# My Little Lola is Sick



## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

Lola spent the morning experiencing lethargy and bilious vomiting. I was able to get in to see my vet right as they started their day. Her blood work came back normal as did her temp, thank goodness. 

Lola was slightly dehydrated, right on the cusp is what my vet said. I had the choice of taking her home after getting an injection and meds to control her vomiting or leaving her so they could administer IV fluids. I chose to leave my baby girl. She will also get x-rays to rule out any type of obstruction. 

I had been giving Lola a small meal at bedtime after having her throw up bile twice last week. That seemed to have worked until this morning. Yesterday she was her usual wild child self, today she was just a limp little dog.

Several of you have commented on how sad it is to have our little ones down and out. After still hurting from losing my heart dog in December it was heartbreaking to have Lola just laying in my arms. It sure is tough to see her like that.


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Oh Pauline I'm so sorry! I just went through about what you are going through. It's just heart wrenching when these little guys are sick. I'm sure she'll snap out of this soon. Willow has had a couple of episodes similar to this in the past, although the last one was the worst. She's always gotten better within a few days. I'm hoping that's the case with Lola. I'm glad she's back from the vet and in your arms. Please keep us posted on how she is doing.


----------



## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Good grief! All our dogs seem to be sick! Poor baby! I totally get it, it wasn't long after I lost my Hallie I got Sophie and right back into the sick stuff, makes it even harder when you don't have time to recover some from going through such a nightmare with you last kid.  

These tummy issues in our Hav's seem to be rampant. I wonder how often is does happen? At last we can see each others pups getting well again that helps to know they bounce back. Hang in there Pauline please do keep us posted!!!


----------



## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

Oh, I am so sorry. It is just awful to see them laying limp in your arms. The worst was going into isolation to see Loki laying limp in the cage. Lola is so cute. Hope she is back to herself soon.


----------



## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

So sorry that Lola is not feeling well. I also recently went through this with Molly. Thankfully she bounced back rather quickly after she got some meds. I hope it is the same for Lola. Molly has had her share of tummy issues in the past. Thankfully she has been much better in the past year since I started her on a limited ingredient diet and a daily probiotic. Get Well Soon, Lola.


----------



## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

Sorry to hear it. Seems we have all had issues lately. Tucker was feeling that way for a day or so the other week. This was after he had the bad experience with eating the piece of plastic. He was like that about a day and a half then back to his wild child self right after that.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

get well soon.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Oh, I'm so sorry!!! It seems to be contagious on the FORUM these days!!! I can't look anymore! (not really)

I sure hope she is better in a day or two. They certainly can be. Hugs to both of you, and I hope she's back home with you very soon!


----------



## jef (Apr 17, 2016)

Sweet Lola, get back 100% healthy quick for momma Pauline!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Dee Dee said:


> These tummy issues in our Hav's seem to be rampant. I wonder how often is does happen? At last we can see each others pups getting well again that helps to know they bounce back. Hang in there Pauline please do keep us posted!!!


I really think it's just a bad run of luck. I've never seen ANYTHING like what has gone on on the Forum in the past 2-3 months!!!

Kodi had one bad bout of tummy trouble, but we know the cause for sure... a blockage from a Greenie. Then he had a few bouts of Clostridium overgrowth that were not fun, but I'd liken them to kids getting sick... he was treated (and never hospitalized), we figured out the culprit, and he's been fine since.

The only time either of the girls has had a "tummy problem" was when Pixel had her false pregnancy. She vomited bile the morning that she "gave birth", silly little thing! ound: But I don't think you can count that as an "illness", unless it's in her head! :laugh: I think we've solved that problem permanently at this point!


----------



## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

You have been very lucky Karen! 
I think the reason we're having such a run of bad luck is because I'm on the forum. LOL. It follows me!


----------



## Layla's Mom (Feb 1, 2016)

My goodness, this is just awful! Can't believe the run of bad luck on this forum. I hope little Lola is feeling better and home from the vet soon. It is such a heart wrenching and helpless feeling when they are that sick and we can't help! Hang in there, Pauline and hopefully she'll be back to 100% real soon.


----------



## Layla's Mom (Feb 1, 2016)

Dee Dee said:


> You have been very lucky Karen!
> I think the reason we're having such a run of bad luck is because I'm on the forum. LOL. It follows me!


No, no, no don't be silly, Dee Dee! You are a wonderful mom to Sophie and she's very lucky she picked you :smile2:


----------



## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

I'm sorry to read this... it sounds like we have started a sub-group, The Havanese Forum's Support Group!


