Hound Has Stopped Eating And Drinking

[PabloDH]

My newly adopted greyhound Pablo has now been in our home for about 1.5 months. It seems that x1 every week, especially in the mornings, Pablo's stomach makes loud gurgling noises, which we presume means he has an upset stomach. When I take him out to the bathroom in the morning, he runs straight to the grass and eats it. Sometime this ends up in him vomiting and sometimes it doesn't. When he vomits, sometimes it makes him feel better and other times he just lays in bed all day. I thought this might be happening because he eats dinner early (about 5:30pm; we wake up at 5am) and gets so hungry at night that it makes his stomach upset, so I started giving him a small snack before bed. It seems to help, but every once in awhile it doesn't. I've seen this go on anywhere from 24-48 hours before he finally eats and drinks.

 

Current dilemma: We made a roast chicken a few days ago and I decided to give him a few pieces of leftover chicken (washed with water) in his food in the morning for 2 days and then I stopped giving it to him. This is the first time I've ever given him "human" food. After that, he has barely touched his dry food or had water. Yesterday, I took Pablo for a 2 mile run in the morning and also a moderate hike in the late afternoon (he has a lot of energy). He had some water during the hike, but did not eat the whole day. By the evening, his stomach was making gurgling noises. Then this morning he ate a bunch of grass but did not vomit. He hasn't eaten his dry food for about 36 hours now, but will take a few pieces of the leftover chicken. He is also not drinking water. When I give him dry food in his food bowl, he will walk to it, sniff it, then walk away and lay down. He is still urinating and his stool is normal, and he is ALWAYS ready to go for a walk. I'm afraid he might be stubborn and not eating so that he can get chicken.

 

I would really appreciate any advice on what you think might be happening--is this an upset stomach from not eating, a ploy to get chicken, or something more serious that requires vet attention? What can I do to get my hound back on track with his eating and drinking? Thank you!

Edited December 31, 2018 by PabloDH

[XTRAWLD]

Well first off, if he isn't eating or drinking stop the activity you are doing with runs and walks. He needs way more input to keep up with those demands.

 

Not drinking water is a huge issue and he can dehydrate quickly. Please check the color of his gums as well as how his skin is tenting on his neck. Press the gums with your finger, they should turn white briefly and return to normal pink in 2-3 seconds. Pinch the skin on the back of his neck. The skin should instantly go back in place, but if he's dehydrated the skin will take longer to fall back.

 

Cooked chicken is not a bad thing to give your dog, and I don't think it would have caused this kind of issue. In fact, we often use broth, rice and cooked chicken as a bland diet to get things back on track. Wanting to eat grass outside is an indicator that his stomach is upset. If the vomit is a bright yellow, sometimes frothy, it's a sign of excess acid in the system. No food in the system can do this, the acid has nothing to break down. A bedtime snack of a couple cookies can usually alleviate this, otherwise he might need Pepcid, but I don't think this is the first thing you need to tackle right now.

 

Will he accept broth? Straight up chicken broth from a can - low sodium if possible, but if you have some broth on hand just do it. If he doesn't drink some of this, I think you need to make a trip to the vet. He might have a real issue going on.

Edited December 31, 2018 by XTRAWLD

[greytpups]

Is Pablo vomiting yellow bile? If so, I would continue to feed him a snack before bed. If his stomach growls while out walking you could give some kibble as treats while on your walk so hes not getting so hungry that he throws up. But you have to do this so he doesnt throw up since hell only want grass if he gets too hungry.

 

If hes not gaining weight I would experiment with a bit more food before bed until you find the right amount that keeps him full enough until breakfast, but not cause weight gain.

 

You can also give him Pepsid AC (famotidine) to reduce stomach acid when his stomach is making gurgling noises. Dosage is 1.0 mg/kg body weight.

 

I would also try adding a bit of water to his kibble. Some of our dogs prefer moistened food over dry food.

 

I hope some of these suggestions help.

Edited December 31, 2018 by greytpups

[PabloDH]

In the past, yes, he has vomited yellow bile. This morning, however, I took him on a 20 minute walk (sorry, didn't see XTRAWLD's post) and he vomited clear liquid twice (no grass or anything else in it) and also had very watery diarrhea. I checked his gums and skin on neck; gums are turning pink within 2-3 seconds and there's a little bit of tenting. I added the roast chicken to the kibble plus chicken broth and he ate almost all of it so I think that is a good sign? I'm going to make the boiled chicken and rice and see how that goes. Thank you.

Edited December 31, 2018 by PabloDH

[cleptogrey]

VET!!!!

call and if you can not get him in talk to your vet!

don't wait for panic and a trip to the e-vet which will be expensive and more invasive. tons of tests, fluids, etc. your vet might do the same, but it's your vet!

