Vomiting...need advice

[Sabrina and Bentley]

Hey everyone,

 

We've been having some challenges with Bentley throwing up lately.  They have all had a different scenario surrounding it, so I can't quite pinpoint it.  Don't know if I should wait it out a little longer or bring him in to the vet.  Here's what's been happening...

 

Background:  He's on Diamond Large Breed Puppy Food.  I know there was a recall on it about five years ago, but that's what the breeder had him on and he hasn't had any problems with eating it and he's now six months old. But this is a new bag that we purchased right around Halloween so, part of me feels like maybe it's a bad bag of food.  He seems to sniff at it in the morning and walks away, but eventually he goes back to eat it.

 

Nov 1-10 somehwere in this time frame, he vomited on our bed and then in his kennel.  Also during this time, we found out he ate part of a foot of one of his dog toys.  In the morning time, he was eating his food, but then he would join us upstairs and get very rambunctious (as he always is in the morning) and at least twice he threw up his food.  We thought it was because he was jumping around alot, but he always does this, so for a couple of days, we locked him in the kitchen during breakfast for an hour so that he could eat and stay calm.  Well, we'd open the door and the food was still there.  Then one night he slept with us and we woke up to vomit on the floor.  So, in this 10 day period, he threw up at least four times.

11/13 his first tick was found.  yuck!  threw this in here because I didn't know if ticks caused vomiting. 

11/15 the toy foot was found...when he vomited again. We were so happy because we figured this is why he was throwing up and not eating like he normally did.  I was out of town this week, but my fiance said he ate normal both morning and night for the rest of the week.

11/19 went to take him on his morning walk and saw two throw up piles in his kennel

11/20 found his 2nd tick after playing at the dog park...guess it's time to get him on a tick medication.

11/21 ate morning breakfast like usual.  gave him his sentinel (hw pill) with a treat.  took him with me to pick up lunch around noon.  Heard a hack and sure enough there was a pile back there.  I've ruled out car sickness because he did this when we first started taking him out, but he hasn't in over a couple of months and he's in the car 4-5 times a week.  I also make sure that he doesn't go for car rides unless it's at least an hour after eating.  then eating lunch in the living room and hear a hack in my office.  There goes another pile.  I put him in the kitchen while I cleaned up.  I go to my desk and I smell it which was weird because I didn't smell it after I cleaned up.  Then I saw the huge pile on his sofa in my office and on the floor.  Was thinking it's the sentinel but he's been on it for three months with no problems.

 

So that's pretty much it.  I don't know if it's the food, toy foot, ticks, heartworm pills or what, but he's never thrown up like this before.  Throughout all of this, he's been very playful and his poops are big and firm.  I checked for foreign objects and the only thing I could find were leaves.  He does seem a little lethargic right now, but he did tthrow up three times in the past hour.

 

any thoughts, opinions, suggestions?

 

Sorry for the long story, but at least I can print this out for the vet if/when I bring him in. :-)

[Sabrina and Bentley]

Thanks everyone for your concerns and suggestions!  I did end up taking him to the vet yesterday and her first thought was that he has megaesophagus.  Pretty much means that instead of his food going to his stomach to digest, it sits in his esophagus and then comes back up.  My fiance had to chuckle becuase he has the same problem.  Poor baby got some bad genes from his daddy.  hahah!  Only way to diagnose it is with a couple of x-rays.  I'm not convinced of this, just because it's not consistent vomiting...not that I know anything. :-)  Option 2 is that it could be a bad bag of food since it all started happening around the new bag, but since his poops are normal, she's not sure of that either.  Sooo...

 

We're going to start with a new brand of food first to see how that goes.  She suggested Purina Science Diet among other commercial brands, but thanks to DK, I know better. :-)  We'll do that for the next week and monitor it.  If he's still throwing up, we'll go in for xrays.

 

He hasn't lost any of his puppy energy and he's drinking lots of water as usual, so I hope this means he's not in pain.

Thanks again for all your concerns.  If we go in for xrays, I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

[Sabrina and Bentley]

Thanks Roberta.  I learned that there was a difference between vomiting and regurgitating.  I wasn't able to catch him every time, but when I did, it seemed more like he stopped and then vomited, so that's what made her think it was megaesophagus.  He's going to get xrays next week to see.  So far he's been ok since Monday and we haven't switched his food yet.  We're going to play it by ear until next week.

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

Years ago I got a bad bag of dog food.  Cole' (R.I.P.) vomited and showed little interest in this bag of food.  We got him something else and he ate with no problem.  I called the manufacturer of the bad bag and they asked where I got it and then said it may have sat too on the loading dock in the sun and gone bad.  They sent me a coupon for a new bag of food and we never had a problem with that brand again.

[Sabrina and Bentley]

Anne, do you think it's worth it to call the company?  He's been ok since Monday and I've smelled it and it smells like gross dog food to me.  lol!  I don't smell anything funny. I think I just may need to change his food altogether since this one did have a recall a few years ago.  Thanks!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I'd still give the chicken and rice a few days just to help him with digestion and give his tummy a break. Switching foods now could be a lot for him to adjust to in and of itself.  You are so smart to not get the SD!!! Vets are so predictable when it comes to this. Keep us posted. And again, I wouldn't worry about him going back to kibble. The vast majority of times it is not an issue.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jackdoodle started refusing his food last week and vomited immediately after the two times he did eat over a three day period. Also drooling a lot, which can be a sign of nausea. We were at the vet Friday and Saturday. $600 worth of Xrays, bloodwork, sub-cue fluids, anti-nauseants and antacids. Still don't know what was wrong, as he doesn't eat toys, socks, or anything that isn't given to him, ever. But at least anything dangerous was ruled out and I got some peace of mind. His stomach and other digestive organs looked inflamed and he was dehydrated.  He's been on hamburger and rice, and then plain chicken-and-rice canned food since Friday. (Evanger's makes some wonderful canned foods for sick dogs)

This a.m. he got a half cup of his Orijen kibble for the first time since he's been on homecooked and canned food, and he ate it all with no hesitation. So don't worry that feeding homecooked food or canned food will spoil him.

BTW- megaesophagus is a very serious disease, with a very guarded prognosis, and I promise you your fiancee  doesn't have it. I hope Bentley doesn't either.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I'm so happy to hear that JD was able to eat normally this morning...hopefully this means he's over the worst of it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Jane, I hope so!  

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I am so glad to hear that JD is doing better.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Except he's not. Jane jinxed him, lol. We were on the phone celebrating his improvement when he vomited again. My fault...I moved too fast reintroducing solids and too much variety.)

Back to the bland diet, sigh.

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

I hope JD feels better soon. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Andy! You too, Nancy!