PLEASE help, unexplained vomiting

RunningOra · #1 08-06-2009, 02:00 PM

Hi guys,

I'm at my wits end...if anyone has experienced anything similar or can help, please give me any ideas you have. I just want my baby girl back to her normal self, and this is driving me mad.

It's a very long story, starting a week and a half ago on a Sunday night, when Sasha (1 year old female) threw up in the night. This happened each night for a few nights, and I took her to the vet. They ran full bloods on her and told me to not feed her for 24 hours, to give her stomach a rest. They felt her stomach etc and she had no areas of pain or anything. We thought she had eaten something bad (crab leg etc down the beach). The bloods came back totally clear, and I started feeding her again - just rice and small bits of meat. She was fine for a day, and then I fed her some biscuits, and she threw up again. Back to the rice and she was fine. Aha, I thought, it's the biscuits (which I'd only bought a week earlier so were new). So I stopped feeding her the biscuits, but she kept throwing up - once or twice a day. Back to the vet....he agreed it was probably the biscuits, and once she had them in her system her stomach was upset so she kept throwing up. Another 24 hour break from food, and then some anti allergy biscuits that I bought specially...she kept all her food down all day (woohoo!)...I thought we were in the clear, but then she threw up last night. I had fed her once every 4 hours yesterday, 1/4 of a cup at a time, and her last feed was at 10pm.

I should point out that she is still peeing and pooping - though there hasn't been much for her to poop, as not much has stayed down for a week and a half. Her poop (sorry, lots of detail!) is hard and solid, though she had diarrohea when this all started. Her vomit has mostly been undigested food - even when she vomits hours (between 1 - 6) after eating. The first few nights she ate it again before I got to her!

She is still perky, chases the cat, wags her tail, jumps all over me if I have left her in the house and come home (something I can hardly bear to do with her sick). But she is sleeping more than usual - I presume because she has no food and so no energy. She has lost a lot of weight (gone from 20.5kg to 17.5kg) and the fur on her back is looking thinner - not sure if this is due to weight loss or what.

Please, if you have any ideas help! The vet said if it wasn't allergies (ie if she threw up again, which she has) the only other possibility COULD be worms in her stomach as she had slightly elevated white blood cells, but it was unlikely as she would have to have a lot more than what showed to be causing this. Other than that, he said we would have to do Xrays on her whole stomach system, which is really expensive. Believe me, I'll do it if we need to, but I am putting all these vet bills on credit as it is, and don't want to do it if we can avoid it...we recently went to one income so things are hard.

AmeliaH · #2 08-06-2009, 02:41 PM

My pup went through something very similar at ~ 10months of age. After many tests (including an upper GI and ultrasound), the vet said it was likely a food allergy. I opted to not put her through the endoscopy and biopsies. She received a course of prednisone and pepcid. I went to a simple diet of lamb and rice for both food and treats. As long as I stick to only lamb and rice, she's okay. I still don't know for sure what her allergies are (wheat and poultry at least). The problem is, different dogs can have allergies to just about anything. I don't know why your vet is so sure it is not allergies. Perhaps you could get a second opinion? If not, frequent simple small meals might be the way to go.

Good luck!

RunningOra · #3 08-06-2009, 04:02 PM

The vet hasn't said it's not allergies...I'm waiting for him to call me now. He suspected food allergy, and so she went on these special biscuits - I'm just freaking out because even though she had ANOTHER 24 hour break from food, followed by only special biscuits, small amounts, every 4 hours, she still threw up last night...I'm just taking that to mean that there's still something wrong, and I'm totally freaked out and hate my dog being sick.

kayboxer · #4 08-06-2009, 04:03 PM

What about trying some oatmeal and chicken, instead of rice. My oldest girl could not eat rice. Do not give her any other food. Give her tummy 12 hours to calm down and try the oatmeal mixture. If she doesn't throw up, it could possibly be grain intolerance. If she continues, then I would get the tests done. Hope she gets better poor thing.

RunningOra · #5 08-06-2009, 04:45 PM

I tried oatmeal already, she threw it straight back up

What she's eating now is strictly the "anti-allergy" biscuits from the vets...she kept all her meals down yesterday except the last one, which came up in the night...and before that, she'd had a 24 hour break from food.

Thanks guys for your advice...I just feel like I've tried everything and done everything and am no closer to a solution

Gruntsmom · #6 08-06-2009, 05:36 PM

Poor Sasha, and I know how worried and frustrated you are. I went through similar bouts with my boy and it was very upsetting. I agree with Amelia, perhaps try smaller, more frequent meals, and if that doesn't help any, a second opinion would be a good idea. Having the additional diagnostics is expensive, but you may have to go that route if she's not doing any better. Sending lots of healing and hopeful vibes to Sasha. Hang in there, and keep us posted.

Cami · #7 08-06-2009, 09:10 PM

Allergies to food don't often cause vomiting. A food SENSITIVITY would cause vomiting of the undigested food. This usually occurs pretty close following the trigger ingredient being ingested.
I'd suspect something more serious going on. "Serious" as in not as simple as removing a specific food to correct the problem.
I'd quite possibly ask the vet for some anti-nausea meds (many to choose from). Something more intense than a traditional Pepcid (or other similar histamine blockers).
I'd also take away food for 10-12 hours until the vomiting subsided completely and then offer "tummy-safe" foods that don't take a lot of digestion.
Remove grains too. Wouldn't hurt and they don't need grains anyway.
Remove ALL treats, including biscuits. If you must give something as an "extra" try small slices of banana or a spoon full of anything you have on hand that is extremely bland (scrambled egg, pieces of bread, etc..). VERY small amounts of food at a time to give her tummy a break. For sure not an entire meal at any one setting.
I'd also opt for a set of abdominal x-rays to see if there is just something small enough in there as not to bring up or pass but bothersome all the same. One or two shots of that area shouldn't break the bank.