Dottie MXJ! And a Trip to the E-Vet

Dottie got her MXJ on Sunday. (Still only ONE Ex B Standard Q...) This was after we went to the vet Friday night for possible bloat due to drinking too much sea water. She didn't have bloat, or salt poisoning, but come Saturday, her tummy was still upset, or so I figured when she practically trotted the courses. But Sunday was a different day, happily.

Isn't she cute?  Good thing, or I'd bill HER for the vet visit

As for the bloat, everyone says if you suspect it you need to go to the vet ASAP, or it could be too late.  We left the beach around 5, and at first I was worried about salt poisoning.  She seemed a bit listless.  I bought some hydrogen peroxide to make her throw up the salt water, but it didn't all come out.  I waited around a bit, but she wasn't a happy pup.  So I drove out to the emergency vet.  When I got there I walked her around, and she was much happier.  So we went home.  At home of course she wanted to drink and drink and drink.  But I tried to ration that out so she didn't get water toxicity.  

I gave her some raw since it has so much moisture, to try to quench the thirst.  She happily ate that.  Then she started dry retching.  Turns out that is the "hallmark" sign of bloat.  Her tummy sounded like a drum when patted, and she definitely looked blown up like a balloon (but I thought that was due to the water, not air.)  Those could be signs of bloat.  But on the other hand, she didn't look in pain, she laid down, and she wasn't restless, plus, I heard gut sounds.  On the bloat side, she did switch positions a few times on the couch and I thought that was abnormal.  Usually she picks one and doesn't move until I do.  Then I heard a very, very faint moaning.  Not a pain moan, but a sound you'd make after having eaten too much and now it was uncomfortable to sit down.  So did that mean she was uncomfortable?  I was pretty sure she was fine, just unhappy about being so full, but she had the HALLMARK sign of bloat.  Everything else could be explained by being too full of water, but not the dry retching.  I had put my pjs on and gotten all ready for bed, but even if I set my alarm every hour to check on her, she could die while I slept.  I figured it was better to pay the money to the vet and be wrong, than to save the money and have a dead dog.  I researched, I waited some, and still I couldn't be sure.  When I called the vet, of course he said bring her in, because there is no way you are going to tell me over the phone that she'll be fine and then have her dead before the morning.  I was really hoping he'd say, "If she is passing stools and having gut sounds she can't possibly have bloat."  However he said a dog can have a bowl movement and still have bloat.  Darn.

So off we drove at 11:30 at night.  We didn't get home until 2:30.  Her blood test revealed she did not have salt poisoning (which I didn't think she did, since she had perked up)  and the x-ray revealed she did not have bloat.  The retching was caused by her throat being irritated from the vomit and no doubt the vomit mixed with salt water and hydrogen peroxide.  So know we know that when combined with drinking lots of salt water, vomiting and hydrogen peroxide, the HALLMARK sign of bloat could also be an irritated throat.  However, even though the visit was costly, I'd still say don't bet your dog's life on it.  I think the only way to know for sure if it is really bloat is an x-ray or the throat tub.  Neither which should be attempted at home.

The vet gave us a medicine to coat her throat which I have to give 3x a day and she does not like.  Also anti-nausea, which I didn't think she needed, and pecid.  He also gave her subQ fluids which gave her the cammel hump, but got her to stop drinking.  All in all, an expensive beach trip.