Puppy Dog Tales - Health Scare

Earlier in the week we had a health scare with Little Boy.  He had dinner as usual around 8.30pm, and pooped normally about an hour later.

I had decided to go to bed early and about 10.30pm was beginning to settle the dogs for the night when Little Boy wanted to go potty.  I took him out and was horrified to see he had what can only be described as 'projectile diarrhoea' - what seemed like a huge volume of liquid squirting out his back end as if coming out a hose.  There was no blood but he was horrified and very dejected-looking when he came indoors.  He sat looking thoroughly miserable as we tried to figure out what could have caused it, but as far as we were aware he had not eaten anything untoward either in the house or garden.  However, puppies put everything in their mouth as part of normal development so, although it was unlikely (as we have a dog-proof house) it was always possible he could have eaten something toxic without my knowledge.  

A short time later he vomited, and shortly after that he again had 'projectile diarrhoea'.  By now I was really quite worried so I called the emergency vet service and took him down to their hospital.  My main concerns were parvovirus - and the worry that even if it wasn't parvo that he could go downhill rapidly overnight due to dehydration.

He has had only his first set of vaccinations so is not yet able to go outside for walks, but in order to socialise him he has been carried on walks and met other dogs not only then but when taken to the Agility club - again for socialisation.  In addition my other two dogs, although fully vaccinated, meet many dogs when on walks, at Obedience and at Agility so they could have carried home a virus.  Foxes and cats also visit the garden so they too could have brought something in.

On arrival at the vet hospital he vomited all over their floor, but on examination his temperature and all other vital signs were fairly normal, although his upper gastrointestinal tract was very painful.  Because he is only 10 weeks old and so in the middle of the first developmental 'fear period' I declined their offer to keep him in overnight for observation as he didn't need antibiotics, rehydration nor a glucose drip. We took him home with a sachet of electrolyte solution and settled him down for the night.  He had liquid diarrhoea again overnight but no more vomiting and loved the electrolyte solution.  He kept drinking it and trying to dig through the bottom of the bowl as if he expected there to be food hidden underneath.  His stools started to return to normal by midday, and he was tired but otherwise quite normal.  He had another check-up with our vet that evening but given a clean bill of health and the incident put down to an unspecified 'virus' or ingestion of unsuitable material.  He was on a light diet of chicken and rice for the next day, then his normal food was slowly introduced and he has made a complete recovery I'm delighted to say.