Hello,My 11 year old labrador is votmiting and pooping blood. He doesn't seem interested in eating anything, and he is a very hearty eater. He has had some water to drink, he also doesn't seem to have a lot of energy. He has also had a hacking type cough for a about a week. Any suggestions will be apprieciated.
Hello, I am Dr. Peter a licensed Veterinarian. I would like to help. I need to ask you a few questions to be well informed and give you the best advice. There is no additional charge for information request.1- Did he get into anything or eat something out of the ordinary?2- Any pre existing medical conditions?3- Is he on any medications?4- Take a look at his gums and see if they are pink or pale?
No is the anwser for questions 1 thru 3, and his gums seem to be pale.
Vomiting and bloody bowel movements can be caused by infections, ingestion of a foreign body, tumors or even part of a systemic disease. The hacking/coughing can be as a result of the gastrointestinal problem or something completely different like heart or lung disease. The main concern of the symptoms you describe is having pale gums. When we see pale gums it could be as a result of anemia, decrease cardiac output or blood pressure, blood shifting to more dependent organs, etc. to name a few causes. In this case, to determine the exact underlying cause your dog will need a hands on examination by a veterinarian, xrays and blood work (chemistry profile & CBC) as initial screening test. Treatment will be based on clinical and diagnostic findings. I would highly recommend to consider having him checked today by a veterinarian. In the meantime, this is what you can do:1- Start him on Pepcid AC (famotidine) 0.1-0.2mg per pound body weight every 12 hours. You can find Pepcid AC over the counter in any pharmacy. If you do not have pepcid ac leave without anything. Do not give pepto bismol. 2- No food or water for the next 6-8 hours. Need to give belly time to rest. 3- After 6-8 hours offer a small amount of water. Wait half hour, if no vomiting, offer small amount of rice (50%) and boiled boneless chicken or ground beef (50%) 4-6 times a day. Keep on this diet for several days then wean into regular diet. 4- Follow up with a veterinarian as soon as you can. Hope the above helps, if you have additional questions I will be glad to answer them. Dr. Peter