Source
r/AskVet•
bayesianqueer

Dog over-ate, in pain 3d later

Species: Dog

Age: 8

Sex/Neuter status: neutered male

Breed: Mix - I think chihuahua/jack russel

Body weight: 18

History: Got into 4th of July leftovers and ate 5 polish sausages. No onions/grapes/chocolate that he could have gotten into, though my brother does use medical marijuana - but unlikely. That night was fine, but since the next AM he has less energy, declines trips to park (very unusual). Winces when picked up. He's still eating some food, but not much - and he's obsessive about food usually. Drinking OK.

Clinical signs: Abdominal exam has LUQ tenderness, BS present. Lungs clear. RR 28, HR is about 120 and varies with respiration (like respiratory sinus arrhythmia in humans - I don't know if this is normal in dogs). No vomiting, melena, BRBPR, diarrhea, and he's passing stool/flatus as usual. Doesn't seem in pain with urination and no hematuria. Moist mucous membranes.

Duration: Ate the sausage night of 7/4, sx started 7/5

Your general location: California

I'm a human physician and if this was a person I'd think either gastritis/ulcer or possibly even pancreatitis. I plan to take him to the vet tomorrow, but I have an overnight shift in the ER, so won't be till tomorrow afternoon. I did what you should never do... consulted Dr Google - so I just gave him 2mg ondansetron ODT and 5mg of famotidine.

Posted Jul 7, 2015, 4:06 AM UTC

17
fffreezing•

You may be on the right track, but I would consult your veterinarian before giving your pet any meds in the future. But it is unlikely a vet will give you much instruction without examining the pet.

Oh and polish sausage usually has garlic which is also not good for dogs.

5
bayesianqueerOP•

Thanks. That didn't occur to me but I think it was the garlic. Normal lipase, fortunately not anemic. Normal AXR. He's a metric ton better now.

2
ironmouseUS GP Vet•

Forehead palm Doctors really are the worst pet owners. Many, many times they give medications without a second thought. The pepcid is harmless. No one (at least in any of the dozen or so hospitals I've worked in or visited) uses ondansetron. Always call your vet before giving meds.

5
dinosaur_vet•

Why don't you use ondansetron? We don't use it often but do reach for it in severe cases. To be honest, I was using on the recommendation of a specialistand have never looked at the research supporting it (if any).

2
ironmouseUS GP Vet•

I guess I shouldn't say never. I've only seen it used in severe cases as it doesn't seem to work very well (especially by itself as I've been told by a few internists) and by the time we reach for it, it is kind of why the hell not at this point. Honestly the only time I've seen it used was in a dog post FBO sx while on clinical rotations in school that continued to vomit for an extended period during reintroduction of food where everything was healing well.

3
-spython-Vet•

Ondansetron is really expensive and less effective (in my experience) than maropitant.

2
bayesianqueerOP•

Took him to my vet... At the community clinic at UCD CVM.

They said continue the pepcid, increase zofran to 4 mg and gave me an Rx for tramadol, though after the pepcid/zofran he was significantly better. After 300ml NS clysis he's back to his old shithead sausage stealing self, so hasn't needed the tramadol.

Edit to say: I see a ton of vets/VS in the ER. Often they do the same thing as I did with their own health or their kid's. Generally I assume they are well meaning, actually know a lot of medicine, and trying to help, and a fair amount of the time they are right. That said: peds antibiotic dosing is not always the same mg/kg as dogs.

2