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My shepherd mix, Beanie, is 8 years old, weighs about 44 pounds, and has always been very healthy. I feed my dogs Orijen, to which I add mixed (frozen) veggies and two eggs per week, one fish-oil capsule and a small handful of walnuts or almonds daily. He is a good, unpicky eater. Outside, he never eats any acorns, dried poop or anything like that, but he is a grazer. Whenever we are outside, he spends his time grazing on plants and/or grass. I think he just likes the taste because he never, ever vomits.
Until last night, that is. We have two dogs, but I'm pretty sure he was the one who threw up about a 3"x5" portion of his dinner. This morning on our walk he didn't do his normal poking around at everything in the woods, but walked slowly beside me the whole way. He had a normal (no diarrhea) BM. At one point I noticed that spittle was dripping from the side of his mouth and he looked very unhappy. He did not have any nasal discharge. When we got home he wouldn't eat his fish-oil capsule, but ate one walnut and hurried off to get back into bed. His nose is dry and warm.
He's up to date on his shots, is never loose, and hasn't had contact with any dogs other than our other dog in almost a week.
This is longer than I wanted to make my question, but I wanted to be thorough. I'd much appreciate any suggestions you might have about what might be wrong.
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Dr. Marie replied:
Thanks for your thorough question.
There are a great number of things that can cause vomiting in a dog.
Sometimes a dog can vomit because of something they have eaten, but I don't think this is the case with Beanie. However, it may be a good idea to check out the nuts you are giving him. While walnuts and almonds are not toxic to dogs they can sometimes get moldy if you have had them for a while and this could definitely cause a dog to vomit.
If the vomiting persists for more than 24 hours then there is a possibility that there is an underlying health concern such as a kidney or liver problem, an infection or something else. Again, there are hundreds of things that can cause vomiting.
So, if the vomiting and not eating continues then a vet visit will be necessary.
Sometimes with mild stomach upset it helps to give a period of 24 hours with no food followed by very small meals of chicken and rice. These are foods that are very easy to digest and shouldn't upset his stomach.
But, if the problem is persisting then a vet visit is the best idea.
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Dr. 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.
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