Case Study
Please scroll down to learn more about our case with Barney and how we helped address issues with his digestion.
Barney Diarrhoea
Barney came in to see us as an urgent appointment after he quickly developed very nasty bloody diarrhoea and started vomiting. When we examined Barney it was quickly very obvious that he was not his usual happy self. We know Barney well and while he is usually full of beans with a waggy tail, he was very quiet and depressed.
Barney was given a full examination and appeared to be dehydrated, so he was admitted immediately for intravenous fluid therapy and further investigations as to why he had become unwell.
Dr Jodie and our nurse Charlotte obtained a blood sample from Barney, which we were able to run on our blood machine in house. This confirmed that he was dehydrated but thankfully did not highlight any other issues.
Barney was given intravenous fluids to allow us to rapidly rehydrate him and prevent him from becoming any more unwell. He was also given medication to stop him feeling sick, and a paste to help stop his diarrhoea.
A faecal sample was collected and sent to our external laboratory for full testing to try and identify the cause of his severe tummy upset.
Luckily Barney’s owner had kept him well up to date with his vaccinations and flea and worming treatment, so we knew that this was very unlikely to be the cause of his illness.
Barney had to stay in with us for a couple of days, but thankfully he responded quickly to the treatment that he was given. He was so brave while he was hospitalised with us, and he couldn’t have been a better patient.
The results of Barney’s faecal tests showed that he was suffering from an infection caused by Campylobacter, a nasty bacteria that can cause illness in people as well as pets. Barney was given medication for this and has made a full recovery. Thankfully, Barney has very loving and vigilant owners. Bloody diarrhoea in any dog—but especially young and small breeds—can become very serious very quickly, and the dehydration that results can be life threatening. However, with prompt and appropriate treatment, they normally come bouncing back just like Barney!
