Readers Respond: Hemorrhagic GastroEnteris - Prompt veterinary care is critical

Have you experienced HGE with a pet? What were the first presenting signs? What was the main course of treatment? Read stories from other viewers. Share your stories here. HGE episodes with my pet

My Little A-Rod just got over this

This came on overnight and very quickly. I nearly lost my little Cocker Spaniel but thankfully my vet treated him with intravenous antibiotics/liquids for dehydration and after 4 days he is almost normal. I am watching everything and keeping a daily diary of what he eats etc. Please get your pet to the vet right away.

—Guest Sandy Touchette

HGE

My 3 and 1/2 year old black lab, normal weight, was taken ill on Tuesday morning. Suddenly, without any prior symptoms, blood began to gush from his anus. Fortunately my wife's parents are visiting to our vet and he was immediately put on a drip with antibiotics and other meds added. He stayed all day Tuesday and Tuesday night. I visited him at the vets Wednesday morning and stayed with him for about 20 mins. He was drowsy and still weak. I brought him home Wednesday late afternoon. Still a bit weak but pleased to be home. The vets had given me quite a protocol to follow. He didn't want any food at 6pm and at 9pm when I needed to give him some meds, he couldn't stand. I called the vet and arranged to get him straight back to them. As I tried to lift him up, lots more blood. Once at the vets he had deteriorated massively. He died at 9.20pm. I asked for a post mortem and will let you know if anything was found. Miss him.

—Guest David Whitehead

Pender is back from the dead!

My dog Pender, a 10 year old, 90 pound black lab mix, began having diarrhea on Thursday morning. I didn't think much of it as one of my other dogs had had it as well a few days before and he quickly recovered and I just figured it was a GI bug they were passing around. By Friday night he was refusing food. Saturday morning blood droplets were coming out of his rectum. I believe this was the onset of HGE. By the end of the day Saturday he was lethargic and unresponsive when I found him laying on the floor in a pool of foul smelling watery blood. We rushed to the ER vet that night, IV fluids, anti-diarrhea meds and antibiotics. Slow improvements were shown all weekend and it is now Monday evening and Pender is home with us - almost good as new! A little drained and tired but eating and drinking and walking and wagging! It was a very scary time - HGE comes on hard and fast! DO NOT DELAY in seeking medical attention!!

—Guest mom2rhs

HGE

Today is Nov. 2nd 2009. My eight year old Yorkie, Toby, was struck with HGE this past weekend. It started abruptly and his initial symptom was shaking/trembling. The next morning he was vomiting, but did not have a fever. I watched him for about 6 hours, and after 5 vomiting episodes (with NO blood and no diarrhea), I took him in to the ER vet. I can't believe how quickly an illness can take hold of an animal. My advice to anyone is: if you love your pet and he is vomiting, quiet, sleepy or lethargic, having diarrhea; spend the money and get him to your vet or ER vet immediately. Had we waited overnight (and I almost did) I doubt we'd have Toby here today. I should be able to bring him home tonight (after a $1000.00 bill), but he is worth all the money in the world.

—Yorkiemom418

My 15-year-old Shih-tzu has HGE

My poor boy Max started having bloody diarrhea and vomiting last night, and then this morning, I stayed outside with him for 1 1/2 hours, during which time he was having frequent bloody diarrhea. After talking to my vet, I took him to the emergency vet hospital, and the vet there said it could be a number of things. The best case scenario was HGE, the worst case scenario was kidney failure. I left him at the hospital for treatment, but it's going to cost $650 and I'm not rich, so my husband is mad at me now for not just putting Max down. He is really old and the quality of his life is not the best, but I just couldn't do it. He's my little boy and I love him so much. The vet didn't make HGE sound as bad as it actually seems to be. I didn't realize fatalities were so common! I'm sorry for all of the doggie parents out there who've had there beloved pets taken from them by this terrible illness.

—Guest Kristen

we just lost him yesterday to HGE

Cisko was a 9 months old male cocker spaniel, very active and super sweet. He was up to date with his shots and totally normal until last weekend. We don't know how he could go so sick so fast. We notice he was a little more lethargic on Thursday, and Friday he refused food. We tried to take him to the vet Saturday but our vet was close so we did not see any signs to called an emergency. Well… we were so wrong!!! The next morning he was dead. We did not even realize how sick he was. We love him so much, and we feel very responsible for his loss. The urgent care said that he had HGE, and his organs went in shock because of it, very, very fast. I see this blog and all the similar stories of so many of you that are going through the same thing with their dogs. It is so sad for all of as. My prayers are for all your dogs that are still battling for their life, I hope they all will be well soon; no one should have to go through this, we are very devastated by the loss of our Cisko.

—Guest Cisko

My Baby Conrad

My baby Conrad was diagnosed with HGE this morning 10/25/09. He is a Schnauzer/Carin Terrier mix and is 4 years old. We got him 2 years ago from the shelter and they said he had lived as a stray up until then. Conrad was fine yesterday and was being his playful bouncy self until 5 this morning when he started to throw up. he only threw up about 6 times but when I took him outside I noticed he had laid down and wouldn't answer my calls but I just thought he was tired. This morning me and my dad found Conrad lying in a pool of his own blood and he wasn't moving except for breathing. My dad rushed him to the ER as fast as he could and currently Conrad is still alive and I hope he stays that way. Conrad has gone from being found in a pool of his own blood unable to move with a 20% chance to live, to standing on his own and even drinking water with a 50% chance to live. I ask you to please pray for Conrad to survive this. I just want my baby back and healthy in my arms again.

