Heat, no appetite, vomiting

[Patti and Bosco]

Ok so, we live outside of Houston TX where it is freaking hot these days.  Bosco hasn't had as much of an appetite for the past couple of weeks.  He does eventually eat his food but he isn't interested in breakfast and ends up eating his breakfast around mid-morning to lunch time.  He eats dinner a bit later as well.

Yesterday Bosco had a very eventful day going to the dog park and then to our daughter's house with her two dogs.  This was a big step for Bosco since he has been reactive to people and we haven't had him close to anyone for a while.  We've been working hard on his training and had a successful day visiting.  Bosco did eat my daughter's dogs food off the floor (quite a bit of it) and then continued to play with the dogs.  Later in the evening he ate dinner then went for a walk.  After his walk he came home and threw up all his food, undigested.  We thought maybe it was the stress and excitement of the day or the dogpark pond water or mud puddles and maybe the heat.

Today he wasn't quite himself and didn't eat much.  He seemed to be doing much better this evening and ate dinner.  We took him for a walk which had no stressors and when we got home Bosco threw up about 15% of his food, again undigested. 

We are wondering if the heat can have that effect on a dog?  Bosco eats Fromm's Large Breed Puppy Gold and Fromm's canned food mixed in.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have not heard of heat having this kind of effect, but I suppose it's possible. Everything is harder when it's hot, from a physiological point of view: walking, playing, even breathing. It's possible it can affect digestion, too.

I can tell you that it is not the food itself that is causing this. It would be going on whatever food you were feeding. This is not the time to change foods, because if something is brewing in his digestive tract, you need to limit the variables so that you can figure out what it is. 

What kind of food was it that he ate at your DD's house? 

Did he drink large quantities of water prior to vomiting yesterday or today? Any loud stomach rumbling?

Any changes in his poop? Any new treats or chews? 

Did he get his HW or flea/tick preventatives this week by any chance? 

I would keep an eye on him. Try to keep him from drinking large quantities of water at one time, especially before or after exercising, and don;t let him exercise immediately before or after eating.

How old is Bosco now, what does he weigh, and how much food are you giving him per day?  

[Patti and Bosco]

I'll have to find out what food Bosco ate at my daughter's house.  I can't remember what it is. 

He didn't drink large quantities of water before he vomited.  He ate and drank a while before he went for a walk.  He hasn't had any new treats or chews over the last couple of days but a couple of weeks ago we started him on Composure which the vet recommended rather than putting him on an anti-anxiety medication.  It seems to be helping to calm him without making him sleepy.

Bosco did drink muddy water at the dog park.  No matter how much we watch him he is a magnet to a mud puddle.

His poop is the same but when my husband and I were talking he mentioned that Bosco's poop is harder and more well formed at the beginning of the poop and the end of the poop is more liquid.

Although he hasn't been very hungry at our house, he gobbled up all the food at Renee's house. 

Bosco is 10.5 months old (best guess) and at last weigh-in was 62 pounds.  We give him 2 cups of dry food in the morning and the same at night.  We add about a quarter of a can of wet food in with the dry.  He also gets treats (all his usual stuff - mostly food) for training.

I think he had his flea/tick liquid down his back about a week ago.  I'd have to check the calendar for the exact date.  He is due for his HW today.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'd cut back his food a little bit. According to the feeding guidelines on Fromm's website, he should be getting about 3 and two-thirds cups per day, and that's without any canned food. That might be one reason for the reduced appetite over the past couple of weeks, along with the new meds, which can also have that effect. 

The muddy water could have been the cause of the nausea. The food he ate at your DD's house might also have contributed to it. 

Go ahead and give him the HW today. I'd keep everything the same as usual and just watch him. If there are any more changes in his poop, have your vet run a fecal. Drinking muddy water is the best way to get giardia, and it's rampant right now. 

[Patti and Bosco]

Karen, I checked the back of the Fromm's bag for the feeding guidelines and it shows that Bosco should be getting 5 1/8 cups of food per day.  My husband has been feeding 4 cups per day and feeling like Bosco needs to be eating more according to package directions and feeling badly about him not getting enough food.  Now we see on the website that he is supposed to be eating 3 and 2/3 cups.  I will try calling Fromm's tomorrow and talk with them about it.  Thanks for pointing that out!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm glad it came up, that's quite a discrepancy in feeding amounts! Please let us know what they say. 

[Itims]

I would also be interested in learning what it means when the poop is perfect in the beginning and the last part (20%-50%) is soft. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That's pretty common, and in itself, doesn't mean much, especially if it only happens occasionally. It can be an indication that the dog is being overfed or fed too frequently, but not necessarily. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I think it's not at all unusual. The colon absorbs water from feces. So the first part of the stool has the longest time under normal circumstances for the water to be absorbed. the last part of the stool is usually softer, but well formed, with both my dogs.