Ralph?

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DAC8671

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The last few days Ralph has not been himself. He only comes to the door of his dogloo but doesn't come out. The weather has been hot one day, overcast another. Prior to this, he was out eating, peeing, pooping, sunning himself, soaking himself, etc. All normal. He was fine on Friday.

Saturday my husband noticed that Ralph had gotten ahold of a fairly large tomato from our garden (the dogs must have knocked it off the bush. It's a raised garden, so there is no way Ralph could have gotten it himself. The tomato was just starting to turn red, mostly still green. He ate about half of it and it was probably a bit bigger than a baseball. Would this have any affect on him? I don't give him fruit but once a month.

I pulled him out of the dogloo today (nice, hot, sunny day). I gave him some spring mix, which he only ate just a few bites before going back inside. He hasn't pee'd or pooped since Friday. Today he was all the way in the back of the dogloo, not even coming to the door.

If this is "something" then of course I want to catch it early. If it's nothing, please tell me to quit worrying.
 

Kristina

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Did he possibly eat some of the stem or leaves of the tomato? Those parts are toxic, and could be making him sick.

I am unsure how big Ralph is, but if he is not eating or peeing or pooping I would be doing everything I could to get him in a warm water soak. Several, in fact.
 

DAC8671

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He is 6 yrs old, weighs about 25 pounds.

We are unsure if he ate any leaves/stems. We are thinking no because it was on the ground and if the dogs bumped it off then it wouldn't have anything on it. But if he did, what symptoms would I look for? With toxicity, is it fatal? Or can the vet give him something?
 

DAC8671

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Still no pee or poop.

I did have to pull him out of his dogloo again today. He seemed to like the soak I gave him. Drank a lot too. Soaked about 10-15 min. Ate more spring mix. I also put him on the other side of the yard so he'd get some form of movement, perhaps making the bowels work????? It's a shot. Not sure if it works. On the way back to his house, he did munch a few clover, but not many.

Hoping I'll find SOMETHING in his house tomorrow morning. Maybe I'll change his timothy hay. He always seems to poop in it when I change it.

I'm just grasping at straws right now.:(
 

DAC8671

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I have NEVER been so happy to see a huge turd stuck to the bottom of Ralph!! He pooped last night, I soaked him some more this morning and he pooped in the water. Then left a few surprises around the yard for me. Then the floodgates opened. Pee and urates everywhere! He's back to grazing the grass and eating spring mix in full force today.
 

Annieski

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Ploop--Ploop---Fizz--Fizz---Oh what a RELIEF it is! Glad Ralph is HIMSELF again!
 

Kristina

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AWESOME!!!

From what I understand about the vines and leaves, they contain what is called "tomatine," which is a glycoalkaloid that irritates the GI tract and affects the nervous system. If a good sized tort got just a little bite, it could be enough to cause a tummy ache, but not a lasting illness or death. That is kind of what Ralph's symptoms sound like to me. He just didn't feel too hot.

Continue to keep him hydrated to flush anything else out of his system, but it sounds like he is going to be just fine.
 

Tom

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Just found your thread. I think Kristina is right on here. I've got nothing to add.

I'm sure glad he's okay.

Mine sometimes get "moody" when the weather is on again/off again too.
 
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Maggie Cummings

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I was gonna suggest that he was constipated. Is he still good today? He should poop lots daily. If he doesn't I would soak him on the third day. You see that;s when he pooped after you soaked him and he drank...
 
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