My senior dog drank nasty water with a dead bird. What should I do?

It sounds like Nola has gotten ill from eating the baby bird. It could be that baby bird has gotten stuck in her GI tract, or she has picked up a bacterial infection from the baby bird. She doesn't have a fever (normal temperature for a dog is 101.5-102,5), but she does sound quite ill. Given the fact she has been vomiting, having diarrhea, and has been lethargic for two days, I would not wait it out. It sounds like to me from your description that she needs to see a vet immediately. She might need a shot to stop her from vomiting, IV fluids if she is dehydrated, and x-rays to see if the bird has gotten stuck in her GI tract. If it's a bacterial infection, she would benefit from antibiotics. I recommend taking her into your vet now.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for dogs to eat dead animals found in the yard or on walks. Thankfully, in most cases the worst that may occur is some stomach upset (vomiting or diarrhea). Monitor for GI upset ([vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/vomiting-1/) and/or [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/diarrhea-1/)), lethargy, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. If your dog is behaving normally otherwise, you can [manage minor GI upset at home](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea) by first withholding food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte during this fasting period. Resume feeding a bland diet ( boiled boneless / skinless chicken and plain cooked white rice) in small, frequent amounts. Begin with 1 tablespoon of food every hour and gradually increase the amount if there is no vomiting. Continue feeding bland until there is no vomiting for 48 hours and/or the stool is normal then transition slowly to the regular diet. If the vomiting or diarrhea don't stop or if you see other symptoms (lethargy, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, etc.), see your veterinarian.

Hello, thank you for your question about Luna. Generally, the viruses/diseases that dogs are vaccinated for are not commonly transmitted from ingesting dead birds or other animals. However, it is possible that Luna may experience GI upset or a GI infection secondary to this. If Luna develops any vomiting, diarrhea, or inappetance I would recommend having her evaluated by your veterinarian. In the meantime to try and help settle her stomach you could offer her a bland diet such as boiled chicken/hamburger and white rice. Hope this helps, good luck!

I'm very sorry you are dealing with this. At this point, you should discuss quality of life issues with your veterinarian. Friday may be able to get an antibiotic injection that, hopefully, would not cause stomach upset. If your veterinarian is unavailable due to the holiday, consider a visit to the local veterinary ER. After an exam, the vet on staff could recommend a different antibiotic or an injection.

Hello and thank you for your question. If you were in an exam room setting, I would ask you questions such as “ is this the first bird that cookie has ever killed?” but I am going to go on the assumption that it is and will answer the question accordingly. Dogs are carnivores and their gastrointestinal tract can handle the eating of dead animals. With this in mind, however, she could get sick from eating a dead bird but it is not very common at all. The best advice I can give is to immediately take the bird away from her first. Then simply provide her with her regular food and plenty of water for the next 24 hours and simply wait and watch. If she continues to eat, drink, urinate, and defecate normally, then there should be no problem at all. But if she is acting sluggish, not eating or drinking, and has no interest in playing, within the next 24 hours, please take her to your veterinarian to make have a full physical examination performed. I hope this helps and hope that you have a great day.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, he should see a veterinarian. He may not be eating due to dietary indiscretion from eating the bird or mouse or it could even be due to a gastrointestinal obstruction. I am afraid that if he is not drinking water he may be becoming dehydrated. They would be able to check for these possibilities and most importantly start him on medications to make him feel better. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello. Asta should be just fine, although she might throw the bird up. There is a chance of stomach upset if the bird was already dead, so if anytime in the next few days Asta starts vomiting, develops diarrhea, stops eating or just seem to feel unwell, please contact your veterinarian for recommended treatment. Otherwise, her stomach should be able to digest a small bird. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.