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Illness of Unknown Origin (Fever, Restless, brown urine etc)

2K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  Ffcmm 
#1 ·
Help! Keen to see if anyone has come across these symptoms.

My vet seems perplexed, and still young in the field, so may not have encountered all these possible symptoms, in what has always been a healthy dog.

On Monday afternoon, my 3yo golden girl presented with panting, lip licking and seemed warmer then usual.
- symptoms overnight including restlessness (though no probs with eating!) and excessive panting. Refuses walks. Very little sleep due to anxiousness/pain?

Tuesday:
-Took her to vet
-Her temperature was 39.7F, but there didn't appear any other visual problems. Visual check but no physical check was undertaken.
-Vet gave her 5mg Meloxicam to ease the fever
-took samples of blood to test for Heartworm/lyme/anaplasma. She tested negative to these.
-Vet also gave gastro Royal Canin wet food, because I had wondered if she had constipation/bowel obstruction due to stick eating. I had mention Royal Canin was a no-no due to her problems with it recently (chicken by product in North American variety -- have now switched her to Blue (chicken and rice) a month ago) bu tvet seemed convinced it'd be OK.
-Tuesday evening she was still panting and restless, refuses walks, but eating fine.

Wednesday:
- took her back to vet since no formal physical check was done at first appointment, and to test her temperature again.
-Temp was down to 39.4, breathing fine, and she didn't seem to perturbed by physical examination.
-Still panting, and restless.
-Vet suggested options particularly testing for pyometra. Included xrays, and more bloodwork.
-I decided to see after one more night -- wasn't keen for unnecessary tests unless they became necessary
-terrible diarrhea -- 5 trips out to yard -- liquid. She still has an appetite. Gotta love Goldens love for food!
--a very long night with no sleep. restless, panting, won't leave my side. More diarrhea. Still not able to walk her.

Thursday
--more diarrhea
--back to vet. Three xrays were undertaken of her reproductive/urinary area, chest, and lengthwise scan. All seemed fine, with no visible sign of pyometra or any other sinister illness .
--gave her anti-dirrhea meds (Tylan) (took it off bill, since likely food they gave was the culprit)and an intramuscular sedative
--sent off bloodwork for 1A w/ T4
-temperature down to 39.1C
--pup wouldn't urinate so sent vial home with me to collect.
--put her on a 7-day antibiotic Clavaseptin(250mg) two pills twice a day with food
--included a 14-day dose of Fortiflora (probiotic) once a day with meal
--also gave her Tramadol to use as needed to make her relax if she's agitated overly panting.
--she was understandably weak and tired but eager for chicken and rice, she went to her bed and slept!

Friday
--took urine sample -- brown! Brought sample to vet and received blood analysis, all OK except bilirubin which was 5.6, so higher than acceptable.
--appetite all fine, seems a little better, calmer. Still panting more than usual.
--just took another urine sample for reference (golden/cloudy yellow). Does this mean she's getting better?

That's where we're at, at the moment. Keep monitoring her symptoms and if need be back to vet next week.

Sorry for the length, but hopeful for any feedback from other's who have experienced this, or vets for a second opinion.

Sincere thanks for any feedback!
 
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#2 ·
For me personally I like to have access to a second Vet when I don't get results with the first. I had this info in my file for reference....came from an emergency vet clinic.

Dog Urine Color Warning Level Action to Take
Clear/Light Yellow 1/5 Keep an eye on the color to ensure it varies between clear and light yellow. If it does not, contact your veterinarian.
Bright/Dark Yellow 3/5 Ensure your dog drinks water, if color returns to normal, no further action is necessary. If your dog refuses to drink, seek professional advice.
Brown/Orange/Reddish-Pink 4/5 Potentially stress induced, but professional aid is advised.
 
#3 ·
Many thanks for that guide. So perhaps her visit to the vet, soupled with whatever is bothering her induced brown urine. That's fairly good news, I keep returning to organ troubles of course, but since her recent urine was more yellow, this chart makes sense. Grateful!!!
 
#5 ·
For your consideration....Just info that may be of some small help.

What Does it Mean if my Dog’s Urine is Brown/Orange/Reddish-Pink?

Typically with this color urine you should seek attention from a veterinarian immediately. The colors brown and orange could indicate the release of an oxygen and iron binding protein called myoglobin that is found in the muscles of a dog. This protein is released when the muscles are stressed. For example, if your dog barks excessively at something like thunder, the muscles that are used to bark and run around may become aggravated, therefore becoming temporarily damaged and fatigued, leading to the release of myoglobin. Typically, you won’t be able to tell by yourself if your dog has any interior muscle damage, which is why you should go to the vet. Bilirubin may also be released, which is a brown/yellowish pigment, found in bile made by the liver. If the liver is not functioning properly, too much bilirubin may be produced. Brown urine could also indicate old blood in the urinary tract. Old blood could be caused by a past kidney infection, kidney/bladder stones, bladder infections, or tumors. If there is pink or red in your dog’s urine it could indicate current problems with any of the aforementioned causes of brown urine. This means, your dog could be currently suffering from kidney stones, a bladder infection, a urinary tract infection, and so on. You should seek veterinarian assistance immediately so testing can be done and possible medications can be prescribed.

Secondly, take note of how your dog is behaving. If you see several instances of unusual urine color along with atypical behavior you may want to take action. Atypical behaviors may include your dog laying around excessively, not acting like him/herself, not drinking, not eating, not moving, or whining in pain. Any of these could be a sign that your dog may be suffering from an illness.
 
#10 ·
You are a normal dog parents who loves their dog. I think many of us panic. Seventeen years ago I got litter mate puppies and name them Hunter and Kaycee. I lost Hunter at age 4 yrs 2 months to Proheart6 the 6 month heart worm prevention injection. Well several months later I went to feed Kaycee and when she got up she dump over forward and to the left and lay there , her mouth working, her head jerking to the left. Same thing again when she tried to get up. I was TERRIFIED that she was having a se3izure and I was going to lose her.

I had not been up that long and still had mu summer gown on. I just threw an old muumuu dress on over it, git my keys, (by then Kase could stagger) got Kaycee out and into the car and rushed to the vet which is a little mro than a mile from her. But the time we got in, she was normal. I was a mess and I think they were more worried about me than her. I had long hair at the time and put it in a ponytail on top of my head. I stood there with that ponytail, hair coming out of it and going wild, tears staining my face, that old muumuu over my gown--and no shoes. I gave my vet a description of every moment and he told me he didn't think seizure, but a vertigo episode due to very deep inner ear infection. He was right. Drops in her ears for 210 days I think it was, and it never happened again. But, there I was the panicked dog lover.
 
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#13 ·
Hi! I was just reading this thread and the bit about you losing hunter to proheart 6 sent alarm bells ringing. Earlier this month my girl lily was just administered proheart SR12 injection. Is there any cause for concern? i'm worried now!!!
 
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