Please note that this is only our experience. It’s an anecdote, not a vet. I’m a writer, not a veterinarian, veterinary technician, nurse, medical doctor, nutritionist, or anything real. Don’t take this as medical advice, mk?
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How it all started…
One night in mid-November, I climbed into bed with my book and lifted the cover for Cooper. He got under and on top of my legs, just like he does every night.
After a while, I realized my feet were burning hot. I pulled the lid down to check on Cooper. He felt like fire. We took his temperature: 104.9. (For reference, a normal dog’s temperature is between 101-102.5.)
In the few days leading up to this, we noticed that he seemed tired. Less like me. That morning he skipped breakfast – not uncommon for him in winter – and spent the day taking a nap. By the time we took his temperature, we knew something was really wrong.
The next morning, we took him to the vet first thing, and that appointment started a series of tests, therapy, and concerns that are still – two months later – ongoing.
I wanted to share Cooper’s story here and what we learned along the way in case it helps anyone else facing this scary situation with their dog. . Let’s start with the basics:
What is systemic infection in dogs?
It basically means exactly what it says: It’s an infection of the entire body – the entire system – instead of an infection in a single point like an organ or a wound.
Tests for diagnosis include blood tests, imaging (CT, ultrasound, etc.) and urinalysis.
The first morning we brought Coop in, he was dehydrated. So while taking his blood, they didn’t look at his urine right away. Instead, they infused him and asked us to bring the sample back the next morning.
When they got his blood back, his liver enzymes weren’t high at all (I think), so the vet ordered an ultrasound. Meanwhile, we started him on broad-spectrum antibiotics and a liver tonic.
By this time, and as with systemic infections in dogs, Cooper was not eating. Not even small things that are really tasty, and we’ve tried everything: lamb meatballs, beef stew, all kinds of cheeses, peanut butter, sausages, eggs, whatever we got our hands on. Can think of to get him to at least take the drug. Is not.
He went from 55 pounds to 49. So we also started giving him an appetite stimulant. However, he was still dehydrated and struggled to get off any of the pills. We went back to the vet, where they gave him another round of fluids, followed by a strong shot of antibiotics. They also took measures to cool down because his fever was flared up again. AND he had diarrhea that lasted for weeks.
Needless to say, we had a hard time.
Next week, we brought him in for an ultrasound. The vet suggested an X-ray first, but she said that if they spot something, they’ll order an ultrasound. We chose to skip the X-ray step entirely because we thought we would end up spending less if he needed it after we paid for an X-ray and we knew it. will get a clearer picture and put us on the path to a better treatment for Coop. Because, by this point, he had slept all day. He still has no appetite. He was nauseous and had a fever. We want to help him and help him quickly.
The ultrasound helped us rule out any masses or tumors (thank goodness!!!) and the vet was able to diagnose a systemic infection.
Help! My dog has a systemic infection! What do I do?
First, don’t panic.
Okay okay okay. Easier said than done. I panicked. Basically, I spent most of the first two weeks staring at Cooper. We checked his temperature constantly. We talk to the vet every few days. It’s a worrisome diagnosis, and your dog is potentially super sick, super sick.
It’s so scrary.
If your dog is battling a systemic infection, here are some things that have helped us:
- Keep a clear and open line of communication with your veterinarian. Will he or she respond to emails? Or do they prefer calling? When will you get the results of any tests? Should you call to follow up or will they call you? Most importantly, be kind and gentle because they care about your dog and want your dog to get better, too.
- Follow all therapy to letter. The amount of medicine we gave Cooper felt overwhelming. That’s a lot. I know a lot of people feel really uncomfortable – especially when it comes to antibiotics – but trust your vet. (Note: If you don’t trust your vet, now is probably not the time to change. Wait until your dog is stable and then switch to someone you trust. Here’s How We Found Coop’s Beloved Vet.) Do what your vet prescribes and if it doesn’t seem to work, collaborate with your vet (see #1).
- Impose restrictions. Depending on your dog, this may feel impossible. It worked for Cooper, who – at the age of 11 – was an energetic young man. No walking, hiking, tug of war, chasing, nada. Rest and a lot of it. Just like when we humans are battling major infections, rest is one of the most important things. For dogs that love to play, this can be difficult. Luckily (I guess) for us, Cooper was too exhausted the first few weeks to try to combat this. We were lucky that we also had a backyard for a bathroom break. If you rely on walking to the bathroom, keep them short and relevant to the job.
- Monitor as much as possible at home. Take your dog’s temperature so you know his current phone number when you talk to your vet — and so you know if you need to go to the emergency room. Weigh your dog to see if a prescribed diet is working. Report your dog’s weight to your veterinarian. Keep an eye on his gums; they should be slightly pink and moist instead of sticky. Note and report any changes.
- Do not give up! Cooper seems to have gotten much better. Then he changed and became a lot worse. We worked with his vet to tailor the medication to him. We revolved around what he was eating. He is getting better, day by day. It took a LONG time, but we never gave up – so did his vet.
What caused Cooper’s infection? How is he now?
Cooper’s first trip to the vet was on Nov. 16. I’m writing this on January 23. It’s been over two months, and he final began to seem back to his old self. Just this week, it started wagging its tail again. Baby is playing with toys and eating normally.
However, it’s been a long road to get here.
Most likely, the inflammation caused his bile ducts to back up into his intestines.
Cooper has a sophisticated system. Since he was still a puppy, we struggled with everything from severe allergy to concussion. He’s had a number of IBD flare-ups over the years, and I think this was just a worse outbreak that turned into falling dominoes.
Before that, we chose dehydrated canned food and packaged food for convenience and savings. We decided not to change anything in his routine until we were done with this, but he wouldn’t eat anything.
So we went back to the combination of Cooking at home and Farmer’s dog. (Quickly aside: We LOVE Farmer’s Dog, that’s why I’m an affiliate of them. But. Guys, I know. It’s expensive. But every decision in life is once for money. Our hands are FULL right now –Follow for a reliable behind-the-scenes post coming soon – and we need to pick a time now.)
Farmer’s Dog was the only food we were able to feed him after the first rough week when he was completely fed up. We couldn’t hide his pills in there – that’s another post for another day – but he ate. Then he started gaining weight. Then he started to feel better.
He is currently being treated with several drugs:
He takes two different antibiotics, one in the morning and both at night. He takes a liver tonic at night, a few hours after dinner. He takes a powerful probiotic, Forti-Flora, between meals to help his bowels recover. Probiotics must be kept separate from antibiotics, so work with your veterinarian on a feeding schedule. We did three small meals a day, but we went back for breakfast and dinner.
He is getting better.
Slowly but surely, our little guy is getting better. He hasn’t had a fever in over a month. He is eating. He is drinking. Baby has solid stools again. His energy is coming back, which means we have to make a tougher decision about his training restrictions and have relaxed a bit.
He’s doing well, thank goodness, but it’s been a long and bumpy road to get here.
Yes, my dog has a systemic infection, but we are grateful to have the tools and support needed to battle it. He will recover, and that’s all that matters.
Has your dog ever experienced anything like this? Have you ever had to battle a systemic infection in your dog? What is your experience? I want to learn from anyone else who’s been here so we can all figure out how to do better!
Take good care, friends.
Ruby Schmank’s photo on Unplug: While the dog in the photo at the top looks like Cooper, it felt weird to me to take a sick-sick photo and then share it. The second picture shows Cooper curled up with Ripley, who loves him so much and cuddles him during his illness.
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