Vomiting During Meal

[Ellen]

I searched the forum and didn't see a discussion exactly on point, but if there is one, please let me know.

 

Here's the issue:  In the past 3 days, my GD vomited twice during the middle of his meal.  The first time it happened, I was in a different room, so I didn't know that he had vomited until I came back and saw that he was trying to eat the regurgitated meal on the floor (yes, it was gross).  Riley is a vacuum cleaner when it comes to his food, so I thought it was because he was eating too quickly.  So, on Day 2, I gave him small portions at a time.  On Day 3, I made him pause from eating after about every 3 seconds, but he vomited again mid-meal. 

 

Nothing has changed in terms of his meals (Bravo Raw - Turkey), snacks, activity level, etc.  Every once in a while, Riley will vomit yellow bile in the morning if he doesn't get his evening snack late at night.  But this time it's different -- he's vomiting food and not bile, and he's vomiting during his meal, not 7-8 hours later.  Also, don't know whether it's relevant, but he has had one seizure in February 2011 (cause still unknown).  I saw a thread about whether vomiting causes or occurs before a seizure, but Riley did not have another seizure after vomiting. 

 

I have a call into the vet, but I wanted to see whether anybody else has had experienced anything similar.  Thanks in advance!

 

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Is Riley loosing weight? Does he seem like he is not feeling well? He he possibly be swallowing air if he is gulping his food?

My Charli will vomit her dinner if she has run before or just after. Since I figured that out - finally, duh!! - if there was any exercise within a half hour prior to dinner, dinner gets held for awhile. I do attempt to kept her settled for 1/2 hour after dinner but I am not always perfect with that. Sometimes, she just gets in a zommie mood and there is just no stopping her. All the training falls on deaf ears.

Samantha was eating her meals like it was going to be her last. I bought her Portion Pacer, a stainless ball that sits in the middle of her bowl to slow her down. For Samantha, it seemed to be another 'stage' of her growing. Now she paces herself. Halfway through her meal, she takes a walk around the kitchen and then goes back to finish.

http://www.omegapaw.com/products/portion-pacer-stainless.html

 

I will be very interested in hearing what your vet says. Please keep us posted.

 

[Michael Gurley]

Sunny also vomits if she runs after dinner. However, she vomits when she runs on an empty stomach too!

[Diane Denney]

Lincoln has done this a couple of times, but he is on medication that doesn't make him feel well.   He'll also do this if he is worked up before he eats.  I usually wait until he is good and calm before I put his food down.

[Michael Gurley]

http://www.amazon.com/Brake-Fast-Dog-Food-Bowls-Medium/dp/B000PE30MQ 

 

Here is another idea for something that will slow him down when eating. My dachshund used to use a bowl like this, and it helped her be more satisfied with the amount of food she was allowed to have because it made her take a little more time eating it. She's only allowed to have 1/4 of a cup twice a day.

[Jennifer Tramell]

My sister's dog will vomit if he drinks a lot while/after eating.  They take his water away or leave only a little in the bowl and this has eliminated the problem.

[Lake Girl, Lizette]

I had a vomiter!!!  I got Molly when she was only 10 weeks old, very finicky eater, and when she did not eat or even if she did she would vomit yellow bile.  If she ate... her food came up as well.  My doodle friends know I struggled for almost 1 1/2 years with this.  I tried cooking her food from scratch, raw food, and every top brand of dog food you can name.  We even went through exploratory sugery...and numerous vet visits to the tune $4,000.    I give her Purina forti flora everyday...1/2 packet and she eats Evo grain free Turkey/chicken and gets a tablespoon of Evo grain free Venison can food mixed in.   She is happy and doing great.  I will admit occassionally she has a upset stomach  and vomits yellow bile if she does not eat but this is rare and not the norm.  When she had stomach issues she would vomit up her food as well.  But she is doing great on Evo.  Good luck. 

[Ellen]

Andrea, thanks for your response.  In response to your questions, nothing has changed with regard to food or activity -- same food bowl, same food and snacks, same level of activity, went for the usual casual 30 minute bathroom walk before the morning meal (no running). 

With regard to vomiting vs. regurgitating -- He heaved and gagged several times before the food came up, which indicates that he vomited.  But according to an article that I read on the internet, the food brought up by regurgitation is usually undigested and often covered with a slimy mucus -- which is what happened here.  Also, as you noted, he did tip his head down, which also suggests that it may have been regurgitation.  Thanks for the tip about megaesophagus.  I'll mention that to the vet. 



 



[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

We had to switch to slow feed bowls also because of the air being gulped up when they ate so fast. I hope Riley is ok, keep us updated on what your vet thinks.

[Ellen]

Thanks for everybody's responses!  I really appreciate the input, which was all very informative.