Health and wellbeing | PETS
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Diagnosis usually involves your vet obtaining
your dog’s medical history and performing
a thorough physical examination, including
determining frequency of and how long the
symptoms have been going on for. Your vet will
also look for evidence of dehydration, abdominal
pain or tenderness, bloating or gas, swelling or
any other physical abnormality, explains Dr Leigh.
“Radiography or ultrasound may be
needed to examine the intestinal tract
more thoroughly, and an elimination diet
may be started to check for food allergies
and hypersensitivities,” she says. “A defi niteLittle Bella’s life-Little Bella’s life-
threatening stomach worriesthreatening stomach worries
Sydney veterinarian Dr Leigh Davidson
received an emergency visit one evening
from an 11-week-old chocolate Labrador,
named Bella, who had started vomiting that
afternoon and was not at all her usual cute,
bubbly self. In fact, she could hardly lift her
head off the exam table to greet Dr Leigh.
“I knew this was bad,” says Dr Leigh.
Bella had been visiting NSW’s Central
Coast that weekend and had been on long
walks around the town. The puppy already
had her second vaccination at 10 weeks old
the previous weekend.
“On physical exam, Bella looked miserable
with her big, sad puppy-dog eyes. Her heart
rate was rapid and her pulse was weak,” Dr
Leigh says. “Bella was drooling and looked
as if she would vomit any moment ... and
actually did a couple of times. And then the
diarrhoea came, with blood!”
Oh no! Knowing that Bella hadn’t completed
her course of vaccinations, it was important
for Dr Leigh to test for Parvovirus, a highly
contagious viral illness that aff ects dogs.
“Parvo is one of the most common causes
for gastroenteritis and can be fatal,” she says.
Test results came in — Bella had the deadlyParvo! But the puppy had been vaccinated
with the correct vaccine course that includes
protection against the virus. How could she
still become so ill?
“That’s because puppies have antibodies
(part of the body’s defence system to fi ght off
infection) from their mother. These maternal
antibodies help to protect all animals when they
are young. If antibodies from their mother are
still at a high level when we vaccinate, it can
interfere with how the vaccination works and
this is what happened with Bella. It is why we try
to complete a vaccination course at 16 weeks,
when the maternal antibodies have dropped
suffi ciently for the vaccine to work appropriately
and give them protection,” explains Dr Leigh.
Bella was immediately admitted to hospital
in isolation and started on an aggressive
treatment of fl uids to rehydrate her.
“Because Bella was cold (hypothermic),
we needed to warm her up, too,” Dr Leigh
says. “We started Bella on medication to
stop her vomiting and pain relief for her
sore tummy, as well as antibiotics.”
To everyone’s relief and joy, Bella began to
respond to treatment. She spent nearly fi ve days
in hospital before she could return home. Even
though Bella was out of hospital, medications
and a special diet were still required.
“It was also very important that she didn’t
go for walks and remained at home, as she
potentially could still spread the virus,” says
Dr Leigh.Dr Leigh Davidson deals with many
sick pets through Your Vet Online.PLF071_pg054-056_Gastro in Dogs.indd 55PLF071_pg054-056_Gastro in Dogs.indd 55 8/22/2017 10:22:12 AM8/22/2017 10:22:12 AM