# so many questions



## MollyRose (Apr 1, 2016)

Hi all. It's been a while since I posted and I apologize for coming on not to say "hi" but to ask for help. I do promise to try and be a better poster and commenter. 
I need some advice. please let me preface this with the statement that I AM going to the vet, however, I wanted to get opinions first. Miss MollyRose is now three years old. I love this dog like I love my daughter. She is the sweetest, best dog I've ever had the pleasure of living with. I adopted her from a breeder when she was about 10 weeks old so I'm very familiar with her history. She was doing great up until about a month ago. And by all standards she still is doing great, however, about every three or four days she seems to have an upset tummy. To the point where she won't eat in the mornings. And it usually only happens in the mornings. So let me give a little background:
About a year ago I started feeding Molly N&D dog food. I've done research on it and so far there have been no recalls and the food seems to be very healthy for dogs. It's made in Italy with various processing plants in other regions. Molly really seems to like it so that's a good thing. I was also supplementing the dog food with high end canned food. She's a very picky eater and would eat enthusiastically then after a couple of times, decide to turn her nose up at it. So I nixed the canned food and started feeding her real human chicken, or red meat (not a lot, just a little at meal time). Fast forward to the beginning of April and we went to the vet. Molly's weight was 14.4 pounds and vet said she could stand to lose two pounds. She also had a bordatella vaccine and a Leptospirosis vaccine. The vet gave her Trazodone because Molly doesn't travel well and we were headed to Florida the next day. Everything seemed to go well however ever since then, about two times a week, Molly's tummy gets upset and she throws up. Then by the afternoon time she's back to her normal self. 
She went about a week and a half without doing this so I thought things were ok but yesterday she threw up and now this morning the same. I took a look at the blood panel she had (the doc called me and said everything looked good) But now I've got more questions. I will call the vet today but was wondering if anyone knows if I should be worried about some of these results. Her Hemolysis Index is 1+ (range should be 0). And her hemoglobin is 21.5 (range should be 13.4 - 20.7). 
I know I'm rambling but I'm scared and trying to figure things out. I don't always trust that the vet has all the answers and I'm dreading a $500 vet bill just to tell me "we don't know". Which is why I'm here first. 
If you've read this far, thank you so much,. I will accept any thoughts and suggestions willingly. (Also, I want to add I've stopped feeding Molly any human food at all (about three weeks now) and she's back to a half a small can of dog food a day as well as her dry food)


----------



## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

The one clue you gave was that Molly was declared overweight. You cut back on food, but what about the timing of the feedings? I can only tell you my experience with morning vomiting. Tux would do that on occasion. There were very little particles of food. It was mostly just bile liquid. (yellow liquid). He seemed to be fine otherwise. I can't remember the vet's explanation for why it occurs, but the FIX is in giving Tux food right before bedtime. He eats 7:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 4:30 PM, 7:30 PM and a snack (half or whole brick) right before bed at about 8:30. No more morning vomit.

He eats freeze dried Primal, either duck, chicken, lamb, beef which are fed in bricks that I crumble up. (He doesn't like it wet). He eats the dry crumbles and then has about 2 TBPS. raw goat milk for dessert, and fresh water. Every time he drinks his water, I dump the little custard cup that is his dish, and give fresh water. He just had his two year annual and was pronounced healthy with great teeth (I don't brush them).


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

I would recommend consulting with a nutritionist like Sabine AFTER you rule out things with your vet.


----------



## MollyRose (Apr 1, 2016)

Thank you so much for the responses. I called the vet and was able ti get an appointment yesterday. Indications (without doing further tests at this time) suggest acid reflux, stomach lining ulcer. This explanation makes sense as the issues started right after a stressful event for Molly (traveling to Florida from SC). She is a very nervous/anxious traveler - even with anti anxiety meds. So I've got some stomach lining medicine and Pepcid, Should symptoms not resolve in two weeks, then we'll take X-rays and further testing. My hopes are high and my fingers crossed. 

P.S. Tux's mom - Great suggestion on the feeding. The vet suggested it too. However, Molly has always been a night time eater. In fact, her favorite time to eat is 10pm. LOL!


----------



## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

Tux was the same way about cars. He would literally start to shake, tremble, whine almost the entire time we were going anywhere. One day my son (48 years old) was in the back seat and asked for me to pass Tux back to him. We took Tux out of his harness and my son held Tux by the window. I was really nervous about that. At first he wasn't interested but eventually he stuck his head into the wind. It was a transformation. I know it's not "safe", but when my husband drives, Tux has his back legs on my lap, his front legs on the arm of the door, my hand hooked into his harness and his head resting on the window ledge. He LOVES going in the car now. It has transformed him. (This is after two years of NEVER getting over riding in a car). It's the most FUN thing to do. We only do it driving around our small town when the car is not traveling over 30.

