Medical/Veterinary Question

[FruitsAlive]

Over the last twenty four hours, my three dogs and I have had stomach flu symptoms. I just bought them new treats yesterday and cooked them fresh food. Is it possible that there is something that could affect all of our stomachs or is it just an odd coincidence? The vet is insisting that I bring all three of them in this afternoon for testing.
Any suggestions for piling three big dogs in a small car in 108 degree heat?
Thanks in advance everyone.

[Robyn1007]

That doesn't sound good. I'd get everyone in to the doc. As far as everyone getting in the car in the heat, all I can say is start the car before loading and let the A/C run for a bit to cool it down.

[Laurielee]

As suggested pre-cool the car, and when you leave the vet just have them hold on the dogs until you are readly.


I wonder if there is somehting in the treats that they got and you did too just by handling them.

keep us posted.

Laurie

[ginny177]

I agree. Get the dogs to the vet asap.

When I had 3 large dogs ( Danes and IW's) and a cat, I used to have to make two trips with 2 animals per trip.
Tedious, but the only way to get them all there on the same day.
Good luck. Hope you find the cause of those symptoms quickly so you can all begin to feel better.

[ErinM]

Do you have a carbon monoxide detector in the house? I don't know if CO affects animals the way it does people, but it's something to consider...

[FruitsAlive]

Thanks guys.
The vet said he thinks it's a "bacterial overgrowth". We'll know more when they get tests. In the meantime, I'm staying away from Waggin' Train kabobs. I've given them the chicken strips for years without trouble, but I'd rather be safe.
Ginny - I know exactly how that is. Before dog #3, I had to drive DP, two goldens and two unhappy cats 45 miles in my neon. By the time we got home, I wished we'd made two trips. What were we thinking?
I don't have a CO detector in my house, but I guess I should just to be safe. DP and the cats were fine, so I wasn't too worried about it being something like that. I did have my hands in the girls' food, though. The doc wanted me to send a sample of it to a lab for analysis, but I think I'd rather just throw it out than throw more money at the problem.

[PamN]

The doc wanted me to send a sample of it to a lab for analysis, but I think I'd rather just throw it out than throw more money at the problem.

Can you call the manufacturer first, before you throw it out? They might ask for a sample of your product.

[Beth]

Not sure if they are the same kind of thing, but there was a recent recall on a dried chicken jerky type treat. Two brands -- my DH called me from work to make sure we didn't have any. We've bought them in the past. Hopoe that wasn't what it was.

[Laurielee]

Beth is right about the chicken strips.


Walmart pulled these last week, are these the chicken strips you are feeding your dogs?

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. quietly stopped selling Chicken Jerky Strips from Import-Pingyang Pet Product Co. and Chicken Jerky from Shanghai Bestro Trading in July, after customers said the products sickened their pets.

No recall was announced at that time, but Wal-Mart said in a statement Tuesday that customers who bought one of the products should return it to the nearest store for a refund.

Company spokeswoman Deisha Galberth said 17 sets of tests done on the products found melamine, a contaminant that's a byproduct of several pesticides.

"There were very small amounts of melamine found," Galberth told The Associated Press. "The amounts were so small the laboratory recommended more testing."

[FruitsAlive]

http://graphics.samsclub.com/images/products/0080702077740_LG.jpg

These are the jerky treats they usually get from sam's club. They didn't have them in stock when I went the other day. What I got were from the same company, but they are called "kabobs". They were basically the same type of thing, except the jerky was wrapped around a little munchy rawhide bone. I only gave them one each when I came home from the store. The website (http://www.waggintrainbrand.com)claims that their products have been tested and are safe, but I'm sure they all say that.

[do-lolly]

Do you have a carbon monoxide detector in the house? I don't know if CO affects animals the way it does people, but it's something to consider...


I think this is something that needs to be considered. I don't know if CO affects dogs, but it would explain everyone getting sick if it does.

[armel]

Beth is right about the chicken strips.


Walmart pulled these last week, are these the chicken strips you are feeding your dogs?

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. quietly stopped selling Chicken Jerky Strips from Import-Pingyang Pet Product Co. and Chicken Jerky from Shanghai Bestro Trading in July, after customers said the products sickened their pets.

No recall was announced at that time, but Wal-Mart said in a statement Tuesday that customers who bought one of the products should return it to the nearest store for a refund.

Company spokeswoman Deisha Galberth said 17 sets of tests done on the products found melamine, a contaminant that's a byproduct of several pesticides.

"There were very small amounts of melamine found," Galberth told The Associated Press. "The amounts were so small the laboratory recommended more testing."


OMG! My dog had been getting chicken jerky as treats all last year and part of this year that was from Costco. That is when I thought she had developed an allergy to chicken because she would started to get diahrea all the time.

I asked the vet at the time and he said that she could have developed an allergy and that I should stop feeding it to her. I now wonder if it is the treats themselves that were the problem.

What are the brands of chicken jerky that the dog can have?

[Beth]

I remember DH reading two names to me -- both Asian. Couldn't repeat them though. I suspect the ones from Sam's would be the same brands Walmart was selling. Costco? Maybe, maybe not.

[Laurielee]

I would looke where treats are made and stay away anything from China.

Laurie

[FruitsAlive]

It's hard to find any that aren't from china because white meat is so much cheaper there. I should just buy a dehydrator and make my own. (sadly, I'd probably enjoy that.)

[Beth]

It'I should just buy a dehydrator and make my own. (sadly, I'd probably enjoy that.)

I was thinking the same thing when I heard about this one. I think my new oven has a setting that would work for dehydrating, but I'd have to look it up.