[XTRAWLD]

Step in the right direction, but take it slow. If he hasn't had anything to drink though, how is he vomiting clear liquid? This makes me worry.

 

His system has been without intake for a while, and GH's systems are very sensitive. Usually what we do for bland is just broth, get him drinking that, then add some well cooked rice. Give him only this for a day or two or you risk further diarrhea. Then add in some well cooked chicken to the broth and rice. Do this for another day or two until his system is back on track. Then you can move to add kibble to the broth to soften. If he is still having watery D, (or further vomiting) this is not a good sign.

 

He's still new to you at 1.5 months, there could be a lot of things going on too - worms, parasites, etc. that often get missed on fecal exams. The important thing is that he's getting fluids, wind down your exercise with him, and continue trying to feed broth, some rice and cooked chicken. Monitor him closely. Think about making a vet appt though. Things aren't adding up.

Edited December 31, 2018 by XTRAWLD

[MaryJane]

Vet - if Pablo is dehydrated then he needs fluids.

[BatterseaBrindl]

If see that you're in Arizona.

I would not be walking my dogs for more than potty breaks in the kind of heat that you get in Arizona.

Two mile walks and hiking is probably too much for him and he is probably dehydrated.

Take him to your Vet! He may need IV Fluids.

[PabloDH]

If see that you're in Arizona.

I would not be walking my dogs for more than potty breaks in the kind of heat that you get in Arizona.

Two mile walks and hiking is probably too much for him and he is probably dehydrated.

Take him to your Vet! He may need IV Fluids.

It's actually quite cool weather here during the winter. Highs of 55-60F and lows of 35-40F, so I don't think it's a heat issue. But I definitely don't plan to do any hikes or runs with my hound during the summer!

Edited December 31, 2018 by PabloDH

[PabloDH]

Step in the right direction, but take it slow. If he hasn't had anything to drink though, how is he vomiting clear liquid? This makes me worry.

 

His system has been without intake for a while, and GH's systems are very sensitive. Usually what we do for bland is just broth, get him drinking that, then add some well cooked rice. Give him only this for a day or two or you risk further diarrhea. Then add in some well cooked chicken to the broth and rice. Do this for another day or two until his system is back on track. Then you can move to add kibble to the broth to soften. If he is still having watery D, (or further vomiting) this is not a good sign.

 

He's still new to you at 1.5 months, there could be a lot of things going on too - worms, parasites, etc. that often get missed on fecal exams. The important thing is that he's getting fluids, wind down your exercise with him, and continue trying to feed broth, some rice and cooked chicken. Monitor him closely. Think about making a vet appt though. Things aren't adding up.

Thanks for the advice! I just made some boiled chicken and rice, so crossing my fingers that things improve. It's been a few hours since I fed the chicken/kibble/chicken broth mixture and so far no vomit or diarrhea so hopefully he's starting to feel better. He has been on Intercept for worms for the last 1.5 months, every 2 weeks as per the instructions provided by the adoption organization.

 

I'm trying to figure out what caused this in the first place so I can avoid this situation again. The only things I can think of is that I gave him a chicken flavored rawhide (made in USA) which he had never had before and is about the time that he started to reduce food intake. As of yesterday morning, I have thrown away the rawhide. I also took him to the dog park a few days ago so not sure if he might have picked up a parasite or something there.

[greysmom]

I agree with the others. If your vet is open today, get him in. Tell your vet your dog is dehydrated and nees fluids, they can set him up with a drip for a couple hours. Then you can have them address his issues - bloodwork and a repeat fecal exam at the very least. Hookworms *can* cause the symptoms you describe, and they have become extrememly difficult to get rid of lately. So even if he was treated and tested previously, he will probably need further dosing - see the thread labeled "Hookworm!" here in H&M.

 

Also, it's unclear from your post whether or not he's being fed two meals a day or only one. He should be getting fed morning and night - it's what he's used to and what most greyhounds do well on. If he's not enthused about plain dry kibble there's no shame in adding broth or water and/or a spoon or two of canned food. Talk with your vet about adding a Pepcid 20 minutes before his meals. This will help with the acid build up. And he should be on some sort of pro/pre-biotic to keep his gut biome in proper balance. There are tons of products you can buy or you can add in full fat yogurt, goat milk, or buttermilk.

 

Good luck. Keep us posted.

[PabloDH]

I agree with the others. If your vet is open today, get him in. Tell your vet your dog is dehydrated and nees fluids, they can set him up with a drip for a couple hours. Then you can have them address his issues - bloodwork and a repeat fecal exam at the very least. Hookworms *can* cause the symptoms you describe, and they have become extrememly difficult to get rid of lately. So even if he was treated and tested previously, he will probably need further dosing - see the thread labeled "Hookworm!" here in H&M.