----------



## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

Sheri said:


> I'm sorry to read this... it sounds like we have started a sub-group, The Havanese Forum's Support Group!


After my first 5 weeks of Havanese parenthood (parvo, giardia, 12 teeth pulled) I could qualify as a charter member.

Loki finally finished his shots so our vet cleared him to go to Puppy Class tonight. Yay!


----------



## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

I knew there was an understanding of what it feels like to have our "kids" down and out on the forum. This breed is so special...little clowns that should never be sick. Thanks to all of you for your kind words. They definitely help.

The good news is the IV fluids have helped. However Lola worked on unsuccessfully getting the IV out so she's now wearing the cone of shame. Prior to the cone she was her charming self getting everyone to see what a cutie she is. Once the cone was on she was giving an "I hate you" look to the tech.

Doc said the x-rays confirmed that there wasn't an obstruction but the colon was full of gas. They're trying to get her to eat...she's a picky eater so that will be a challenge. Tomorrow I'll talk with the vet again to get details regarding what's going on and bring her home.

Dee Dee your special relationship with Hallie....I relate more than you'll ever know. 

Karen, I chuckled a bit when you mentioned the contagious forum. I thought the same thing earlier today. Lol.

I was relieved to read how many of your dogs pulled through this successfully. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

awww poor baby and the cone of shame! I hope that won't have to last long. I'm a little shocked Sophie didn't try harder to get hers out and have the cone too. Although she did have a bandage that has a bitter apple kind of thing already in it to help dissuade chewing do you know if Lola's is? I brought Sophie home every night and took her back the next morning they capped the catheter and she never touched her bandage. Don't know if it was from the bad taste or not. 

Sophie's first time in sounds about the same, her intestines were full of gas which was what was giving her the pain. Her pancreatitis levels were elevated only once out of the 3 times they did bloodwork and they feel it was secondary to the other inflammation going on with her. Vet said it usually is in dogs this young. 

Maybe Lola and Sophie will have matching white spots on their legs where the catheter was. 

Pauline I have no doubt about your relationship to your sweet dobie, I could tell just from the way you talked about it. Nothing is harder than losing them is there!

I can't believe how many tummy issues going on here either! I lurked on this forum for a long time before I got Sophie. If I had seen these kinds of posts I never would have gotten a Havanese!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Dee Dee said:


> You have been very lucky Karen!
> I think the reason we're having such a run of bad luck is because I'm on the forum. LOL. It follows me!


LOL! I don't believe it! You and Sophie bring joy and laughter to the forum almost daily! :hug:


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

PaulineMi said:


> Doc said the x-rays confirmed that there wasn't an obstruction but the colon was full of gas. They're trying to get her to eat...she's a picky eater so that will be a challenge. Tomorrow I'll talk with the vet again to get details regarding what's going on and bring her home.


I hope they check for Clostridium overgrowth. Clostridium is a normal gut bacteria, but in some cases (in Kodi's case it was caused by a food intolerance) it gets out of control, and grows too much. Once you have had it identified for you, you NEVER need to again. They get very gassy (which causes the pain) and their stools are loose, kind of greasy looking, and REALLY foul smelling. Again, it's a smell that once you know it, you recognize it immediately.


----------



## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

Oh boy! I can't believe your sweet puppy is sick. I hope she gets better fast.


----------



## Hanna (Feb 25, 2016)

I'm so sorry! Hope Lola will recover faster with this sickness, get well soon Lola.


----------



## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Sorry to hear Lola has had a upset tummy. Sure hope she is feeling better soon!


----------



## Zoe093014 (Jan 27, 2015)

Pauline,
So sorry that Lola isn't feeling well, Pauline. I can totally relate. It's so hard! My previous dog was a Dobe and it was so terrible to go through what I did with her, including holding in the ER one Sunday night until 2:30 AM while the ER vet worked on her, taking her out of town to a cardiologist, etc. Then I found out that my Zoe, not even 1 yr. old, had liver disease. Please get well soon, Lola!!!


----------



## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Zoe093014 said:


> Pauline,
> So sorry that Lola isn't feeling well, Pauline. I can totally relate. It's so hard! My previous dog was a Dobe and it was so terrible to go through what I did with her, including holding in the ER one Sunday night until 2:30 AM while the ER vet worked on her, taking her out of town to a cardiologist, etc. Then I found out that my Zoe, not even 1 yr. old, had liver disease. Please get well soon, Lola!!!


