that trip to New Mexico.
Anyway, we packed up noon on Friday, drove about an hour and set up camp. At 4:15 I walked Mikkie our german shepard. He acted like he couldn't go to the bathroom (#2) but we didn't really think anything about it. We had dinner, watched the news and then walked Mikkie again. He was ok.
When we got back to the trailer Mikkie started acting funny. Then he started eating grass which we've never seen him do. He was restless and panting so we put him in the trailer. I went in after I heard him pacing around and got him to lay down. I sat on the floor and he layed out flat on his side. I watched TV and kept glancing at him. I called Chuck in and said look at his sides. They were bloating up as we watched. Not good. I called the office, they gave me the name of a vet, called him. Not open. Called the Emergency clinic back in Syracuse and they said get him there ASAP. So we flew back down the thruway. They took him as soon as we walked in. We were taken into a room and by then the vet had X-rayed him stomach. His stomach had twisted around so it was in two parts. It had shut off the blood supply to his spleen. The vet told us he was 1 hour from dying. We had to make a decision right away. Even though it is awful expensive there was no question we'd give him a fighting chance. He came through the operation just fine. They are sending the spleen to Cornell University. We went in last night to visit but he was too upset when he saw us and wanted to come home. Almost made us cry to see our baby (110 pounds) with tubes coming and going. The next few days will determine if the operation was a success.
Large breasted dogs get what is called GDV. That's where the stomach twists and turns. The food in the bottom couldn't get out and the food in the upper part was coming back up into his esophagus. All it takes is 5 hours to kill a dog.
Now when we go anywhere we will find out where the nearest emergency room for animals is. The campground was nice. Gave us part of our money back so we could leave and come back where we are closer to the hospital to visit Mikkie.
I couldn't take losing another animal in less that a year.

Carol

CountryGuy · 07-09-2006, 09:27 AM

How scary Carol, good call, your sixth sense was working over time. Hoping for the best recovery possible.

DarMar · 07-09-2006, 09:40 AM

Glad to hear things seem to be ok for now and that luck was on your side. We do know the behaviour patterns of our dogs well and it surely paid off this time. Last year our youngest dog got stung by something unknown to us and it was her strange behavior that tipped us off. We raced back from the lake to the vets to get the antibody she needed and by the time we arrived she was barely able to breath. Just like some humans she is allergic to bee stings and now we carry the pills to quickly administer if there is a next time. When we travel we make ourselves aware of the vet facilities just as we would hospitals for us!

TheCoachPotatoes · 07-09-2006, 11:22 AM

Carol and Chuck,
Wow! So glad you acted so quickly! Hope your Mikkie will be ok and things get back to normal real soon! Sorry you had to come home from camping, but I guess that was the least of your worries.
Al and Nita

Chuck and Carol · 07-09-2006, 11:49 AM

We wanted to be closer to the animal hospital. Only 20 minutes (the way Chuck drives) from here vs 45 minutes from the campground. We can visit anytime we want but last night we upset him so, we may not go today. He wanted to come home so bad. He is still in intensive care so no way is he coming home soon.

Carol

txkrumm · 07-09-2006, 12:18 PM

Carol and Chuck,
Here's hoping Mikkie a speedy recovery. Good thing you were so in tune with your dog or else it could have been terrible. Our three pets are our "kids" and I don't know what we'd do without them. Our camper is really a 37 foot dog kennel, no doubt!
tara and steve krumm

Dustytuu · 07-09-2006, 03:35 PM

Hope for a full recovery. Good that you are sensitive to your dogs behavior.

Driftwoodgal · 07-09-2006, 04:00 PM

Chuck and Carol,

I am so sorry to hear that your baby has had this happen to him. Pets do give you signals when they are sick, but it takes an astute owner to act on it. Eating grass is generally a sign that something is sour in the tummy.

Hopefully you will be posting that you are bringing home your pup soon. I am sure the vet will tell you that this could happen again. There are things that you can do to help prevent it though. If you get your pets food and water bowls up off of the floor and on to a stand it will help. Feeding the pet three or four small meals a day will help as well. It also isn't a great idea for them not to drink lots of water after having dry food as the food swells in the stomach with the additional water. Try to feed the animal in a climate controlled enviornment where they aren't getting real hot, and let them have quiet time before getting real active.

I am not a vet, but have owned a kennel for 27 years. Large breed dogs have this problem. This is very similar to what happens to a horse when it colics.

Colleen

Sweetfire · 07-09-2006, 07:32 PM

I have owned several Labs that were ex-field trial dogs. My trainer always warned me of this possibility. I was told to always feed the dogs at the end of the day when all hard exercise was over. It was his feeling that recently fed dogs with full stomachs that were allowed to run and jump around were more likely to have this happen.

I hope your dog recovers quickly I know how much they can come to mean to the people that share their lives with them.

Chuck and Carol · 07-10-2006, 05:35 AM

We went over last night to visit Mikkie. The emergency vet decided to send him home. Our own vet is only about 10 minutes away. They were having a lot of trouble getting him to eat. Since all the IV's were out and I am home all day, we (Chuck) agreed to give it a try. I have spent the morning on the floor with an eye dropper (tablespoon wouldn't work) trying to get baby food (no onions) down him. He absolutely refuses to eat. But so far 1/2 jar. I have to feed him 4 times a day. He still is very groggy from the morphine he was on.

