This started yesterday…my young adult son, visiting for the holidays. called me when I was at the barn to tell me that the 19 month old BC mix had somehow gotten on top of a VERY tall dresser, retrieved a bottle of Children’s ibuprofen, chewed up the bottle and possibly eaten some. I came right home, counted out the pills, figure she couldn’t have eaten more than 800-900 milligrams max and decided to giver her some hydrogen peroxide to make her vomit it up, there was some purple dye in the vomit (from the grape flavored chewables), but no whole pills.
She seemed OK for the rest of the afternoon, but then threw up her dinner, several times over. So, I called ASPCA poison control, who told me that, based on the dosage and the fact that I’d had her vomit within an hour, they were not concerned about long term organ damage, but dehydration due to continued vomiting and they told me to go to the emergency vet. I did, they gave her some fluids, a shot of an anti-emetic and sent me home with drugs to prevent ulcers. Dog vomited a couple of more times overnight, but is doing well today, keeping down water and small amounts of homemade chicken broth (just chicken water ;)), acting perky and I’ll give her small amount of bland food for dinner.
Figured we were out of the woods, but then old dog started vomiting this afternoon too, throwing up foamy, yellow, bile. She has not eaten anything untoward, she’s old and doesn’t get into things any more. I’ve scoured the house and yard and questioned everyone like a detective about the location of their Christmas goodies and OTC drugs and no one can think of anything they BOTH got into.
Argh. Now I’m wondering if the ibuprofen was just a red herring. Old dog seems OK…she vomited 3-4 times and then stopped. I’m still withholding water and food, though and will try a bit of chicken broth at dinner to see if she can keep that down.
I did call regular vet about old dog, they’d received a fax already from the emergency vet about young dog. Vet did not think I should rush one or both in, their feeling was that old dog’s issues were coincidence if I couldn’t identify any toxin or bad food that both dogs had access to. They say to just watch her and gradually reintroduce water, then bland food, very gradually.
Just a coincidence? Something contagious? Some hidden toxin that is NOT the ibuprofen?