If Molly has anxiety, then the best thing you can do, in my humble opinion, is try and get her over it rather than treating with medication. Tux was also leery of strangers. We started taking him out more where he encountered people who would just walk by, or stop and talk to him, etc. Gradually he has become a social butterfly. Before he would stand behind our legs and wag his tail pathetically. Now he stands on his hind legs and gently puts both paws in people's hands. It's so cute to see him come out of his "apprehensive" shell.


----------



## seesawhavanese (Jun 17, 2015)

MollyRose said:


> Thank you so much for the responses. I called the vet and was able ti get an appointment yesterday. Indications (without doing further tests at this time) suggest acid reflux, stomach lining ulcer. This explanation makes sense as the issues started right after a stressful event for Molly (traveling to Florida from SC). She is a very nervous/anxious traveler - even with anti anxiety meds. So I've got some stomach lining medicine and Pepcid, Should symptoms not resolve in two weeks, then we'll take X-rays and further testing. My hopes are high and my fingers crossed.
> 
> P.S. Tux's mom - Great suggestion on the feeding. The vet suggested it too. However, Molly has always been a night time eater. In fact, her favorite time to eat is 10pm. LOL!


Hi, I just wanted to see if anyone has used Slippery Elm for stomach upsets. I've been told it's good for diarrhea and other GI issues. Mochi has had diarrhea intermittently for a few weeks and we are using it.

Mochi would vomit yellow bile in the mornings on an empty stomach when she was younger. We gave a late night snack and adjusted her feeding schedule which has seemed to work.


----------



## MollyRose (Apr 1, 2016)

HA! I think Molly and Tux are kindred spirits. She does do better when hanging her head out the window (while I have the death grip on her harness) but I haven't taken her on enough trips to get her to actually "like" the car yet. And people? Forget it! She does not like anyone else but us. I thought havanese were wonderful lovey dogs, but I think that's just to their own family (although the jury is still out as to whether or not Molly likes her 10 year old sister - my daughter. LOL!)
Molly has thrown up once since starting the medication last Thursday. She seems to be doing better but I'm not holding my breath. Vet says if she throws up again to bring her in for further testing and X-rays. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen.


----------



## MollyRose (Apr 1, 2016)

I have never heard of slippery elm...I must investigate!


----------



## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*likes other people?*



MollyRose said:


> HA! I think Molly and Tux are kindred spirits. She does do better when hanging her head out the window (while I have the death grip on her harness) but I haven't taken her on enough trips to get her to actually "like" the car yet. And people? Forget it! She does not like anyone else but us. I thought havanese were wonderful lovey dogs, but I think that's just to their own family (although the jury is still out as to whether or not Molly likes her 10 year old sister - my daughter. LOL!)
> Molly has thrown up once since starting the medication last Thursday. She seems to be doing better but I'm not holding my breath. Vet says if she throws up again to bring her in for further testing and X-rays. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen.


So much about them is individual -not breed specific. I know there are ones here who have never met a stranger, everyone is a friend. My Perry on the other hand, generally does not like most people (including my husband though he's coming to tolerate him). He'll warm up much faster with women, but not if they're high energy or in his space too much - he wants to feel them out first and even after several hours may not want them to touch him or get close to him at all. My niece who is 20 is very enthusiastic with the dogs - and Perry does not like it at all! He will avoid her at all costs when she's over. Rarely he'll walk up to someone and want to be petted (ok, to be fair, I think it happened once  ).

At this point he loves me, my Mom, and my housekeeper. That's it. He will tolerate the vets and the groomer but wouldn't go to them by choice.

When it comes to me, it's taken him over a year to not be completely terrified of my husband (it's an up and down situation with them), has learned to tolerate our regular night guard (most of the time - he will still bark at him - if he would just ignore Perry like I told him then we might get past that, but he insists on looking at Perry when he does that, snapping his fingers which he thinks is making nice and saying his name which doesn't help), but does not like other men at all.


----------



## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

Yes, a lot of Havanese are kindred spirits.......genetics at play. One thing that brought Tux out of his "stranger's shell" was the Farmer's Market. At an event like that, people are more about into looking at food rather than giving all the attention to dogs. (There are a lot of dogs there). If a person ignores a dog and just stands and talks to you, although a rare opportunity when you have a really cute fur ball at the end of your leash), it is quite effective. Tux got to the point where he would just lie down while we gabbed. If a group of people (more than one) approach with smiles and oohs and ahhhs, then he hides behind our legs. If they ignore him, he begins immediately smelling their feet and getting to know them on his terms. I also tell people who try to put their hand over his head to pet him, to instead hold their hand low, below his head, or scratch his chin, so he can smell without feeling threatened. Havanese are so cute they bring out excitement in other people, and a shy dog senses that as a possible problem.

We had a ton of construction workers in our condo building. They were so busy they mostly ignored Tux which was a great thing. Then when Tux wanted attention, he asked for it and of course got it. Now he loves anyone in work boots. (Ladies and men in hats or dangling bags, not so much).


----------

