Really worried about Harley now.

zebidee1

For those that dont know the background, Harley is a very nervous 10 month old lab pup who now has quite bad colitis.

He got another round of antibiotics recently specifically aimed at colitis sufferers and it did the trick but the course ended last week and today Harley is back to runny poo.

There's another problem that I've got a really bad feeling about and that is his excessive panting which he started a few days ago. I know the weather has been warmer but it hasn't been the kind of heat that would cause the level of his panting. He's also been very tired and sleeps most of the day. When he does play in the garden, he seems to get physically affected quite quickly with a rapid heartbeat and heavy panting.

I'm obviously going to take him to the vet again tomorrow, but I'm sat here convinced it's his heart. I've just read some articles that said a deficient diet could cause heart problems and since he's only been able to tolerate rice and fish, I'm worried sick and sat here in tears.

I dont really know why I'm posting here again about him, I'm just worried and there's no-one here to talk to.

How come someone who always said no to getting a dog is blubbing pathetically at the thought of the beast being really ill!

Has anyone else's pup had anything like this?

scruffy96uk

Ok sorry no words of wisdom but I just want to give you

(((((((hugs)))))))

We have a 2 year old Choc lab and I hate it when hes ill/hurt. He has just got over a major wound to his leg, so I totally feel for you. Will check back and see how he is doing later in the week.
All the best at the vets tomorrow
Hope it is nothing too serious
Have some more :grouphug:

janeys

Hi so sorry to hear about Harley, again I have no words of wisdom but our rescue dog that we had only had for 9 months has been recently diagnosed with diabetes, we didnt think we would cope both husband and me on low wages and no dog insurance. I posted on here and the positive feedback was a great help the guys on here really do care and will help if they can, and some times just to know you are not alone is a great help as well. Try not to fret to much as the vet will do everything they can, ours have been brill and only charge £5 per visit now, we are going twice a week. I do hope you get good news tomorrow and please let us know how you get on.:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Ruffles_2

Big (((hugs))) to you and Harley. Its easier said than done but try not to worry until you know what your up against. If there is something wrong with his heart, the vets will do everything they can to help him.

Just for referance, if all he can tollerate is fish and rice, would he cope with a supplement added to his food? I had a retriever pup with kidney failure that was pretty much on a chicken/fish/rice/pasta diet. A homeopathic vet recommended missing link http://www.caninenaturalcures.co.uk/missinglink.htm (there are other places that sell it, just type missing link canine into a search engine) It did her the world of good.

I hope its nothing serious.

proudmum_3

Hi there,
big hugs to both you and Harley.
We are all softies when it comes to our pets aren't we?! I have an 11 year old Lab who sadly is comming to the end. He's been poorley for a while but still has a little spark so we just can't let him go yet. He's not in pain but i often sit crying at the thought of life without him.
I am sure you will get some good advice from the vet and hopefully they will be able to help him. They can give you special food, i know our dog had some when he had tummy problems. They will check his heart and am sure will give you good advice. It's difficult when they can't tell you what's wrong and we tend to assume the worst all the time.
Good luck with the vets and keep us all posted on how you get on.
I have only recently joined the forum and are overwhelmed at the amount of support that others give to any problem.
There is always someone who will listen.
Take care.

zebidee1

I was a bit down last night and went to bed just after I wrote this as I just wanted to stop thinking about it all.

Had a lengthy chat with the vet nurse receptionist this morning and we've got an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. It's likely he'll get blood tests done which will cause problems too, due to Harley's fear of people. When we go to the vet's, he's always sat in a corner as far away as he possibly could and the vet has not been able to examine him. The only times he was touched was when he was 8 weeks, 10 weeks and 12 weeks old and he was too small and not strong enough to get away. :rolleyes:

He was only just beginning to take treats from people's hands. He did it very tentatively and darted away as soon as he had the treat so they couldn't touch him but at least it was some progress. Now being in the position of being forced to have tests done could put him right back where he started.

The behaviourist we saw told us that Harley could possibly become aggressive if he was ever backed into a corner and was terrified. I'm very worried that the test will make Harley cross the line from being terrified to reacting aggressively. He copes so badly with things that I may have a timid worried puppy before the vet visit and a fearful aggressive one afterwards.