 

Also, it's unclear from your post whether or not he's being fed two meals a day or only one. He should be getting fed morning and night - it's what he's used to and what most greyhounds do well on. If he's not enthused about plain dry kibble there's no shame in adding broth or water and/or a spoon or two of canned food. Talk with your vet about adding a Pepcid 20 minutes before his meals. This will help with the acid build up. And he should be on some sort of pro/pre-biotic to keep his gut biome in proper balance. There are tons of products you can buy or you can add in full fat yogurt, goat milk, or buttermilk.

 

Good luck. Keep us posted.

My vet isn't open today or tomorrow unfortunately, but I will try to find out if there is another vet available in the area.

 

I feed Pablo twice a day: 1.5 cups in the morning around 5:30am and 1.5 cups in the evening at 5:30pm. I always add chicken broth to the dry kibble for every meal. For the evening meal, I usually add salmon oil to help with his skin/coat. During the day, while I'm at work, he gets a kong filled with some kibble and peanut butter. I have full fat yogurt at home right now so I will plan to use that. Thanks!

[XTRAWLD]

That rawhide was bad news, likely culprit. Continue to monitor. Rawhide is not good for dogs, IMO it should be banned as it can cause blockages and bloat. Good luck.

Edited December 31, 2018 by XTRAWLD

[DesiRayMom]

I DESPISE rawhides, no matter where they come from. a past hound of mine tore off big chunks & swallowed them whole. World of gastric trouble. I have never given one since.

[MP_the4pack]

Also, another thought. Some dogs are sensitive to chicken. Keep that in the back of your mind if he doesn't improve.

[JohnF]

His stomach and intestines are most likely seriously inflamed, so giving Ranitidine after his last meal should help overnight. But you must make an urgent appointment with your vet, not least because of that rawhide. If you think your dog also has abdo pain then Pancreatitis must be ruled out. See your vet rather than trying a bunch of things at random.

[PabloDH]

Thanks everyone for your concern and advice. I think Pablo may be on the mend. He ate the boiled chicken and rice and is drinking water again! I'll stick to the boiled chicken and rice for a few more days and then transition to adding kibble.

 

Also, I forgot to ask: what kind of biscuits/cookies/snack do you give your hound before bed? Any specifics such as brand, flavor, etc. would be much appreciated.

[cleptogrey]

as to treats i keep it simple, plain dog biscuit, milk bones. no flavors, just once in a while. also TOAST, white bread toasted. yup, it's sweet, bland and they love it. i purchase a large cheap supermarket brand of basic white bread- under a buck. i freeze it, toast it and cut it up....YUM.

 

stick with over cooked white rice and boiled chicken and then add kibble only 1/4c at a time and watch tolerance. then up it by 1/4. fancy, high end kibbles will NOT be a dog w/ a sensitive tummy best friend. most likely he ate something funky or pick up something (viral) on a walk. so glad to hear he's on the mend.

[XTRAWLD]

2 or 3 medium sized milk bones. I often alternate though and have a softer chewie type treat as well. 2 pieces of Beggin' Strips is by far the favorite around here. Bedtime snacks have more often than not kept the acid away, but it also helps to create a fabulous bonding routine too before bed. Go slow with introducing new treats. He might be on the mend, but one little thing could be a setback. I'd wait for firmer stools before adding cookies, although frankly milkbones are pretty bland and easy to stomach.

Edited December 31, 2018 by XTRAWLD

[greysmom]

You'll just have to see what works for him and experiment with the amounts. For now I would stick with 1/4-1/2 cup of his bland diet.

 

Remember to add this "snack" amount into the total for his daily food intake.

[MP_the4pack]

I give good quality, made in North America only, treats.

[greytpups]

You can test for dehydration. Grab some fur/skin behind his neck and gently pull upwards. If it returns to normal right away, Pablo is likely hydrated enough. If it remains bunched up, he’s dehydrated. Check for pink gums too.

 

Glad to hear he seems to be improving, but definitely visit your vet if he’s still dehydrated or has diarrhea since it seems like it’s been a few days and he won’t be absorbing valuable nutrients.

[fastpointydoge]

Re: late night snack

I give my grey a handful of his dry food kibble. It has really helped him sleep through the entire night instead of waking up very early with an upset tummy.

[Walliered]

Zantaz is what I give my Galgo two times a day for stomach acid (per Vet)..I have 1/2 of a 75mg at each meal.

Zantac. ...sorry about the spelling. I actually buy the Dollar General brand and use a pill splitter to cut it in 1/2. I Galgo has pancreaticis.

[GreyTzu]

Hookworms. Treat aggressively got hookworms, regardless of the the fecal says.