We need an "Unlike" button... :frown2:


----------



## AbrilsMama (Jun 24, 2014)

Abril and I can relate...fussy eating oh yes. It has taking 3 different brands to find one she can tolerate...Tummy issues and fussy eating what little sweet stinkers we have...


----------



## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Glad she is getting those fluids replaced. Get well soon Lola!


----------



## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

Lola is home in good spirits but sleeping a lot. She wouldn't eat yukky vet food but chowed down each time I gave her small servings of bland food...boiled chicken breast and rice. Since she was taken off the IV fluids I didn't want to leave her any longer. My particular vet at the practice won't be in until Monday, so I'll find out what caused yesterday's episode on Monday. If we run into any problems we can get to Michigan State University within half an hour or so.

Dee Dee Lola hasn't come across any flavors that will stop her from chewing once her mind is made up that she wants to chew something. My 40 year old sunroom cactus is on the front porch because the vinegar soaked paper towel balls didn't deter her from trying to get into the dirt. Little stinker.

Karen I'll ask about the clostridium overgrowth. Lola didn't have diarrhea so I doubt that was checked out.

Zoe's mom, I also went through the overwhelming amount of medical tests and treatments for cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure and sudden death fears for six months with my Dobe. My heart goes out to you knowing how difficult that is to deal with. I'm so sorry Zoe has serious medical issues now.

To all of you who said your kids went through what Lola experienced and bounced back, thank you for the reassurance. The kind words and get well wishes from everyone else are truly appreciated.


----------



## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

PaulineMi, if you are needing to keep Lola from chewing things, have you tried Bitter Apple spray, or hot sauce painted on things? I think it was Karen/Kodi that found that effective.

I'm glad she's at home now.


----------



## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

Sheri said:


> PaulineMi, if you are needing to keep Lola from chewing things, have you tried Bitter Apple spray, or hot sauce painted on things? I think it was Karen/Kodi that found that effective.
> 
> I'm glad she's at home now.


Yes, I've used Bitter Apple, Bitter Lime, hot sauce and vinegar. I even dabbed a touch of mouthwash on the corner of a rug in the laundry room. Nope...didn't work. The good thing is that she's figuring out that I keep interrupting her chewing fun so she's focusing on toys most of the time.


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

krandall said:


> I hope they check for Clostridium overgrowth. Clostridium is a normal gut bacteria, but in some cases (in Kodi's case it was caused by a food intolerance) it gets out of control, and grows too much. Once you have had it identified for you, you NEVER need to again. They get very gassy (which causes the pain) and their stools are loose, kind of greasy looking, and REALLY foul smelling. Again, it's a smell that once you know it, you recognize it immediately.


Hmmmm. I wonder if Willow could have had this. Her stools smelled to high heaven when she had the loose ones. I don't remember them looking greasy though.


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

krandall said:


> I really think it's just a bad run of luck. I've never seen ANYTHING like what has gone on on the Forum in the past 2-3 months!!!


Do you think maybe there is a breeding issue going on due to the rise in popularity of the Havanese breed? It seems that all these tummy problems are with younger dogs.


----------



## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Do you think maybe there is a breeding issue going on due to the rise in popularity of the Havanese breed? It seems that all these tummy problems are with younger dogs.


I've dealt with this in Tucker since he was a pup, and he is now 9 years old. I think Kodi is, what, 6, Karen? Maybe he is younger...


----------



## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Do you think maybe there is a breeding issue going on due to the rise in popularity of the Havanese breed? It seems that all these tummy problems are with younger dogs.


I have friends whose dogs recently went through this. One was identical to what Lola went through. He required an overnight stay at the vet's with IV fluids. These two dogs were a Malinois and a German Shepherd. They're both appearing to be well now.

The Malinois has been raised following Dr. Dodd's protocols and is fed only raw. The GSD is fed raw with a "regular" vet recommended vaccine schedule. It seems that it's difficult to find a common denominator with this condition. Perhaps it's a specific sensitivity to a particular food unique to each dog.

BTW...Lola is doing great tonight. She's playing, eating and right now she's barking at something outdoors. Hopefully this episode doesn't reoccur. However...I have to check again but I think she has a retained canine tooth. Ugh.


----------



## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

Glad to hear she's feeling better.


----------



## Hanna (Feb 25, 2016)

I'm happy to hear that Lola is getting better now! Hope the recovery will be faster.


