We currently have our first dog, an absolutely amazing nine-year-old we adopted after a family member died unexpectedly. She's been with us about a year and a half, and she's healthy, happy, and utterly wonderful.
However, yesterday she started throwing up but continued acting normal. Then today she's no longer vomiting but is lethargic and won't eat or drink.
We've taken her to the vet, of course, and they gave her sub-cutaneous fluids and plan to x-ray her tomorrow. No one has any idea what's wrong with her. Her blood work is pretty much normal, and she seems not to display any pain or anything else.
Do dogs recover from illness? I know that by the time a hamster starts to show symptoms of illness, it's pretty much too late to save them. But what about dogs? Can they recover, like humans do? Please reassure me - I'm terrified.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Hi,
I'm sorry to hear about your dog. The good news is that with the appropriate medical care, most dogs do recover from the vast majority of illnesses. Vomiting, lethargy, and anorexia are fairly non-specific symptoms that can occur as a result of a wide range of illnesses, including pancreatitis, gastrointestinal obstruction/foreign body, liver or kidney disease, and systemic infection to name a few. It is a good sign that your dog's blood work was normal, and xrays are a good next step to screen for evidence of an obstruction, foreign body, or other abdominal organ abnormalities that could lead to these signs. If obstruction is ruled out, and a cause of her symptoms can not be found, then consider more aggressive supportive care (hospitalization, IV fluids, +/- antibiotics, antacids/gastroprotectants,and anti-nausea medication) for a few days to help support her while waiting for her immune system and natural healing mechanisms to have time to kick in.
This article http://doghealthpartner.com/vomiting-in-dogs/ has a more comprehensive listing of the types of illnesses that cause vomiting in dogs. The good news is that most of these illnesses can be treated, so your dog has a great chance of a full recovery.
Good luck!
Prey animals, like hamsters, instinctually hide symptoms in order to not appear weak. By the time they are sick enough to no longer hide it, it's usually too late. Small animals like them will also dehydrate and weaken faster, causing them to be more fragile.
Dogs are not prey, and most people will pick up on symptoms of an illness pretty quickly in them. A healthy dog in their prime will have a great chance of recovering, especially with the quick and speedy vet care she is receiving. It sounds like she ate something that's not agreeing with her system, keep her well hydrated and barring any complicatuons she should be good as new in a couple days.
Good Luck!
It honestly depends on what the diagnose her with. By chance did they run a fecal sample on her? There are some parasites that can cause vomiting and upset stomach. Another question, did they run a pancreatic snap test on her? Pancreatitis is painful and can cause vomiting and lethargy. Generally IV fluids is necessary. But to answer your question, the dog is young and most likely she be treated for her illness and recover, hamsters are totally different.
I'm sure your dog will get better. I know that after they are sick, they tend to not want to eat for a few days, and sometimes eat grass to settle their stomach. However, it may depend on the breed of dog. The larger the dog (like a great dane or mastiff), the more likely it has to do with old age because they don't live too long. If you have a small or medium sized dog, she will probably be better in no time :)
Dogs usually bounce back after stuff like this. It sounds like she may have eaten something that her body is not happy with. Sometimes dogs eat the strangest things. They are usually more rough and tumble than fragile animals like hamsters. Hamsters produce rapidly since they are meant to be hunted by other things. Dogs are much stronger, especially with vaccinations.
Yes dogs can indeed recover from illnesses. The most important thing was that you did the right thing by getting her to the vet right away. The earlier whatever she has is caught the better chances she has. I hope your pooch is alright!
Depending on the illness, and dog can recover fine. As long as they get proper treatment they will be fine.
usually yes. there are much less options for such small animals like hamsters because their small size doesn't allow for surgery or many procedures, and there is extensive research for dogs, they even have chemotherapy for dogs with cancer. So rest assured, your dog will most likely be fine :)