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help with a sick dog

July 12th, 2007, 05:28 AM
i took my dog to the vet about 3 weeks ago for a yearly checkup. she is going to be 12 yrs old next month. vet said she looked good for her age. i told him her paws shake when she stands sometimes, and she has issues jumping up on the bed, but he says that is to be expected at old age. as well as her weight loss. she has always been over 40 pounds, she is now about 30 and her collar has gone down 2 sizes.
recently she barely eats and when she does she seems to throw up a lot. the other day she threw up after drinking a bowl of water... just threw the water up. she has also stopped being able to get on the bed 100% and her poops have become few and far between and very very tiny compared to usual. she does a lot of heaving, like she is going to be sick but nothing happens. she's been doing this about a yr but the vet has told me twice that is not a big deal. as bad as it seems, i can not afford to take her to the vet twice in a month. i really need some advice as to what this might be. a bug in her tummy? she has been sick before and she has a history of kidney problems, but her drinking is not increased and neither has her peeing.
thank you SO much in advance

July 12th, 2007, 07:58 AM
Honestly, I would be going to another vet for a second opinion. While these issues may indeed be age related, that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do to make your dog more comfortable. For instance, if she has arthritis, there are various meds that can be given for pain or to help build joint fluid. Perhaps you could also get a ramp or some steps to help your pup onto the bed. And if her kidneys are an issue, there are drugs for that too.

Also, what food is she eating these days? Maybe a diet adjustment to something like a senior canned food would be helpful, if she's just eating dry. It could be that she has constipation problems, which are also fixable. Either way, I'd recommend finding a more sympathetic vet. I don't understand why some are so dismissive about age-related health issues.

Dr Lee
July 12th, 2007, 10:57 AM
I agree with sugarcatmom. :thumbs up

Age is not a disease. It just means that certain diseases have a higher rate of prevalence. 40 to 30lbs should NOT be dismissed (assuming she was obese to begin with and now at a healthy muscular good weight). Some perspective. If this was 120lbs person, to lose an equivalent weight; that person would need to weight 90lbs - that is a 30 lbs loss!!!!

I would recommend a minimum data base of blood work, urinalysis and radiographs (X-Rays) of the abdomen and chest. This would be a broad spectrum testing which will evaluate organ function, signs of infection or chronic disease, a cancer screen (the radiographs), and look for endocrine/metabolic disease.

Old age - should be the 'golden years'. I have three senior pets (13,12,11). They have less muscle mass then when they were 2 years old but have not lost 25% of their weight, are active, go hiking in the mountains and do not vomit. The signs that you are describing raise concern of problem. The attending veterinarian should want to discover the problem as soon as possible in order to give her the best chance of addressing whatever problem it is. The earlier the problem is discovered, the more options you both will have.

Good luck:pawprint: