Throwing Up - Should Have Trusted My Gut

[Guest driser]

Our GH used to throw up on an empty stomach when we first got him, but it's been a year since we've had issue with that until night before last. He threw up in the evening before dinner, then again at 4:40 am, but then again in late afternoon so I called vet who of course wanted to see him. We go to a vet who has had 4 GHs of his own. Other than the vomit he had been eating/drinking great, perfect pee/poop, PLAYFUL, etc. He ran blood panel, nothing serious so gave him a shot for nauseau and sent me home with pills, but told me to withhold dinner. My gut told me not to do that and as expected he was beside himself that I wasn't feeding him. He did throw up again at midnight, starving for sure and now (2:45) I awoke suddenly with an urge to make him some rice to put at least something in his tummy. And now, he won't eat anything nor come downstairs. Ugh, I should have followed my instinct to feed him a light dinner, I think.

[3greytjoys]

Ugh, sorry about your boy. Several of our hounds vomit bile when their tummy is empty. One refuses to eat when she's gone too long without food too. Meat only Gerber baby food (stage 2) sometimes spurs her to eat a few bites of bread or rice. Better not try Pepcid since it can be problematic combined with other medications. His timing does seem like empty tummy troubles vs. kibble stemmed illness. Hope he feels better soon.

[silverfish]

It's very difficult when you have a hound with 'sensitive stomach' issues, because of course vets just see them as a collection of potentially serious symptoms. We have one who just vomits randomly when he's stressed as well as when he eats something that doesn't go down too well. We've been through the whole investigation thing so we're pretty sure there's nothing serious going on, it's just .. well, him.

 

If I didn't feed him at least a little bland something when the vets advised starving him he'd be a bag of bones, because not feeding him while feeding the other one stresses him and it's a vicious circle - and he's verging on 'bag of bones' to begin with. Luckily we do have an understanding vet, who knows greyhounds inside out, and who just dispenses Antepsin as required.

 

It is difficult, though, isn't it? Because one day our sensitive hounds actually may develop something of concern - and then it really WILL be time to trust our guts.

[msjpk]

Same problem here with my almost 13 year old, Plummer. I feed him smaller meals more often and less kibble and more chop meat and rice. It has seemed to work.

He was vomiting on a daily bases, losing weight. Since I changed his diet, no vomiting for 2 weeks, he has put on weight. That's all I ask. I have also added Ensure, Vanilla, to his meals. His coat has become so soft and dandruff almost gone.. The kibble I give him is Iams Sensitive. Good luck.

[Guest driser]

It's very difficult when you have a hound with 'sensitive stomach' issues, because of course vets just see them as a collection of potentially serious symptoms. We have one who just vomits randomly when he's stressed as well as when he eats something that doesn't go down too well. We've been through the whole investigation thing so we're pretty sure there's nothing serious going on, it's just .. well, him.

 

If I didn't feed him at least a little bland something when the vets advised starving him he'd be a bag of bones, because not feeding him while feeding the other one stresses him and it's a vicious circle - and he's verging on 'bag of bones' to begin with. Luckily we do have an understanding vet, who knows greyhounds inside out, and who just dispenses Antepsin as required.

 

It is difficult, though, isn't it? Because one day our sensitive hounds actually may develop something of concern - and then it really WILL be time to trust our guts.

 

We've had 48 hours of severe wind and we think that was adding to his sour tummy; stress. I did get some food (rice, kibble, canned) in him at 6:15am but only because I topped it with a touch of finely shredded cheddar and banana. He has the shakes this morning, but I would too if I had gone 24 hours without a full meal.

 

Ugh, sorry about your boy. Several of our hounds vomit bile when their tummy is empty. One refuses to eat when she's gone too long without food too. Meat only Gerber baby food (stage 2) sometimes spurs her to eat a few bites of bread or rice. Better not try Pepcid since it can be problematic combined with other medications. His timing does seem like empty tummy troubles vs. kibble stemmed illness. Hope he feels better soon.

I told the vet I had given him 10mg of Pepcid before I decided to call and go to the vet yesterday but he said that was fine as he gave him the shot for nausea. I won't give him more. The vet gave me Odansetron. I understand it to be the nausea medicine chemo patients use. I did give him one this morning, because I'd be nauseaous too if I hadn't eaten since the following morning and because he did throw up the biscuits the vet gave him, at midnight. But if he keeps his small breakfast down, I will cease the meds as we really do feel this is stress (storm) and empty belly throw up.

 

Thanks for your responses! So nice to wake up to support.

[Guest grey_dreams]

My angel Zuki would also refuse to eat once his stomach was empty. I might advise you to trust your gut about that. Glad he finally ate something for you. I also ignored the advice to "starve" when it was given to me, and would feed extremely small portions of something to keep Zuki's stomach from getting empty. Please note that the cheese has wayyyyyy too much salt for your boy, so please use it very sparingly. Have you tried something like canned green tripe to tempt him to eat? Tripe is a very smelly, very healthy food for them to eat. It may be possible that your boy needs other food than kibble. Personally, I feed raw, and use kibble as a treat or in place of cookies. Sending good thoughts for your boy. Hope he will be well soon.

Edited March 8, 2013 by grey_dreams

[silverfish]

You can also tempt him with sardines or mackerel - both nice and stinky, and you don't need much on the food to start them off eating.

 

Poor old Bus (it is Bus, isn't it?). He may possibly have the shakes because he's hypoglycaemic.

[Guest driser]

Update - he didn't throw up at all yesterday or last night, but wow did the injectable medicine and pill med give him diarrhea. So since he's not throwing up we only gave him one pill yesterday morning and stopped. Will be glad when it's all out of his system. His appetite is back and he's quite content to scarf his grain free limited ingredient kibble without needing any enticements.

[Batmom]

Better not try Pepcid since it can be problematic combined with other medications.

 

Pepcid is one of the few antacids that has almost no interaction with other meds. You may be thinking of some of the other antacids .

[silverfish]

Um. Actually I believe famotidine can interact adversely with a few meds, including theophylline (heart medication) and any drug requiring acid for proper absorption. As I understand it, most of the interactions are not severe, though.

 

I guess I'm overcautious (from long experience with doctors not checking my own drugs for interactions) but I'd always check first before adding in an over-the-counter med. Even calcium or magnesium based antacids can prevent prescription drugs from being effective.

[Batmom]

The magnesium and calcium based antacids are the ones that interact with more prescription meds. Pepcid really interacts adversely with very few. It doesn't reduce stomach acid as much as some of the newer stomach meds.

 

It's always wise to check with your vet, but it's a very safe medication to give for mild stomach upset, particularly while taking antibiotics, prednisone, NSAIDs, etc.