We always fed Mikkie when we ate dinner. The emergency vet said that was a no no for big dogs. Big dogs need 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 in the evening. In fact, we always feed our shepards at night. Mikkie is our third. Excerising is not one of Mikkie's problems. He is a very lazy guy.

This type of problem won't happen again to him. They sewed his stomach wall to his side. No way could we afford this again. I just can't get over there were no warning signs. Doubled checked with the vet and she said, no we didn't miss anything, but were alert when he acted "funny".

The next week will tell if he is going to be OK.

Carol

Thanks for your concerns. He's our baby. 110 pound goof ball

CountryGuy · 07-10-2006, 05:49 AM

Carol, A big dog maynot have the problems my little guys do, but if you don't think he is getting enough "energy", you could try mixing some molasses with water and feeding that the same way, with an eyedropper. Can't have their sugar dropping off and starting a new set of problems.

You did good! Catching it that fast!

Good luck

Carol

prariepoodle · 07-10-2006, 07:33 AM

Carol, Do keep us up to date because I know just how you feel we had to have major surgery done to out Kookie and it was worth every dime.I would be lost without him he is my 9 pound baby.I will be praying that your mikkie makes a full recovery.

Sweetfire · 07-10-2006, 10:05 AM

When my dogs were sick and wouldn't eat they would often accept chicken broth. Good luck, your friend looks to be in good caring hands.

Driftwoodgal · 07-10-2006, 12:57 PM

Carol,

When I have a problem with a dog not eating here at the kennel I boil up chicken without any seasoning in it. I then cook up rice and add the chicken and a little broth. You can also make chicken and dumplings, again with out seasoning. The rice is easier and they keep it down better as well as getting calories from the rice.

He may not be real hungry with all that he has gone through. One other option is to get AD prescription diet, canned food, from the vet and try to get him to start eating a little that way. It is expensive but most pets love it.

Good luck keep us posted about your four pawed family member.

Colleen

Chuck and Carol · 07-10-2006, 01:26 PM

He started eating some this afternoon. Of course now he won't eat until I sit on the floor with him. I have spent a lot of time on the floor today. I think animals are like humans. When you don't eat for a while nothing smells good. He's doing pretty good. At least he is closing his eyes now when he sleeps. He was so drugged up he slept with his eyes open. Hopefully he will be able to travel in about 2 weeks. Maybe we will try that campground again. It was nice.

Carol

CountryGuy · 07-10-2006, 01:31 PM

Carol,

Colleen's suggestion of AD food is excellent, I don't know what they make that stuff with, but I have seen some very very sick animals eat that when they will not eat ANYTHING else!

The other suggestions here are all good too, I have used EVERY single one of them more than once.

Keep up the good work, and, yes, go back to that campground, they sound like they were nice people!

Driftwoodgal · 07-10-2006, 06:29 PM

Carol,

Glad to hear that he is eating something. If you can get him on a bland diet of the rice and chicken it would be a great start to getting him back to his normal diet. Just a suggestion what ever changes you make in his food do it slowly as his system needs to make a gradual change to at this point in his recovery. Please think in terms of a major surgery for a human with his food and his activity.

CountryGuy,

It is liver and rice and some brewers yeast I think. I would have to look at a can to see the contents. I have had pets that have turned their noses up at the cans and have come up with my own recipe over the years to get them to eat. The problem is that you can't use the same on all pets as some of the older dogs can't take the fat so you have to skim it off and add veggies etc..... oh I can go on and on about my dog recipes to get them to eat. I have even had cancer dogs that I have kept alive well beyond what the vet said they should live.

Vets are great but sometimes I think that they need to listen to the owners as the pet talks to the owners and the owners listen. Chuck and Carol are great examples of that, their pet was telling them that he was sick and they picked up on that. I am sure that you know your clan inside and out and pick up on their every quirk. Not every owner is in tune with their pets ups and downs unless they are in tune with their personalties. Every pet that I keep is just like every person that I meet, they just don't talk English, I need to make sure I understand their language.

Chuck and Carol · 07-13-2006, 12:51 AM

Took Mikkie to our own vet yesterday for a check up as recommended by the emergency room. He's been eating and doing quite well. His blood work didn't come back so hot. Something wrong with his white blood cells. I was given (no--they don't "give" you anything) these huge pills that cost $5.00 a piece. I thought Chuck was kidding when he said how much they were.
His spleen has been sent away to be tested for cancer. I hope after all this it doesn't come out he has cancer. The tech I talked to was really not very informative (she's my niece) so I will be calling the vet this morning to get a clearer understand about his blood.
They way things are going, we just might have to get a second mortage for just the vet bills

They are worse than Dr. bills.

Carol

Sweetfire · 07-16-2006, 02:18 PM

How's Mikkie?

Chuck and Carol · 07-17-2006, 01:14 AM

We now have one spoiled dog. He won't eat his dry food with out "something" on it. I called the emergency room vet and she said "go ahead, spoil him". One thing we have noticed (noticed it after surgery too) is that his eyesight is way off. He can't seem to see over 10 feet away. She will check that out Thursday when his staples come out. Hopefully it just something that will go away with time. Possibly the restricted blood flow problem did something. Won't know until she checks it out.
Something I have to get over is I won't leave him. Since the weather has turned horribly hot, I stay home with him. Won't take him out in this heat and won't leave him. I have to get over that. This won't happen again with his stomach attached to his side.

Carol

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