A young Shih Tzu X vomits and purges after a stay in a Pasir Ris chalet

Sunday's interesting case  Sep 21, 2014

4 days ago, the dog went to the chalet. In Singapore, Pasir Ris chalets near the sea, are rented by the family to celebrate functions and have a BBQ.
"It was only the first night and the BBQ had not started till the next day," the dog vomited 6X and had diarrhoea 10X."
The family vet treated the next day but the dog continued vomiting and purging and so was brought to her the 2nd time. Blood tests and X-rays were "normal". 3 bottles of medication were given, but now she referred the dog to the parent branch. Ultrasound showed some inflammation in the liver, gall bladder, stomach and intestines. A foreign body in the full lumen could not be ruled out.

When the dog came to me this morning, he was most aggressive. Muzzling was done but he could take the muzzle out. "Hold by the scruff of the neck while I gave the injections," I said to my assistant. Just handling the dog with hands would not do as this male dog was very strong.

Vet 1 and the referred vet had prescribed 6 types of medications and had given injections. I palpated the abdomen. Empty except for a distended bladder. Some pain felt in the rectal area as the dog winced. Could there be bone fragments inside the rectum? X-rays may not show.

Based on the sudden onset persistent vomiting and diarrhoea in the chalet, this dog could have food poisoning. The treatment varies with different vets. For such serious cases, I would give the IV drip and anti-diarrhoea medication and let the intestines rest 48 hours, with electrolytes only for the first 48 hours. The other vets fed the dog chicken pieces and advised porridge. It may be better to advise fasting for 24-48 hours.