I almost wish he could be shot with a tranquiliser dart from a distance like they do in zoos and animal sanctuaries. He'd have no lead up fear then and he'd be none the wiser. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the replies everyone, and the link Ruffles. A food supplement was mentioned this morning so it may be that we try something like that.

proudmum......I'm sorry to hear your lab is poorly. I cant even think about things like that without the tears coming. I really feel for you, it's a horrible part of having a pet. Before we got Harley, I never really understood just how much an animal can fit into your life and heart. I do now.

proudmum_3

Thanks Zebidee 1
Perhaps you could ask the vet for some tranqililisers when you visit tomorrow.
We give them to our dog when he has to visit the vets. He is so terrified he shakes from head to toe and has panick attacks. We used tranquilisers and they really helped calm him. They had no side effect apart from being drowsy for a couple of hours, but really helped.
I am sure that as Harley gets older and more confident he will become people friendly. I am sure your obvious love and dedication to him will prove that.
Anyway, just wanted to say good luck.

elsien

Hi zebidee1 -
I was thinking about Harley the other day, and wondering how he was getting on. I'm really sorry to hear that he's still having problems.
I don't have any useful suggestions for what's happening with him at the moment - hope everything turns out ok.
Something I tried with my mutt with the vet, was to call in every couple of days for a social visit. I warned the staff, and only went in when it was quiet, and we'd sit in the corner for five minutes, she'd get a treat from me, then we'd go home. After a while, she was able to accept fuss and treats from the staff, and didn't mind going into the reception area at all.
She still struggled against going into the actual vet's room, but it just made visits so much easier - maybe worth thinking about for the future.

Harley's lucky to have someone who takes the time and care he needs - got all my fingers and toes crossed for you both. Good luck.

zebidee1

Well the vet thinks all the things Harley has been experiencing is largely down to his restricted diet and the fact he is so prone to having bouts of colitis. The panting thing settled down itself so it's not likely to be anything serious and they will delay doing the blood tests until there is no other option, if he still isn't right.

He thinks that rather than continually cooking his food and adding supplements, it would be better if he were back on proprietary dog food and that way he's fairly sure to get all the nutrients he needs. He thought it best to try Hill's ZD Ultra which is the least likely food to cause an upset.

I was happy to go along with this but after reading some opinions on the net about how this is not a good food, I'm not sure whether to feed it or not. At least the homecooked fish and rice was good wholesome food iyswim. From what I've read, the ZD Ultra has little of nutritional goodness and plenty of things like preservatives etc that are not so good. I wouldn't feed my kids rubbish and I feel the same way about my dog.

I just dont know what to do for the best anymore. However I'm very happy that he doesn't appear (at this stage anyway) to have anything wrong with his heart after all. I am delighted to admit to over-reacting and panicking terribly the other night. Thank you all for being supportive.

I'd welcome any opinions about the Hill's ZD ULtra? Most of what I read was on American sites, I dont know if the UK version is the same and thought of in the same way?

zebidee1

elsien wrote: »

Something I tried with my mutt with the vet, was to call in every couple of days for a social visit. I warned the staff, and only went in when it was quiet, and we'd sit in the corner for five minutes, she'd get a treat from me, then we'd go home. After a while, she was able to accept fuss and treats from the staff, and didn't mind going into the reception area at all.

We do this too. The vet nurse receptionist is very nice and we pop in every now and then on the passing for no reason other than to say Hi. Also the scales are in the waiting area for anyone to weigh their pet when they want to so we do this too, just so Harley gets used to getting on the scales and sitting still for a minute.

Harley's become a challenge for the receptionist, she's determined she WILL get to pat him one day, no matter how long it takes to build up his confidence.

It's good when you deal with people who you feel do genuinely care.

elsien

Glad it turned out to be nothing major (well, comparatively, anyway.)
I don't know much about the Hill's food, but if it was full of preservatives etc, surely the vet wouldn't be recommending it?
I've done a quick google, and I think I'd be willing to give it a go - it does seem formulated for dogs like Harley.
My Vet mentioned the Hills prescription food for joint care for my dog - he's usually a sceptic but he said he did a local unscientific trial and was pleasantly surprised by the results, so Hills must be ok in some respects. Mutt's prone to all sorts of allergies and colitis as well, so he wouldn't have recommended it if it was full of rubbish.
Have you looked up the blurb on it. http://vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=367 and
http://www.hillspet.com/media/WEURG/product/prodKeyPDF/en/PD_K9_D_d_zd_o_O_ULTR_o_WEURG_prodKey_en.pdf

If it suits him, you can always start adding other things on a trial basis as time goes on - chuck in a bit of extra fish, doggy vitamins or whatever, to make life a bit more interesting for the poor soul.

You'll get there in the end.