My Dog Had E Coli in Her System
Just a quick follow up on my poor little Precious baby and her test results.
I received a call from the vet this morning. The culture came back and revealed a strain of e. coli. *shock* I’m told this is common if you live in close quarters (an apartment community) with lots of other animals. When people don’t pick up behind their pets, other dogs are exposed to the feces, which spreads the bacteria in animals.
Ironically, BabyGirl was also sick a few days before Precious. She had nausea, a tummy ache, diarrhea and vomiting. I treated her with “Big Mama” home remedies and it only lasted about a 24 hours. She went to school the next day and I haven’t thought anymore of it until now. Precious is always up under BabyGirl, follows her around the house all day, sits next to her (or in her lap) on the couch and sleeps on her bed. Hmm…can animals pass bacterial infections to humans?
The good news is, the vet gave Precious an antibiotic (Clavamox) and it’s strong enough to treat the infection. The first day, we saw immediate results. Woo Hoo! I’ve been directed to keep giving her the antibiotic until it’s gone – only two more days left. We have to cover the pill in peanut butter to make her take it, but hey, do what ya gotta do. We also have a follow up appointment next week to make sure her urine sample is normal.
The bad news is, I don’t know where she contracted the bacteria so it’s possible for her to get it again. Based on my research, some strains of E Coli can be deadly…in animals AND humans. So I reported it to the property management company. Hopefully they will notify other pet owners to make them aware of a possible bacterial strain in the neighborhood and remind them to clean up after their pets. I might also report it to the local humane society. Don’t they keep track of these kind of things? Maybe it’ll prompt them to test something in my neighborhood. Who knows. *shrug* Whatever the response, it’s worth a few phone calls.
To help my Precious fight any future bacteria or UTI infections, one thing I will do is change her diet to strengthen her immune system. The vet recommended an all natural diet that has little to no preservatives added. Hmm…I need to do some research on that. I’ll have to make gradual changes so it won’t disrupt her digestive system – or my wallet!
I’ll tell you what. If I didn’t know it before, I certainly do now – owning a pet is a HUGE responsibility. But I love my Precious baby.
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FWIW That strain of E.coli (O157:H7) is actually pretty rare, will normally cause the ickyness that BG dealth with, AND will usually only cause serious harm to someone that is immunocompromised (AIDS, HIV, cancer, etc.). While I’m no expert, by a long shot, I do work in the food industry and have learned a bit about those nasty bugs we deal with.
So, I wouldn’t be too worried about the nasty E.coli. Essentially, common sense in the form of basic food safety and handwashing will protect you and BG. Not so sure about Precious, but I would imagine that it would follow suit, i.e., don’t let her eat/sniff poop (not that you would, but…you know) and give her healthy food.
I didn’t say BG had e coli. Her symptoms could have been a coincidence. But if she did, “handwashing” is not “common sense” prevention if it is transmitted by YOUR DOG! Besides, how do you know what strain my dog had? The doctor said it was common, you say it’s rare. Hmm…I’ll take my chances with the doctor’s expertise.
Do you have a dog? Unless you train your dog to use the bathroom in the house, they WILL be exposed to other animals’ feces if you live in an apt community. They don’t have to eat/sniff poop. *gag* Pets have a natural instinct to “go” in the same area to mark their territory. Simply walking in the area will expose them to it. Not to mention when they lick their paws. Human prevention vs. pet prevention is a different ball of wax. [-SM]
poor precious! sounds like you are doing the right things. maybe when/if you call the humane society you can ask if they have any other advice for limiting a dog’s exposure to the bacteria. i’m glad she’s on the mend and has such a good “mommy” to take care of her! happy friday!
I’m glad Precious is feeling better.. I know you were losing your mind wondering WTH was going on with her..
Ummm those calls WON’T hurt.. protect ya fam SM and precious is FAM
I’m so glad to hear that Precious is feeling better. I don’t know if the Humane Society or the SPCA track that sort of thing, but it certainly can’t hurt to give them a try. Who knows, they may have some other tips for you, too. I wanted to let you know about the all-natural, no chemical preservative food I found for my cats. They make dog food, too, although I don’t know anyone with a dog who’s tried it. My cats love the cat food, though, and when we did the taste test the company recommends, my cats went for the new stuff and never looked back. They offer samples so that you can test your pets with the food before committing to a huge bag. It’s all mail-order, but it’s mailed fresh, and the shipping is free. I always get the food within a couple days, and I’ve always been pleased with the service (I live in Baltimore, so your shipping experience should be similar). Anyway, that’s my two cents worth, and here’s their website, should you be interested: http://flintriver.com/default.htm
I’ve received a few recommendations via email too and I’m going to research them all. Thanks for sharing! [-SM]
I am glad you are taking your doctor’s advice, as I am no expert, and particularly since I did not know what strain your dog has/had. In my defense, I do realise that you did not say that BG had E.coli. It was my opinion that you were expressing concern over a possible connection. I just wanted to share what knowledge I have with you.
I do have two dogs; one is a perfect saint (ha!) and the other, well, boy, she is feisty and likes to sniff EVERYTHING and lick most everything. I certainly hear you about living in an apt community. My experience led me to say what I did.
Hi Single Ma! First time commenter, love your site and your advice.
Now my advice for you re: dog food.
We feed a great, all natural, no preservatives, no corn food that is great for dogs. The brand name is Nature’s Variety Prairie. There are many different protein sources to choose from. Our dogs like the venison and lamb versions. The food is expensive, but your maltese is probably about the same size as my dogs – a 12 lb. Boston Terrier and a 10 lb. Jack Russell Terrier mix – so I can confidently tell you that this food lasts a long time and is worth the money. The serving sizes are VERY small because there are no fillers in the food, it’s pure nutrition. This means that no empty calories are given to your pet and that you feed smaller quantities to get the same nutrition so a bag lasts a lot longer. We purchase 5lb. bags of the food and the 5 lb. bag will last our pets at least 3 weeks with both of them eating out of it.
You can’t find this food at Petsmart or Petco but you can get it at smaller, independent specialty pet supply shops. So, you’d get the added benefit of not only giving Precious a very nutritious food but also supporting a local small business owner, which I know that I always try to do if possible.
The website for the food company is: http://www.naturesvariety.com if you want to check it out.