Jake is very ill
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No suggestions but I have everything crossed that they can sort this out.  |
Oh I will be hoping and praying and wishing he's ok!!!! He's such a loveable lug!!!  |
| Hoping that it turns out to be something easily managed. |
| I am so sorry to hear that Jake is ill. Don't panic. While cancer is a possibility, there are many others as well. Before we got Oscar's IBD under control, he had constant diarrhea, often bloody from extreme colitis. He was 10 months old and about 20 lbs underweight for his frame, because he just couldn't get enough nutrition from the food before it passed through him. Jake could have any number of things going on, from parasites, to a digestive problem like IBD. Your vet should be able to figure some things out with bloodwork, and x-rays, or an abdominal CT scan. It took an endoscopy to figure out what was going on with Oscar. I hope you get some answers soon. Laurie and Oscar |
| I hope you get some answers soon. Jake |
I am so sorry to hear that Jake is still not feeling well.  I hope the specialist has some answers for you. Millie and I are sending lots of good vibes to you and Jake. |
I too am hoping for good news for Jake.  |
| Hope they find the issue and he feels better soon! Sending lots of healing thoughts to Jake! Cindy |
| Tonks and Luna both had diarrhea on and off for their first year with me, often bloody. You can't have that much soft poop without it irritating stuff, I guess. As it turned out, the girls were sensitive to grain in their food! We found out through trial and error. Maybe your Jake has developed a food allergy? |
| Carol, I'm so sorry Jake is not feeling well. I hope that it is not something so terrible. I do know that the vet has told me he usually isn't concerned with small amounts of blood in the stool. Let us know, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. |
| Poor Jake. Hopefully it is something treatable. Hang in there. |
| Don't panic yet. Was the blood red or black? My dog had bouts of severe diarrea with blood sometimes and it ended up he tested positive for Giardia. Needed two rounds of Flagyl but eventuall was fine. Had to keep him hydrated as well. Not sure about the weight loss. Could it be since his tummy was not feeling well he wasn't eating as he should? Hope you get some answers soon and sending our sheepie healing prayers |
| Tonks loses weight every summer- I took her in because she wasn't eating and she seemed like skin and bones to me. Sure enough, she's dropped nearly 12 pounds! I was horrified, and the vet pulled up her 4 years of records and was able to show me where she does this EVERY summer. Apparently the heat puts her WAY off her food. So don't panic yet- could be something fairly innocent! But keep us appraised, and I'll be thinking good thoughts for you! |
| I hope it's nothing serious and you get some answers from the vet. |
| I am so sorry to hear Jake is not feeling well.I have asked my vet a few years back about a bloody stool and he said it is usually caused by a small blood vessel that has burst. Once the diarrhea is under control,no more burst blood vessels. Sending healing thoughts for Jake. Robin |
| Paws crossed for Jake, we hope he's ok!! |
it is so scary when they pass blood. Summer had a bad bout of this a couple of years ago. they never really found out what caused it despite hospitalization. They are both on green dog food and touch wood no soft poos.... I hope they sort Jake out soon,  |
| Sending prayers to you and healing thoughts to Jake. |
| Oh poor Jake.. I'm so sorry you are going through this. But just because there was blood in the stool (was it red or dark chocolate color?) it doesn't necessarily mean he's bleeding from inside. It could be a vessel near the anal canal from continuous diarrhea that just burst is the color is bright red. I really hope you get some more answers by the specialist~  Keep us posted |
| Thinking of Jake and hoping he is ok. Positive thoughts coming your way, |
| Hi Carol, sorry to hear about Jake. What all has your vet evaluated him for? My sister's airdale just went through a bout of bloody stools with her Airedale. The vet ran a series of tests (liver enzyme, bacteria, parasites, etc.) and found nothing wrong. The vet put Hercules on a dose of antibiotics, just in case and sent him home. The stools firmed and were normal when on the prescription diet, but when she transitioned Hercules from the prescription diet back to his Wellness, the stools got runny and bloody again. After round 2, she called me to talk through it. I went through something similar with Oliver when we put him on Blue Buffalo...except he was going into renal failure with his food. We decided to just try switching the Wellness to Innova...and it worked. Something in the Wellness was making him sick. (Yes, she did contact Wellness and no, they did not respond to her.) I'm sure you've already thought of this, but just wanted to mention it. Bloody stools, loosing weight...that's a scary situation. |
