Shida is not well

[Ash]

So, she said to start giving Ciprofloxacin 500mg twice a day. I said, the recommended dose would be 15mg/kg and she said, "we always give 500mg twice a day for a dog this size, but if you want you can give her 250mg twice a day".

She said if there's no improvement by tomorrow morning or if she gets worse or if I have any doubts to have her seen y another vet, as she can't continue diagnosing on the phone (she's still not working).

(I hope Shida will improve otherwise I will have to go to one of the male vets here who will never allow me to make a comment as the one above without arguing with me.)

She had no stool this morning and she still refuses to lie on her side. I once tried to roll her over to feel her belly and she cried when I did that. But I have to add that she's a very nervous dog anyway, panicking easily and yelping and peeing herself out of fear many times rather than out of pain.

Nevertheless, if she's still like this tomorrow, I'll have her seen.

[Ash]

Well, since her fever didn't get less I called another vet. (I think you'll approve of him more, Taci!) He said to continue with the ciprofloxacin 250mg twice a day, and NOT to give paracetamol. Instead he prescribed Betamethasone 0.5mg twice a day. If she's not improved by tomorrow morning, he will come and have a look at her.

She hasn't had a poo sine Saturday night, now more than 40 hours ago. When do I have to be concerned about that? Should I take a her for a longer walk tonight, even if she doesn't want to, to get her bowels moving?

She does seem a little better after the ciprofloxacin and Betamethasone (both she had only once so far, next dose due in a couple of hours).

When we took her down for a pee in the afternoon she even ran after a cat! She can't be seriously ill then, or can she?

[Traci]

She said 500mg two or three times a day, depending on if the fever goes higher or down. Since it is down now I won't give another.

a 500mg tablet 3 times a day is 1500 mg total, and you don't know the strength of this versus pure acetaminophen, they are not all the same. The dose she suggested at 3 times a day could very well be lethal to a dog. It also can carry serious side effects, mainly stomach or gastric hemmorhage and liver problems, your vet should research this before prescribing again to any pet.

Painful abdomens should not go unexamined by a vet....if she is crying or whelping when you touch her or if she cannot get comfortable on her side, you need to get her examined.

[Ash]

I know that paracetamol is also dangerous for us humans in too large amounts. I gave her only one tablet last night.

I'm really not sure if her abdomen is painful. As I said, two times she cried when I tried to turn her over, but she's anyway the kind of dog that gets frightened, even panicked, with any kind of physical manipulation. For example, most of the times she has to take a tablet, she will pee all over the floor when we hold her and open her mouth. She hypersensitive.

Apart from these two times when she cried out, when I then had her on the side and she had relaxed I palpated the belly, put one hand under it and gently pressed on the other side, and she wagged her tail. She had no disomfort from that and the belly felt soft.

As I said, if there's still fever and lethargy tomorrow, the vet will come.

[Ash]

She's alright! Fever is gone, had a poo, went for her first proper walk this morning since Saturday. Her appetite is also back. We have tempered off the steroid, and she will get ciprofloxacin for another two days.

[TheSkeptic]

Glad to hear she si better. India sounds great. My kind of place. Warm, toasty and muggy! Lots of interesting animals and people. Any jobs there for sem-retired Oilfield professionals? (Geology is one, Dynamic Positioning officer is another.)

[Ash]

I bet there is. But you won't get rich working here! And as you know your dogs won't get good health care. I think you're better off where you are! But if you ever plan to visit, let me know!

[TheSkeptic]

I bet there is. But you won't get rich working here! And as you know your dogs won't get good health care. I think you're better off where you are! But if you ever plan to visit, let me know!

I am surprised about the dog health care, when I consider that half the doctors I know came from India!

[Ash]

I guess in the West they have to smarten up.

Also, many facilities here are not available. For example, for an x ray you have to go another clinic (one for humans). Blood tests have to be sent out. A normal vet's office has one table and a cupboard next to it with some basic stuff (syringes, antibiotics, anastetics ect). There are no heart monitors, breathing tubes, 24 hour care, nurses, feeding tubes etc, you might find one doctor in Mumbai who has these things available, if you're lucky. It's all still very backwards here.

And for cats it's even worse ... Don't get me started.