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Vomiting and not eating.

Species: Dog
Breed: Lab/Border Collie mi
Age: 8-11 years
Buster was throwing up for over two weeks. I had him to an emergency pet hospital, they ran numerous tests, injected him with fluid and gave him an injection to keep him from throwing up. They did not find anything, recommended I take him to his vet. The vet does not seem too concerned with Buster's condition, and has told me he will be alright. Gave him an injection to keep him from throwing up, and an injection to keep him relaxed. Also, he gave him two meds, one pill to be given a half hour before food (2 X a day) and one to be given with food (2 X a day). I can't get him to eat anything. I had him back to the vet, he still doesn't seem too concerned, gave him another injection to keep him from throwing up, and gave me a tube of a high vitamin paste and instructed me how to administer it. Other than the paste, Buster still will not eat anything, he will drink water now and then, thus he is staying hydrated, but he is losing weight and is becoming week. Do you have any suggestions as to get him to eat. His next appt. is 11/17.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Buster is not well.

The vast majority of the time when a dog is vomiting it is nothing serious. Usually it goes away with anti-nausea medication. However, if he is still not doing well despite being on the medication then it sounds like he needs to have more tests.

Has he had any xrays done? Do you know if he has had barium xrays? This is where they administer some white liquid that shows up well on xrays and then take xrays as the liquid passes through. Sometimes plain (non-barium) xrays do not show us anything.

There is probably not a lot that you can do at home to get him to eat but I can give you a few things to try. You can try making a slurry by adding warm water to some canned food. You can also try feeding him baby food (with no onions or garlic).

However, it does sound like he needs to see a vet sooner than the 17th. He may need to have some blood tests repeated and might need to stay on IV fluids for a couple of days.

I hope he does ok! Let me know if you have more questions.

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Buster has had blood work, pancreas tested, x-rays, urine tested. Nothing has showed up. I thank you for your suggestions, I already thought of baby food. He will swallow it if I rub it on his teeth and force through his teeth into his mouth. But, he will only permit this for a short period.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

It does sound like he has had all of the regular tests done. Were the xrays barium xrays? Not all foreign objects show up well on regular xrays.

If the bloodwork was done a couple of weeks ago you may need to repeat some of it. It's possible whatever the disease condition was was too early.

Another thought, if your budget allows it is to ask your vet to do an abdominal ultrasound to look for things like a tumor in the abdomen.

I wish I could give you more answers! It sounds like you are doing the right things. However, I really don't think the answer is to find him a food that he will eat. There has to be a medical cause for this problem. Another visit soon is really the best idea!

Dr. Marie.



Customer reply:

Thank you


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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.