Thank you everyone for all your well wishes.  I felt so much better after reading all your kind words.Yesterday I took Jake to a different animal hospital and this vet did a more thorough exam than the ER did and he even explained everything in detail along the way. They ran lots of blood tests and I should have the results sometime on Tuesday. I also found out that sheepies do not get colon cancer, but they can get other kinds of cancer, and also that Jake is too young (6 years old). I will keep you posted. |
OES Lover X2 wrote: I also found out that sheepies do not get colon cancer, but they can get other kinds of cancer, and also that Jake is too young (6 years old). I will keep you posted. Hon - OES as young as a year old have gotten cancer, though four and up is more likely. It's a rotten fact of life, but hopefully not Jake's There is a type of lymphoma that affects the gastrointestinal system. I'm not telling you this to scare you - though I went through a similar scare myself when Belle turned 12. It turned out to be...?..i.e. we still don't know. Some kind of bug, maybe? Bottom-line, she was fine. Fingers crossed for your boy. As many gut issues as this breed can have there are a number of other and hopefully much less scary explanations. Kristine |
| For you and Jake! Get well Jake! |
| Fingers, paws, and legs crossed for you ans Jake. And many many prayers. Nancy, Abbey and Oliver |
| Thinking of you both and hoping you'll get some answers soon. |
| Carol, just now checking in, and so sorry to read about Jake. Your last note sounded more positive, and we'll be anxiously awaiting more news tomorrow. In the meantime, big to you both |
| Fingers crossed for Jake. Hoping it was just a case of a parasite easily treated with meds...Well, maybe not so easy as it took a few does for my boy to get better but at least treatable with meds. Keep us posted...ER is a great place but they tend to think the worst...glad you went to another Vet...Hugs to you and Jake |
| So sorry to hear about Jake. I hope it turns out to be something easily treated. Our thoughts and prayers go with him. Hugs to you both. It is always so tough when they get sick. |
| Hoping for good results today |
| Any results for Jake? |
| please Carol post when you find out anything...we are all so concerned about 'our' Jake!!! |
| Yes, please let us know when you have a chance, I do worry! |
| Sending out good wishes to you, Jake |
| Hoping to hear good news soon! Sending you and Jake sheepie hugs! |
| Still waiting on news, praying it's good! |
| Hoping for good news! Thinking of you and Jake |
| Any news on Jake? |
| We're worried about you Jake. Hope all is well. Laurie and Oscar |
| The stool tests were all normal and they tested for about 10 things. Next is a colon biopsy scheduled on Wednesday at 8am. They'll put him to sleep and make a one inch incision in his abdomen and get the biopsy. He'll get to go home around 4pm that afternoon. He'll be on pain meds and antibiotics, so no rally class Thursday night. I weighed Jake today at Petsmart and he's still 74 pounds, so that's good news but he hasn't had any more diarrhea since he's been on the Flagyl. If the biopsy comes back normal then they'll start checking for food allergies. I'm wondering if it's IBS. What do you think? |
Well, whatever it is is better than what you suspected as colon cancer  I think he had a bad parasite or bacteria infection. But I am not a doctor so hoping the biopsies come back as normal and then we'll go from there! Giardia is tough to diagnosis as it has to be present exactly on that stool they test and it sometimes is and sometimes isn't...My dog was sick on an off for months, testing negative for Giardia and then finally tested positive. The flagyl helped but it took more than one series of dosages. He is also on Tylan powder which I put into capsules for him. He started with one capsule with each meal so twice a day and is now taking once a day. Tylan powder tastes terrible ( yes, I tasted it) so I put it into capsules and give it in cheese.So far so good so keeping paws crassed the remainder of the tests come back okay too.... |
| Diane, what is the tylan powder for? and Jake's giardia test was negative. |
| Just noticed my post from the other day didn't take. I posted from my cell phone at work and must have hit the wrong button. I feel really bad....sooo sorry. Well, all the labs were normal too. I just wish something would come up positive so we can stop all this testing. They're testing for IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease and means a thick colon) from the colon biopsy. The biopsy will take 5-7 days for results. The vet and I have been playing phone tag a lot. I work 10 hours a day for a doctor and when he calls me I'm with a patient and when I call him he's with a patient! |
| So far so good then. Give Jake a hug for me! |
Thanks for the update! I (and others I'm sure) was getting worried!  Good luck with the biopsy and trying to get to the bottom of this. |
