My dog is losing weight and sick. Vet suspects poisoning. Will he recover?

I am very sorry to hear that Max is experiencing this issue, I am sure it is unsettling. From what you are describing, tar dirrhoea, you are probably observing fresh blood in it. it sounds as though Max has colitis, or inflammation of the last portion of the large intestines. There are several causes of colitis in dogs, ranging from bacterial infections, parasite infestations, IBD, or ingestion of contaminated food. So it is possible he ate a toxin or poison as well. Since you have noticed such episodes for a four day period and Max is not eating I would advise a trip to the veterinarian as soon as you can. Continue to monitor Max at home until then and Provide a bland diet of boiled boneless chicken breast and white rice and plenty of fresh water. If the episodes continue, if Max becomes depressed, passes large amount of blood, vomits, or seems very uncomfortable take Max to see his vet immediately. I hope this answer was helpful and more importantly that Max feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

It looks like he is suffering from some liver and kidney values elevations and he also is anemic. (Low red blood cells). Since I do not not his current condition and how long this has been going on, it is difficult for me to give you a survival time. If this has happened quickly and could be a toxin then with aggressive therapy (hospitalization and IV fluids), then these values could go back to normal and stay that way as long as there wasn't any permanent damage. If this has been chronic and his urine is very dilute then this could be permanent damage to the kidneys which is a much poorer prognosis long term. I would still recommend hospitalization and IV fluids if possible. I would talk to your vet about whether he needs fluids, antibiotics, appetite stimulants, anti-nausea medicine etc. I hope this helps and your sweet baby gets well really soon!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Sancho's liver values are elevated due to the ingestion of some foreign material, be it a plant or other toxin, & he is eating with no vomiting or diarrhea, your veterinarian may be taking a wait & watch approach. Usually, we will administer emetics ( to induce vomiting ) & an intestinal absorbant such as charcoal if this was an acute issue. But often we do not see these elevations for hours to days after an insult to the liver has occurred. If Sancho is well, rechecking the values in several weeks is prudent. The values may change by this time. If not, we need to see if this is a chronic issue with the liver, or possibly even the gall bladder. Medications may be need ed at this time, including some neutraceuticals such as Sam-e and milk thistle. It is important that you stay in close contact with Sancho's veterinarian for any recommendations. Take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry for the loss of your dog Nancy! I see the blood work you attached. Her liver values (AST and ALT) and her kidney values were elevated (BUN and creat). I agree that a toxin is most likely the cause in a dog Nancy's age, even if she didn't contact the toxin the day the seizures started. Another possibility is something infectious, like Leptospirosis though they usually do not seizure. I have seen increased liver enzymes secondary to seizure activity (from the elevated body temperature and muscle activity). Again I am sorry for your loss!

I assume when you say liver enzymes you mean ALT? There a few enzymes we look at and elevation in 1 value makes us consider different causes then elevation in another. ALT elevation is caused make liver cell injury and leakage of enzymes in to the bloodstream. As the liver sees all the blood of the body it can be quite a reactive organ. So the question is whether the liver enzyme is up because of something wrong with the liver/vessels to liver themselves (such as an infectious or inflammatory cause (hepatitis) or a shunt (more common in younger dogs)) or something the liver is responding too (toxicity, disease of over organs). Unfortunately all parts of sago palm are toxic to dogs with the seeds (nuts) being most toxic. And it can be quite challenging to know if this is the cause. If it is sago it depends on the degree of ingestion as to how severe the case is. Unfortunately the treatment for this is supportive as you have been doing. The values may continue to increase or hopefully may plateau off and remain mildly elevated or decrease again. Ultrasound will help to rule out other things going on in the abdomen, assess the liver for changes in texture (although a liver can appear normal on an ultrasound and not be functionally normal), and sometimes identify a portosystemic shunt. After the ultrasound then sampling either first by fine needle aspirate or with a biopsy (needed for many cases of hepatitis, some other issues) can be performed. Checking platelets and clotting times should be performed prior to liver sampling in patients whose livers are not normal to decrease the risk of bleeding from sampling. As shunts are more common in younger animals , if this is suspected, additional imaging may be recommended prior to sampling as ultrasound will not identify all shunts. There is also a disorder called microvascular dysplasia that can be found in the liver. This is best diagnosed by liver biopsy and the sample sent to a pathologist who specializes in liver pathology. I hope this has helped and not confused you more. It sounds like your vet has taken the appropriate steps thus far and has recommended the next best steps to try to rule out some other causes. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Pokey sounds very ill and needs immediate veterinary treatment. This could be from poison or more likely an infection, metabolic problem or cancer. She definitely needs IV fluids to prevent dehydration which can become life threatening. In general with most poisons they would die quickly. Since this has been going on for a few days there is a good chance with proper treatment she could recover quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Pokey.

Mild increases in liver values can be seen for a number of different reasons, and sometimes it can be very difficult to determine what the underlying cause might be. Infections like leptospirosis, migrating parasites, congenital diseases like a portosystemic shunt or some toxins can cause liver values to increase. It seems like Leo is on supportive medications for the liver - it would be helpful to know if his values are increasing or decreasing since trends are most important. An abdominal ultrasound might be the next step, or you could also ask about referral to a specialist if available in your area.