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I'm afraid my dog has intestinal puncture. She would not jump up on her footstools yesterday, dachshound. Then last night she went out in the middle of the night and could not get back in bed when she returned. She had made a large feces in the backyard, gray and loose, kind of coated looking. She has not urinated, will not drink, will not eat. She has been in the house all day. She has difficulty walking, is hunched over. Her stomach is not bloated. I gave her a chew thing for her teeth yesterday and I think a sharp part may have broken off and become lodged in her stomach or bowels. She screams bloody murder if I touch her or try to pick her up. She is curling her tail under and is really miserable. I'm afraid of losing her tonight. The only emergency vet in the county is so mean I don't want to have to take her there to him. If she could make it til morning I can go see a good vet. But I'm terrified she won't make it through the night. She's not vomiting or passing stool anymore, but I just coaxed her out back to pee, first time today at 7pm and she peed a tiny bit and turned around and licked it up. Then I couldn't get her up the three steps back into the house. She just takes a step or two and collapses. I tried to pick her up in her blanket to carry her into the house and she started screaming and fell on her side and then I just picked her up and carried her in. Once I had a good hold on her she stopped crying, but then when I put her down she cried again. This is serious. I don't know what to do and this feels like life or death. I love my dog and I would do anything for her. But I'm so afraid of this one emergency vet. He seems to hate animals.
I am concerned about a separate issue at the moment. I know that you are worried about an intestinal puncture but what I am thinking is a back issue. The fact that she is having bowel movements though loose and is not vomiting makes me think that her intestines may be okay.
Her breed automatically predisposes her to spinal issues or herniated disks. I would try to keep her from trying to jump up on any furniture. Make her a bed that is on the floor or lift her to the bed. Offer her food that she doesn't have to get up and move too for now. Keep her as calm as possible until you can get her to a vet. Conservative treatment for this is complete cage rest. No stairs, no walks, no furniture. Not even getting out of the cage except to go potty. If you try to pick her up do so in a cradle fashion, don't lift her underneath her belly.
Your emergency vet may not have the best attitude but he can at least see you, give her medications to provide comfort, and soothe your mind about other possible problems.
Please if you can get to the emergency vet or if you feel she needs it then take her, because a back injury that is treated earlier is less likely to lead to permanent disability. Also, if you feel so strongly that the chewy treat perforated something then the sooner that is seen to the better off she will be.
Thank you
bloo
Experience: 19+ years experience in small animal medicine
Reply to babybloo's Post: I hear you, but you just don't know how mean this vet is. She seems okay if I just let her lay on her floor bed. I did manage to get about 3 tbs. of water with pedialyte down her and a teaspoonful of yogurt with antiobiotics in it. She's resting, does not appear to have any fever, eyes shiney, nose wet, all the right signs. She just has major trouble walking and I think you may be onto something with the back injury. I hadn't even thought of that as a possibility. She normally runs around the house like mad and barks wildly at the mailman and jumps up and down off of furniture all day. I put footstools everywhere to make it easier for her, but I really think you may be right. She was so reluctant to get up on anything all day yesterday, would weave back and forth in front of the footstool. And I was coaxing her to go ahead and jump, saying "you can do it, you've done it a million times." I feel so bad, I think you're right. She's not vomiting or anything that would indicate gut issues. I think you're right; I think it's her back. Oh no, that does not sound good. I've got to get her into the good guy in the morning though. That other guy is just a sadist. She's been to him twice on emergencies and he yells at me and handles the dog very roughly.
If you have to wait until morning then confine her. Do not let her move around and just keep her very comfortable. I hope that things don't worsen overnight but I will warn you that they can. Please just keep her completely confined and get her somewhere first thing in the morning. Tonight would be best but one can only do so much.
Good luck and take care of your baby.
Reply to babybloo's Post: Oh, I'll be up keeping an eye on her all night. She's being very still, has been all day. I feel badly though because I coaxed her outside, down the three steps to the backyard to pee around 7pm. I had to carry her inside. She won't let me carry her in a cradling position, she never has. Thank you so much for your help. I really do think you're right and I'm so worried. She's such a delicate little dog and I love her so much. There's just something about doxies, I just adore them. I recently retired and thought of doing a doxie rescue, but Rita likes getting all my attention. She's almost seven and has been relatively healthy. She had surgery for a bad tooth to have it removed a few weeks ago, and also had a hernia repair. But afterwards she was right as rain until now.