| We had constant problems with loose poop, infections, ect. We went to a specialist and he recommended trying tylan pwoder. It is a real powder that rally taste terrible. So I put it into capsules. One capsule with his meal in the morning and one with hs meal at night. He stayed on that does for about a year and then we weened him to just once a day. That worked and I then weened him to twice a week. At that dose he started having poop problems again. All while eating the same food so I know it wasn't the food. Well, originally we switched him to Orijen Six Fresh Formula and he has been on that for the last few years. Just the dose of Tylan was lowered and I found twice a week for him was not enought. Tylan powder is a a low does of antibiotic. They give it to chicken and pigs. It helps keep the "flora" at the corrrect balance. I give my dog plenty of probiotics but it wasn't enough. My dog tested negative for Giardia about five times before it got so bad he woke me up in the night frantic to get out and poop and then dehydrated himself with all the pooping and vomitting. Spent two days in the ER ward and he finally tested positive for giardia. Two doses of Flagyl helped but on and off problems. The tylan has helped us. Plus some probiotic. We like Primal Defense powder I sprinkle on his food twice a day. Good Luck. Hope things improve. PM me with any questions. |
| Poor Jake had his colon biopsy this morning and he's just laying here not moving. He won't even take a sip of water. He has staples in his abdomen and no stairs for 2 weeks. The vet sent him home with another antibiotic in addition to the flagyl and a pain pill. I should get the results next Wednesday. Jake also lost another 1/2 pound in the last week and he has not had any diarrhea or vomiting. I just keep praying for him and hoping that they find out what's wrong with him. |
| I will keep you both in my thoughts and hope for good news soon! |
| Thanks Kim. Jake keeps scraping his cone on the walls and the floor. Any suggestions? |
| How about putting a t shirt on him? We had to put one on Pooh after he had a tumorous mass removed and had drains in. The vet's office told us to put a tighter fitting t shirt on him. It worked, but got a lot of strange looks from people seeing a big dog with a white t shirt on! Hope everything goes well. I know how it feels to wait for results from lab tests. Keeping my fingers crossed! |
| Poor you and Jake! Sending our helaing prayers up for you Are you using a regular e collar cone with the plastic? You might want to try to Soft Cone. Maybe your Vet has it or you can get from PetCo or online. Its soft so it won't bang into the walls. Comfy too so when he lays on it it sort of bends and it comfy. Yet wtill keeps him from licking...Called the Comfy Cone. Everyone should ahve one just in case. We used it many times and love it. I think its normal for him to be sleepy after such a surgery and general anesthesia...Watch for vomitting...he will probably be a bit out of it until after the anesthesia wears off...If you feel you need, call the ER with querstions...Hope good news comes of this./ Prayers being sent... |
| Poor Jake. Get well soon guy! Harry sends a hug to you and your mom. Diane that is a great idea about the soft cone. I think I have seen them around here somewhere. Maybe you can call some stores Carol. It would be much more comfortable for him but still protect him. |
| That is a good idea. I'll call around and pick one up tomorrow. At least he'll be more comfortable for the next 2 weeks. |
| He probably won't need to wear it the whole time for the next two weeks. Just when you are gone as his stitches start to heal. I think by Sunday he will probably leave his incision alone while you are in the room to monitor him. |
| I hope you get good results from the biopsy. In the meanwhile, he probably will not be feeling so hot. Last week it took 2 days for Simon just to get over the sedation drugs. And cone - really only needed when you aren't able to be right there with him and watching him. And I would try the t-shirt or alternate type of collar as well. |
| Jake woke up at 1:30 this morning wanting to eat and drink. That made me feel so much better. Of course, he's still on chicken and rice til they find out what's wrong with him. I think I'll put the t-shirt on him when I'm home and the soft cone when I'm gone. Today I work an 11 hour day but I can come home for an hour at lunch to check on him. My house is on the market and I cancelled the showings until Jake is feeling better and I left lights on all night so he can see if he wants to walk around. Thanks everyone for all the great ideas. |
Carol, thank you for the update on Jake this morning. Hungry is a great sign!!  Big hugs to you and Jake, hope he feels stronger today |
| Yeah. Jake was hungry this morning. Hope you find out whats wrong with Jake soon. To jake and his mom Lisa Frankie and Mattie |
| Glad to hear Jake was hungry this morning. Thinking of you both and hoping for the very best results. |
| Glad to hear he's hungry and sure hope you get good news regarding his tests. |
| Poor Jake. Glad to hear that he is eating and drinking. Back when we were trying to figure out what was going on with Oscar, before we had his IBD diagnosis, my vets used to put him on a chicken and rice diet as well. Turns out, he cannot tolerate the protein in chicken, turkey or duck, so what we thought was helping was in fact making things worse. He was also diagnosed with a recurring giardia infection, which did come back negative a couple of times, before it came back positive. Is the metronidazole (flagyl) helping? Oscar has been taking a maintenance dose of metronidazole daily since he was a puppy. It's been seven years. No ill side effects. When he gets an IBD flare-up, we go higher, to a therapeutic dose. I hope Jake continues to improve. Please let us know how his test results come out. |
