My Dog Is Sick and I Am Going Out of Town

Yes, even veterinarians occasionally need to leave town and go to meetings. Our title should protect us from any problems with our own pets being sick, right? WRONG! Through previous blogs, most of my followers have seen my dog Taco Belle's picture in a variety of cute positions. Like your own pets, I truly treasure and adore her. She gives me a reason to get up every day and showers the mornings with “HELLO WORLD, TACO BELLE HERE!" 

But this past Wednesday was different. I was not greeted at the back door by her and saw instead piles of explosions from both ends so bad that I will withhold visual details.  Unlike many of you, I know the veterinarian personally, and took Taco Belle in to the clinic for a workup. 

She was dehydrated and quite depressed. Following radiographs, bloodwork, intestinal exams, fluids, injections, medications, and a diet change, I still needed to leave town in 24 hours. Fortunately, within 24 hours of aggressive management, she was improving and I left her in my husband’s capable hands for medications, feeding, and frequent daily updates and iPhone pictures of poop

Why was this on my mind for blogging? I feel many of you are ,at some point, faced with this dilemma: Do I go or do I stay? I cannot help in every circumstance, however, in many situations please let the Creature Comforts Team know the symptoms, and we can help direct an informed choice. 

IN TACO BELLE'S CASE, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE TESTS SUBMITTED FOR VOMITING AND DIARRHEA?

I sent out an intestinal parasite exam, chemistries, white / red cell count and testing to the Texas A &M GI lab. 

TEXAS A&M GI LAB HAS SOME SPECIALIZED INTESTINAL TESTING. COULD YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC?

She was tested for pancreatitis (PLI) (the organ that provides enzymes for digesting food), cobalamin (B12) levels (important in normal gut function for absorption of food), and folate levels to determine overgrowth of bacteria.

WHAT DID HER TESTS REVEAL?

Taco Belle has an overgrowth of bacteria revealed in excessive Folate levels commonly seen in early stages of irritable bowel, gut imbalance (dysbiosis), or inflammatory bowel disease. A copy of her lab report is below.

HOW IS TACO BELLE DOING 5 DAYS LATER?

After a rough couple of days, she is improving on her antibiotics, probiotic (Proviable), and Royal Canin GI low fat diet. Time will tell if ultrasound, long term antibiotics, new diet change, or intestinal biopsy will be indicated. 

Biltmore Gardens in Spring, Asheville, NC

Betsy Sigmon DVM, Diplomate ABVP canine & feline

Creature Comforts Animal Hospital

Cary, NC