GSP Collapse and diarrhoea

[Mickeydredd]

Bit of a strange one with my male GSP. 7 years old and intact.

10 days ago, every time I let him out of the kennel he would run around for a minute or so then wobble and fall over sideways (not rear end collapse). No fitting occurred. After comforting him for a minute he would get up and run around as usual, running hard and wide, in the river, running up bankings etc. The collapsing lasted about 3 days.

He quickly also began to have horrendous diarrhoea, sometimes very watery but mostly just "normal" diarrhoea.

Main initial concern is to stop the diarrhoea, Vet has him on probiotics in his food and also Metrocare tablets for a week. This hasn't seemed to cure the issue.

Bloods were taken last week and showed nothing. Liver and kidney function fine, no signs of infection, not dehydrated etc.

He has mostly been eating as normal, very little loss in condition or energy levels. Put him on chicken and rice for a couple of days now and then going to try a steroid injection on Friday.

Anyone else had such symptoms with their dog or have any thoughts?

 

[wytonpjs]

Sadly none - I feel for you at this worrying time. Your penultimate para is exactly what I’d be doing whilst worrying. Hope he gets through this asap unscathed.

 

[pob]

My Lab has just been in for gastro-intestinal issues. I put her on chicken and brown rice, as usual, but the vet recommended chicken and sweet potato. That might be worth researching. She has had an injection and been issued probiotics.

I hope that you get him sorted.

 

[Mickeydredd]

My Lab has just been in for gastro-intestinal issues. I put her on chicken and brown rice, as usual, but the vet recommended chicken and sweet potato. That might be worth researching. She has had an injection and been issued probiotics.

I hope that you get him sorted.

Thanks.

Was it a steroid injection?

Has the above cured the issues?

 

[pob]

I believe it was an anti-emetic, because she had been wretching and vomiting for a few days before the diarrhoea started.

She seems to be doing much better. She's still spending a lot of time in bed, but I haven't had the mop out since her vet visit.

 

[Buchan]

Bit of a strange one with my male GSP. 7 years old and intact.

10 days ago, every time I let him out of the kennel he would run around for a minute or so then wobble and fall over sideways (not rear end collapse). No fitting occurred. After comforting him for a minute he would get up and run around as usual, running hard and wide, in the river, running up bankings etc. The collapsing lasted about 3 days.

He quickly also began to have horrendous diarrhoea, sometimes very watery but mostly just "normal" diarrhoea.

Main initial concern is to stop the diarrhoea, Vet has him on probiotics in his food and also Metrocare tablets for a week. This hasn't seemed to cure the issue.

Bloods were taken last week and showed nothing. Liver and kidney function fine, no signs of infection, not dehydrated etc.

He has mostly been eating as normal, very little loss in condition or energy levels. Put him on chicken and rice for a couple of days now and then going to try a steroid injection on Friday.

Anyone else had such symptoms with their dog or have any thoughts?

The dehydration from diarrhoea would give some of those symptoms. Was the falling episodes before the diarrhoea happened or during?

Chicken/fish based diets usually the best and fed little and often. If he's eating well and maintaining weight, Id not worry too much about the actual diarrhoea.

 

[Mickeydredd]

The dehydration from diarrhoea would give some of those symptoms. Was the falling episodes before the diarrhoea happened or during?

Chicken/fish based diets usually the best and fed little and often. If he's eating well and maintaining weight, Id not worry too much about the actual diarrhoea

That's the strange thing though, he isn't dehydrated, as you would expect with constant diarrhoea. Neither visibly nor the blood check suggests dehydration.

He first collapsed on the Friday tea time and the diarrhoea started the next day.

 

[Selous]

Several other thoughts, Addisonian crisis, myaesthenia gravis, cardiac disease, intermittent claudication of the nerves to the hind limbs. Were sodium and potassium checked in the blood tests and what was the Na:K ratio? If less than 27:1 then suggestive of Addisons disease. Myaesthenia would need specific testing as would cardiac disease. Claudication is hard to prove one way or the other.

 

[Mickeydredd]

Addisons was ruled out following the blood tests.

I cant state what else was checked for specifically in the bloods, the vet just said (in addition to the above) that there was nothing of concern noted.