| Laurie, He does great while he's on the flagyl but a few days after he stops it all the diarrhea comes back. He's also on chicken and rice. What can they do for IBD? He's had quite a few stool specimens tested and they always come back normal so far. I brought Jake back into the vet's office tonight because his incision was pretty red when I got home from work. They said he could be sensitive to the staples. He's got 11 staples in his belly and his penis is swollen. I feel sorry for him. |
| Poor Jake, I hope he feels better soon. Sending healing thoughts your way. |
| Jake is doing pretty good today. He even wanted to run outside so I had to put the leash on him. His incision is healing well. Can't wait for the results on Wednesday! |
| Been thinking of you guys. Glad Jake is feeling better today. Lisa Frankie and Mattie |
| Thanks. Time is going very slowly waiting for the results! |
| It certainly stinks big time waiting for medical test results...both dog and human! Sending healing thoughts and prayers up for good news soon! Glad he is feeling a bit better...stitches take time to heal, poor baby. And poor you...This is always so hard on the humans! |
| I'm glad Jake is doing better today. We will continue to send healing energy to your sweet boy. |
| I'm so glad to hear Jake is feeling better. Hoping for good news on Wednesday. |
| Ditto that!! Hard waiting and hard not knowing results. |
| Carol, glad to hear that Jake is doing better. We do a few different things for Oscar's IBD. First, we determined a protein source that works best with his digestive system. He can't eat poultry, fish, beef, lamb, or bison. We feed him canned venison and rice, and use the kibble as treats. With his tummy troubles, Oscar doesn't get any other food, treats, or people food. Since Oscar's IBD is autoimmune related, he takes a low dose of prednisone daily (5 mg). We tried to wean him off the pred for two years, but he did so poorly without it that my vets feel his body needs it. In addition, Oscar takes metronidazole daily (a maintenance dose vs a therapeutic dose), as well as Pepcid AC. Let us know what you find out. Laurie and Oscar |
| Hope Jake is continuing to feel better each day. Two more days of waiting, ugh. Hugs to both of you. |
| Poor jake has been through a lot. Glad he was hungry. We are all hoping for good news. Give him a big hug and kiss! |
| Finally got the results! Jake has Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). He just got put on a prescription dog food named z/d. It comes in dry and canned. My friend told me I can slice the canned food into thin slices and bake, then cut into smaller pieces for a treat. He is not allowed to have any other food or he'll get the diarrhea back again. We're going to try the food only first, then if he gets symptoms again then he'll have to go on a prednisone type of pill. I sure hope the food works.What a relief finally knowing the diagnosis! No more testing! Thank you everyone for being so supportive during this whole ordeal. It's been a long, rocky road since June. |
| Yes, a diagnosis at last! I think we all suspected IBD......as Oscar has been down this road before. So many similar symptoms. Now a course of actions. At least you have someone who has been on that road for years and can offer encouragement. There is finally light at the end of this long dark tunnel. |
| Glad to hear you have a solution to the problem. Hope you only need the food. |
| Ah, thank goodness it is not the cancer you originally suspected! Sorry about the IBS but I think there are pletny of people here who live with that so can help...Hope he is feeling better soon... |
| Well that's certainly a better diagnosis than cancer! Let's hope the food works well. |
Glad to hear you have a diagnosis and a plan. Hope it is smooth sailing from here.  |
Carol, welcome to the wonderful world of IBD.  If you read back on any of Oscar's IBD posts, do not freak out. Oscar is what we like to call "special". Most dogs with IBD do not have the extensive issues that my little pup does.When Oscar was diagnosed, his inflammation was so severe that they started him on prednisone immediately. It worked very quickly, and within two days of starting the pred, he had solid stool for the first time in months. Since Oscar 's IBD is an autoimmune issue, we've never been able to get him off the steroids, though we tried for two years. Oscar also does well on the Flagyl, so our vet has kept him on a maintenance dose (500 mg, twice daily) for years now. When he is having tummy trouble, we increase it to a therapeutic dose (750 mg twice daily). Since Jake seems to do better on it as well, you might want to talk to your vet about the pros and cons of him taking it daily, if he continues to have trouble. Please PM me if you need anything. Laurie and Oscar |
| So glad you finally gpt a diagnosis. At least you know what you are dealing with. Carley was put on a large chunk food by them because she doesn't chew her food at all. I hope the food works for Jake. He should be feeling better soon. |
| Get better soon Jake!!!! |
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