Julie:
> I brought him to a vet and they gave me a prescription of amoxl and some
>high calorie nutravit.  He's been on the medication for 2 days.  When I woke
>up this morning he seemed to be a bit more alert.  The only food he'll eat
>is a tiny piece of banana a couple times a day...
 
    First things first.  Before we worry about the cause of the diarrhea,
you've GOT to get some food into him.  My recommendation - go to the store
and get several jars of Gerbers' chicken baby food (2nd foods - the blue
jars).  Warm some of it up - test it with your finger, and then open his
mouth and push some of it in with your finger.  He may not like it at first,
but soon he;ll get the hand of it.  Force feeding is important here to get
him to eat it - if you don't, he won't survive long on bananas and raisins.
 
    First let's get him stronger, and then we need to discuss what to do
next.  It seems to me that with a negative X-ray, and no response to the
antibiotics, an exploratory is in the cards....but first we have to get him
stronger, or he won't survive the surgery.....
 
    It you want to save him, it's time to take action....
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP
[Posted in FML issue 1391]