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

I'm so glad Lola is feeling better! Now you can breath a sigh of relief. The only reason I brought up the thought that all these tummy issues might be the result of excessive breeding is because of what I went through with my heart dog, a Pem Corgi. DM has become so prevalent in that breed but can be eliminated by testing and proper breeding. Just thought maybe something was going on with the Havs and breeding. I'm glad Lola a on a road to recovery!


----------



## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

PaulineMi said:


> I have friends whose dogs recently went through this. One was identical to what Lola went through. He required an overnight stay at the vet's with IV fluids. These two dogs were a Malinois and a German Shepherd. They're both appearing to be well now.
> 
> The Malinois has been raised following Dr. Dodd's protocols and is fed only raw. The GSD is fed raw with a "regular" vet recommended vaccine schedule. It seems that it's difficult to find a common denominator with this condition. Perhaps it's a specific sensitivity to a particular food unique to each dog.
> 
> BTW...Lola is doing great tonight. She's playing, eating and right now she's barking at something outdoors. Hopefully this episode doesn't reoccur. However...I have to check again but I think she has a retained canine tooth. Ugh.


So good to hear that Lola is doing well now! Tummy issues seem to be going around ... I know raw is supposed to be the best food, but even with all the data I'm going to stay on the cautious side.


----------



## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

Jackie I'm sorry to hear about what you went through with your Corgi. I know what you mean by wondering about the cause of these digestive upsets though. I've thrown away all the "natural" chews around here..bully sticks, pretzels and tendons..in an attempt to see if that helps Lola. 

I feed a mix of Fromm puppy kibble and boiled chicken breast for Lola's meals. A treat once or twice a day of raw very lean beef is also on her menu. She had been getting Natural Instinct raw boost mixer a time or two a week. I'm uncomfortable with not knowing how judiciously frozen foods are handled prior to my buying them so that item will be discontinued.


----------



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

Glad to hear Lola is on the mend. Hang in there !


----------



## Dee Dee (Jul 24, 2015)

Yes very good news the real Lola is coming back!!! I think of you both all the time. Heart breaking to think of these cutie pies not feeling well. Please keep us posted!


----------



## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

Lola rolling around on the bed like life is good again.


----------



## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Lola is VERY pretty!


----------



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

Yippie!!!


----------



## Simonsez (Sep 10, 2015)

*"Tummy" update*

Hope everyone is feeling good. Izzy finally doing great. Eating and very playful. Poops are wonderful, finally. Just hope it stays that way. Still mixing RD into her food, seems to help. Wondering if very hot weather , plus teething plays into this. Pitiful seeing then sick. Friends who have older Havanese all say they have sensitive tummies. Didn't know that!
I am so in love with this little bundle. Just want her healthy. Hope I won't have to change her food. Give your sweeties a hug from me


----------



## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

Molly went through a period of about nine months between age 1 and 2 with a lot of tummy issues. Finally after mutiple trips to the vet, bland diets, and Metronidizole, the vet wanted her put on a prescription diet. I told my vet I wanted to try a limited ingredient diet first. I found one that Molly would eat and switched all of her treats to the single protein source also. This, along with a daily probiotic, seemed to do the trick. She has been good for over a year until this latest episode. I feel this episode was brought on by stress as she was away from us for a weekend and was boarded outside of our home. Needless to say we won't be doing that again! I was really surprised when researching different dog foods at the number of different proteins that a single food may contain. The food Molly had been eating had five different ones in it! Also many of them contain chicken in some form which was something I was trying to avoid. Just wanted to share my experience in case anyone else gets the prescription diet "hard sell" from their vet and wants to try other options first.


----------



## katscleancutdogs (May 18, 2016)

I hope Lola has nothing serious. We will keep you both in our prayers. 
Kati has no tummy issues except that she is picky and will not go near Lala's raw food  Lala has the tummy problem. So did my last Bichon. I think it may have something to do with dog foods. I notice that there are so many choices and fads today. 20 years ago it wasn't really a market.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

Lola continues to do well. Thanks for caring. After reading the forum posts about the tummy problems suddenly plaguing our pups I took Lola to the vet as soon as she got sick. She came home the following day and has been going strong ever since.


----------



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

My Django who is almost 13 had tummy problems from day one. Throughout the course of the first 11 years, I tried feeding him the best food out there with no results. Finally, when we switched vets 2 years ago, she put him on a prescription diet. His life changed 1000%. I know many poo-poo prescription diets but for us, it completely transformed our dog. His health improved 100%, his energy went through the roof. My vet said sometimes we try too hard to find the "best food" for our dogs and we need to keep things simple.


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

I'm so glad Lola is feeling better!


----------