—Guest OscarSkull

My Lexi Lou is gone.

We just found out that Our 1yr 9mo old Mini Pinscher Lexi just passed away at the vets office from HGE. She was such a sweet little girl and was my little snuggle buddy. I miss and love her so much. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Losing a pet is like losing a child, especially when you have no children and aren't sure if you can have any. If your dog exhibits any symptoms of HGE, get them to the vet immediately, in our case, that wasn't enough, but it may save your little one. Please think of our Lexi Lou and hug your puppy for me.

—Guest Marko Reese

My Lexi is so sick !

My little 1yr and 10mo old Miniature Pinscher just came down with a serious bout of sudden onset HGE. She is currently at the vet's office undergoing IV antibiotics and fluid therapy. She is very lethargic and weak. But perks up when the wife and I go to visit. Only been 24hrs so far and am very worried about my baby. God I hope she's ok !

—Guest Marko

Our beloved Mocha

Our 2 1/2 year old Yorkie died Monday morning from HGE. He was fine Sunday at 12 noon. We returned from a family event. We returned home 7 hours later and found him dead in his cage, we did CPR on him and he started to breathe again. We rushed him to the emergency vet, we got there in 20 min. They worked on him for 9 hours and he was not making any progress, he was getting worse. They were basically keeping him alive with life support. WE finally decided to let him go and stop the suffering. We never saw any symptoms of this sickness. No vomiting or bloody stools. Sometimes a little listless. He had been to the vet for his routine check up. We miss our little dog. We are so devastated. We are trying to understand how a healthy looking dog can be fine and then 7 hours later be dead??? We have never heard of HGE, but from all the postings it doesn't seem that uncommon.

—Guest Kyra

Mina's Miracle

My 2.5 year old Old English Sheepdog was fine last Sunday. Monday presented a different story. She was unusally listless, threw up a few times, and was panting heavily. I took her to the vet Tuesday and was told (after $350) that it was just gas! By Wednesday morning, she was presenting bloody diarrhea! We were terrified. She spent Wed. at the vet, Wed. night at the Emergency Vet, and Thurs. Friday she came home and by Sat. she was nearly normal. I had them on A Taste of the Wild-High Plains Formula (my GSD is allergic to grain) and have since switched all 3-dogs to a Duck & Potato diet. The fellow at the pet supply store is a genius and told me that the one I had them on before might be too rich. I'm just terrified that this will come back. We've paid over $1000 in less than a week but she's 100% worth it. My sympathies to all that have lost their dogs to this. Please, if you see lethargy, heavy panting, bloody diarrhea/vomit....go to the VET NOW!

—Guest Kelly

HGE

My 4-year old Pomeranian is being treated for HGE. It's been a rough experience, but she seems to be responding well to the meds and special diet given by the vet. I would definitely recommend not hestitating taking your dog to the vet when these symptons begin. There are just too many variables and small dogs can dehydrate so quickly. After 3 full days of treatment Ellie still has very loose stool, but at least it isn't so bloody now. She seems to be perking up in her attitude as well. On a side note, if anyone knows of any tricks for getting up the stains from Ellie's accidents out of the carpet, I would love to hear them. Thank you.

—tlchristian

HGE experience

I am so thankful I got my dog treatment right away. We thought she had this once before so I knew the warning signs and took her to the emergency vet right away when I discovered she was bleeding and had vomitted. She was treated with IV fluids and sent home on antibiotics. I would strongly encourage anyone to seek treatment at the first signs of bloody diarrhea and/or vomitting in their dog. Early treatment is critical because things can get worse quickly. I'm so happy she is feeling better now.

—Guest Amy

Basenji recovered

My 9 mo old Basenji, Otis was diagnosed with HGE on Monday 10/5-09, today is Thursday and he is doing great, back to normal playful self and pooping firm again,. He is still on meds and bland foods, but his spirit is back. I made him some homemade pedialyte (Googled for kids) and gave that mixture to him every 10-15 minutes (a few ounces at a time) with a kids squirt bottle straight into his mouth, since he had no interest in drinking it. After a few hours of this he got off the couch and started sniffing around in the kitchen, I of course jumped on that and asked him if he wanted food, his little curly tail wagged and I was so happy, first time he ate in 24 hours..yippee.

—Guest Petra

Hagrid my spitz

I have just been through 4 weeks of operations after my 11 inch dog was attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier- he survived 3 operations. Now 3 weeks later my little dog has been struck down very suddenly with this terrible disease. no one seems to know where it comes from - I have thought the other vast amount of procedures and medication that Hagrid (my Spitz) had for the dog attack must have somehow lowered his natural resistance. But no one knows. He had been on IV for a 24 hours now and looks like he will still be kept on the IV again tonight. My heart goes out to this tiny little chap who has undergone so much to reover from the dog bites ( 28 stitches) and and open wounds that we dressed and cared for. He was so good through all that and now 3 weeks later he is taken down with this problem. Why does no one know what causes this?

—maryblackaby