Throwing up and diarrhea.

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Tootoo is not feeling well. (I like her name - very cute!)

Tootoo's digestive problems are probably not because of her injury with her tail. Some dogs with tail injuries can have problems holding their stool in if the nerves affecting the anus were damaged. However, this shouldn't cause her to have diarrhea.

I can see though how having a tail that doesn't move would be messy when a dog has diarrhea.

There are a number of things that can cause a dog to have vomiting and diarrhea. If she is bright and happy and eating well then there is a good chance that this is nothing serious.

You can try giving her a period of 24 hours with absolutely no food. (But she can still have water.) Then, feed her small meals of cooked chicken and rice. There is nothing magical about chicken and rice but these are both foods that will be very easy on her stomach and intestines.

If this is just some upset stomach then she should be feeling better within a day.

Do you have access to a pharmacy? She can have famotidine (pepcid). It comes in a 10 mg tablet. The dose is .25mg per pound once daily. So, if Tootoo weighs 20lbs she would get 1/2 tablet. This will help with any stomach upset.

It's also not a bad idea to treat her with a Dewormer in case she has picked up any parasites which are contributing to the diarrhea.

If she starts to lose her appetite or feel really lethargic and sick then I am more worried that she may need to see a vet.

I hope she is feeling better soon!

Dr. Marie.

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Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Kathy....most of the time I don't get too worried about bloody diarrhea. When a dog has bloody diarrhea it means there is inflammation in the colon. This fits with eating something unusual that has upset the intestines.

Again, as long as Tootoo is bright and happy then this should pass with the treatment mentioned above.

Dr. Marie replied:

You're very welcome!

Hope things are improving!