Vomit, Diarrhea, High GGT in Dog

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

robertspartine@hotmail.com - 20 Mar 2007 06:58 GMT

My dog, a 7 yro. German shorthair pointer and lab mix, is having
trouble with weight loss, periodic vomiting of bile/mucus and diarrhea
that's often with mucus and blood [all more frequent in the last 2
weeks]. Sometimes the stool is dark but usually, even though its
bloody/mucusy, its normal in color.

His bloodwork a month ago [a senior comp.] was normal except for a T4
level of 0.91 and a GGT of 31. My vet did another senior comp on
Friday and included the free T4 test along with a cobalamine/folate/
ctli, a fecal o/p and giardia because she suspects exocrine pancreatic
insuffency.

>From what I've read, his symptoms hardly fits EPI. What I mean is,

I've seen no mention of bloody or normal-colored stool in anything
about EPI. Vomiting isn't very common, either. Can anyone else comment
on what this could be?

Thanks.

Reply to this Message

Deborah, DVM - 20 Mar 2007 13:12 GMT

Those symptoms can go along with pretty much anything in the GI tract. You
could have cancer, chronic pancreatitis, a partial foreign body,
inflammatory bowel disease etc etc. It could also be something as simple as
parasites. I've seen whipworms cause exactly these symptoms (and you don't
always see them on a fecal). If your vet hasn't dewormed your dog, then I'd
recommend it (with something good like panacur/fenbendazole). Doesn't sound
like exocrine pancreatic insufficiency to me -- the cobalamine, folate, and
TLI can also be used to diagnose chronic pancreatitis and small intestinal
bowel overgrowth which can go with IBD.

Anyway, best of luck to you.

Deborah, DVM

> My dog, a 7 yro. German shorthair pointer and lab mix, is having
> trouble with weight loss, periodic vomiting of bile/mucus and diarrhea
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> Thanks.

Reply to this Message

robertspartine@hotmail.com - 20 Mar 2007 16:13 GMT

Dr. Deborah:

Thanks so much for your input.

My vet decided not to deworm based on the fact that the fecal was
negative and this is something that happens often - 3 times a year -
and because my other dog itsn't having trouble. I do understand that
fecals aren't foolproof, though. So, I see no reason why I couldn't
ask her to go ahead anyway.

So far all of the recent testing is normal, but the cobalamine,
folate, and TLI tests are not in yet.

The dog is now passing smaller stools - with small amounts of mucus
and blood streaks - but not as much blood as a week ago and not in
every stool. He also seems to have a bit of trouble having a movement
now. Otherwise, he is alert and playful and eating and drinking
normaly.

I think the biggest reason my vet has focussed on EPI is because after
a week of having me add fish oil to his diet [he is prone to spots of
hairloss in the fall and spring], he became symptomatic. Although not
as bad, as I said, he still doesn't seem to be back to normal two
weeks after discountinuing the oil.

Thanks again.

Gail

Reply to this Message

Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / March 2007

Vomit, Diarrhea, High GGT in Dog