[concernedmom]

I am into a month in trying to figure out what is causing my 5 year old American Bulldog mix, Kayla's, symptoms.

Last month she started with hard round stools for a few days. Then one day they turned into diarrheria. The syptoms progressed throughout the day until is was pure blood with tiny clots. By the time we took her to the vet, it was literally uncontrollable and dripping from her bottom. While there she began vomitting. The ER vet ran blood work and gave her rx to stop the symptoms. The blood work came back fine, and the symptoms finally stopped. We followed up with our normal vet the first thing in the morning. He ran more tests and put her on some Rx that I cant remember, in addition to what the ER vet presribed.

Her symptoms stopped, but her stool remained very soft. Her eating then became erratic. I called the vet and he suggested I look into her food and in the meantime come pick up some more Rx and a new food. I looked on-line about her food (Nutro-Lamb and Rice)(Kayla has allergies). I became very concerned because of some of the issues out there about the food. By the time I got home from work with the new food (Prescriptives W/D) and medicine, she had two accidents in her room. They looked like bloody vommit with tiny clots, but my fiance thought it was diarrheria. Regardless, we took her back to the vet first thing in the morning. He ran some more tests and sent us home with Metronidizole (sp?) and Ceproflexin (sp?) and a de-wormer.

A few days later, the tests came back and they only thing of concern was her urine. From what I can remember, he mentioned the pH was high, calcium phosphate, and transition cells. I missed the rest. This was the Thurday before last and we had to bring her back in for a check-up this last Friday. From that Thursday to Friday she had only two bowl movements that were very dark, soft, and mocousy.

The vet said he is still very concerned because of her still having the syptoms for over a month. She has always maintained her energy and weight. She is now on ampiclin (sp?) and are awaiting the results of a fungual culture, cluture fecal, fecal flotation, and a canine digestion profile.

I am concerened, because after this we are looking at an endoscopy and then exploratory surgery!!!!

Can anyone point me in the right direction of condition or a specialty vet to try in Florida? The vet is thinking it is more like an infection than a virus, please of her energy and weight. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Has your vet done any X-rays or a barium series? I'd think that would be my next step, to check for tumors or a foreign body.

[concernedmom]

Kayla is scheduled for an endoscopy and colonoscopy tomorrow. All her tests (blood, fungal, cultures) came back negative. The only issue was her folate and by her stool (large muscousy amounts), the vet suspects whatever it is, it is in the small bowel. I have taken her to three vets, and all have said it is not presenting as an obstruction. I have done some research about barium x-rays, and one seemed to match up (it was about a lab that had swallowed a rubber ball that went undetected for 11 years). There are lots of limitations with the endoscopy/colonoscopy, especially reaching the small intestine, but I am just scared to death of the next step, exploratory surgery.

The plan is the test tomorrow and hopefully an answer. If not, I will push for the barium series and treatment for IBD.

The good news is since early June, she has had no more diarrhea or vomiting blood. We still have to break up her meals into smaller portions so she doesnt throw the food up and her stools arent normal. I think she has lost a little weight, but not too much and not drastically. Her energy level remains fine and I sometimes think she likes all this special attention (lots of the "rules" havent applied to her). I am just hoping for an answer.... wish us luck!

[concernedmom]

Kayla is recovering from the test. I havent gotten to pick her up yet. The didnt not find any masses, tumors, pollups, etc. However, they were not able to reach her small intestine. That is really wanted we wanted to look at. They did take some biopsies of her stomach and colon, which are do back in about a week.

Tips for anyone whose dog is going to get an endoscopy/colonoscopy. Make sure to check with your vet about any prepping for the procedure (i.e. enemas and "golytley"-a liquid laxative). If you have to give them the liquid laxative, you might want to consider not making it cold. Kayla seemed to choke on it more when it was cold.

i am getting confuse with 1st reply

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