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Vomiting dog.

Species: Dog
Breed: Mixed
Age: 2-5 years
Our vet has told us that Lola won't digest all her food and empty her stomach in the normal time, something like 2 hours. Instead she is full for most of the day. This leads to vomiting. So we switched from 2 to 3 smaller meals a day, and put her on a all vegetarian diet which seems to have stopped most of the vomiting, but now she won't eat. We put hot water on the food to improve the smell, we've tried beef broth (even though she's on a veggie diet) and all to no avail. Our vet is at a loss and so our we. Do you have any ideas? We are willing to try other foods incase it's the food, but it seems part of it is the meat makes her sick. We had her on a sensitive diet salmon and sweet potato, and the Science Diet ID-She was fine on the ID but we can't afford to buy canned food like that. Also, we just took her in for her shots and they checked her stool, found 3 different bad bacteria (sorry can't remember the names) and so we put her on antibiotics, plus she gets a nausea pill sometimes to maybe take the sting out of her thinking the food is bad and therefore not eating it..did that make sense? Anyway, please let us know what you think.

Thanks
Neil Shepard

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Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

It sounds like you are having a frustrating problem with Lola! This is going to be a hard case for me to comment on without knowing more information, but I'll see what I can do.

It sounds like there is some sort of medical issue here rather than just that she doesn't like the food. It seems like your vet is saying she has slowed gastric emptying.

Has she had a barium series of xrays? This can often tell us where the problem is. It may be that she has a foreign object in her stomach which is filling her up.

I'm wondering if what you are describing is that your vet is trying to treat her for a bacteria in the stomach called helicobactor. It can be difficult to diagnose this. If I am suspecting it I usually treat it with a combination of amoxicillin, metronidazole and famotidine (pepcid).

Another thought....is your vet certain that Lola is vomiting and not regurgitating? If it is vomit there will be bile or foam along with the stomach contents. Regurgitation looks like a tube of food and comes from the esophagus. If it could be regurgitation it may be that she has a condition called megaesophagus.

Any time I have a dog with vague gastrointestinal symptoms I have a condition called hypoadrenocorticism (Addison's) in the back of my mind. You could ask your vet if this is a possibility and they can test for it.

Another possibility is chronic relapsing pancreatitis. A blood test called a PLI should help determine this.

If this were my case and none of the other conditions were present then I would likely be prescribing an anti-nausea medication such as metoclopramide (Reglan) to give once to 3 times per day.

I hope this information helps. I hope she is feeling better soon!

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.

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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.