You all don't know me since I don't often post, but I read your posts daily and keep up with all that is Rat-Terrier.com.  Maggie, our five year old Rattie started diarrhea last night and continued today.  I had an appointment to take her in at 5:30 this afternoon but it worsened this afternoon so I rushed home from work and took her in earlier.  She was passing a lot of blood and not feeling well at all.  They ran blood  and fecal tests and did not find out the cause but wanted to keep her on IV over night.  I could have brought her home with some medication, but the IV would be stronger and quicker to help her.  She is such a vivacious little critter, full of vinigar and spirit, it is hard to imagine her so ill.  It was probaly caused from something she scavenged on our long walks we take late at night.  She will occasionally find something and scarf it down before I see she has it.  She has gotten very good at that as she knows I will take it away if i see it.  This is our first night separated from her in the five years since we got her.  Only a Rat Terrier person would understand all the emotions, so thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

We will definitely keep Maggie in our prayers in this house tonight Jim.  I'm so sorry your girl isn't feeling too hot.  We hope she feels better soon.  (((HUGS)))

I am so sorry to hear about Maggie's illness. We will keep her and your family in our prayers. I know how hard this must be for you. Please keep us updated on her progress.

First, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  I went by the animal hospital this morning and she seems much better.  They had given her the IV and the passing of blood was greatly reduced.  She still has some of a loose bowel problem, but not as bad, but that may be due to the fact she had nothing to eat yesterday.  They are going to do more IV today and if she passes no more blood, I will pick her up late this afternoon.  It was hard walking away from her as she whined, and then let me know how cruel I was by barking.    These dogs have a way of letting you know exactly what they think, when they get indignant don't they.  It was great to see her alert and demanding, as I was prepared for much worse.  Thanks again to all.

Jim 

Yes, just South of Fort Worth, in the country between Burleson and Mansfield.  Thanks for your sentiments.  Had to resist calling the vet all day, as they get so many calls.  I will wait till close to 4:00 and see if she gets to come home this afternoon. 

No, she has no idea what caused it.  She was actually squirting blood(sorry, don't know any other way to describe it), so I just knew she was messed up internally, but the vet has not expressed that.  I figured we were going to be facing surgery for sure. 

We have a lot of crows in the area and I have seen them drop chicken bones as well as other bones in our yard.  They scavenge the yards and peoples compost piles and then drop them wherever as they fly.  That was what I was expecting it was.  But, the vet has not gone along with that suspicion, really.  So don't know.

It amazes me how much alike your Bob's and my Maggie's faces are.  They both have the pointy nose with the offset white blaze.  Maggie has the button ears, otherwise, very much alike. 

I picked the little Toot up about 5:30.  She was glad to be going home.  She is much better but the vet still has no idea what caused it.  She has some pills to take and have to keep an eye on her, but she is happy and checking everything out, making sure no one got her stuff.  My wife said the squirrels came all the way up on the patio looking for her.  She is usually there to chase them when they get on the bird feeder.  Thanks for all the positive support.

Jim

OMG, I hope she's OK!  Your post brought back a horrible memory.  Did your vet look into the possibility of ingestion of glass?  Reason I ask,  I had a mini dachshund in high school who did exactly as you described.  Diarrhea and squirting blood by the tablespoonfull virtually every 5 minutes inexplicably one morning.    There was literally a lake of blood in the laundry room when we woke up one morning.  We rushed him to the vet and like you, had to leave him overnight, which stretched into a week!.   We called to check on him daily.  Vet said it was continuous IV's and touch-and-go every day. I swear, to this day, I still don't know how he got the glass out and it's damage healed up.  The vet said the dog had a piece of glass in him so large, it had to have been intentionally given to him in a high-value food disguise, as he doubted a dog would eat a piece that big on his own without chewing.  He told us to never let the dog out of our sight again lest whoever did this try it again!

You see, our side yard, where we kept the dog on a 15' chain for his sunbathing sessions, was a shortcut from the quarters behind us to the airbase theater and  base exchange and soda shop. On more than one occasion we had seen 3-4 teenagers taunting him with their hands and objects.  Despite voicing our displeasure at their behavior, which caused him to bark and growl in return, they would not give us their names so we could take it up with their parents.  We finally just quit letting him sunbathe out there it got so bad.  Our first thought was that one of these kids must have done it. 

I am so glad to hear she is doing OK. Please keep us updated with her progress.