The collapse was also a side-on flop over, there was no rear end collapse.

 

[Tim.243]

Addisons was ruled out following the blood tests.

I cant state what else was checked for specifically in the bloods, the vet just said (in addition to the above) that there was nothing of concern noted.

The collapse was also a side-on flop over, there was no rear end collapse.

Hope he gets well asap.
Best from Essex

 

[Selous]

Addisons was ruled out following the blood tests.

I cant state what else was checked for specifically in the bloods, the vet just said (in addition to the above) that there was nothing of concern noted.

The collapse was also a side-on flop over, there was no rear end collapse.

Did he lose consciousness? Was there any twitching or paddling that may suggest seizure?

 

[Mickeydredd]

Did he lose consciousness? Was there any twitching or paddling that may suggest seizure?

Nope, conscious at all times. He only "paddled" once when he had fallen over on wet slab steps so it seemed more like he was trying to right himself rather than anything else.

I usually kept him still I suppose to let him return to normal safely, he could probably have got up after about 30 seconds but I usually kept him still for a little longer.

He had the collapsing issues from Friday to Sunday, then once on the Wednesday and nothing now for a week. The diarrhoea continues however.

 

[Buchan]

Just to add to Selous' list, low blood sugar can do this, but be normal when the sample is taken - partly due to a stress rise. There are test you can add to check particularly fructosamine.

 

[Mickeydredd]

Just to add to Selous' list, low blood sugar can do this, but be normal when the sample is taken - partly due to a stress rise. There are test you can add to check particularly fructosamine.

Yeah, electrolytes were fine at time of test. I'll ask if the vet did the fructosamine test.

He isn't really a stressy dog tbh.

Thanks for all input.

 

[Tim.243]

Nope, conscious at all times. He only "paddled" once when he had fallen over on wet slab steps so it seemed more like he was trying to right himself rather than anything else.

I usually kept him still I suppose to let him return to normal safely, he could probably have got up after about 30 seconds but I usually kept him still for a little longer.

He had the collapsing issues from Friday to Sunday, then once on the Wednesday and nothing now for a week. The diarrhoea continues however.

Has he had the diarrhoea medicine (paste in a tube) Chip had the shi ts bad so was given that, then Toby caught it so I got a treble amount as it was a Friday (not open weekends ) cleared then up.

 

[paulbshooting]

My Lab has just been in for gastro-intestinal issues. I put her on chicken and brown rice, as usual, but the vet recommended chicken and sweet potato. That might be worth researching. She has had an injection and been issued probiotics.

I hope that you get him sorted.

Yes we feed cooked chicken and sweet potato when our lab gets upset stomach. Works well.

 

[Mickeydredd]

Has he had the diarrhoea medicine (paste in a tube) Chip had the shi ts bad so was given that, then Toby caught it so I got a treble amount as it was a Friday (not open weekends ) cleared then up.

He has had a solid version of that which does not seemed to have made any difference.

Interestingly, since starting him on the chicken and rice last night there has been no diarrhoea in his kennel run and this evening he didnt need to have a squat as soon as he got out of the kennel, he had a few pees as normal. His stool also looked a bit more formed when he did go so there are signs that the chicken and rice is making a difference already!

 

[Mickeydredd]

Update:
Continued feeding chicken and rice since Wednesday.
No diarrhoea splattered kennel run in the mornings since. No rush to squat when he comes out of the kennel now.
Still having diarrhoea but more like porridge than soup!!
No longer has ring-sting, back to normal colour with no sign of tenderness through excessive squatting and pushing!
Back to 100% bright and running at full pelt and hunting.
Was planned to have a steroid injection on Friday but the vets were closed for training all afternoon. Will call the vet today to discuss if steroid still an option or not.
Have put him back on Skinners 23 to see if the food has a negative impact.

 

[Mickeydredd]

So, I had the brainwave to try Chip on deer ribs/bones for a few days as usually when I feed the dogs deer bones their stools really firm up and dry up.
I shot a buck on Thursday night and fed him bones from yesterday morning. There seemed to be an improvement and tonight he produced this consistency!
Hopefully this will have sorted him permanently!!