Hello Everyone!
It's been awhile since I have had time to get onto the website. I haven't been on since last summer. Finn, my french brittany spaniel, is getting to be a big boy (for his breed). 34 lbs at 8 months old. The past few days though we have had some problems with him vomiting.

I called the vet and inquired about recalls on dog food. He will not eat the TOTW food anymore we used to have him on. Hubby bought purina puppy chow. I know the cheap stuff but he actually ate it.

When he puked yesterday his vomit was a pink tinge. I think my youngest daughter snuck him some fruit loops from breakfest. That would explain the color. We fed him this morning in his crate. He likes to flip his bowl over still and eat it when he wants too. We don't leave the bowl in his crate for more then 15 mins. But he still flips it.

Just about 15 mins ago we had yellow stomach acid color vomit. Mainly clear. His urine is a good light yellow, not dark yellow or strong smelling. His skin is loose and its not tight so I know he is hydrated. He just doesnt want to eat. I am thinking about doing a different dog food. But pay day is not till friday. So its going to be 1/2 dog food 1/2 rice for what we are going to be feeding him.

Any suggestions?

Thanks ahead of time.
Mary

The past few days though we have had some problems with him vomiting.

How many episodes in how many days? On both foods, TOTW and Purina?

I know the cheap stuff but he actually ate it.

And vomited?

Just about 15 mins ago we had yellow stomach acid color vomit. Mainly clear.

On an empty stomach? (Like bile vomiting when stomach is empty?)

He just doesnt want to eat.

The Purina too?



When did he last eat and not vomit?

How is the poop?

Is he lethargic or normal? Drinking water? Does he eat if you offeran actual cooked slice of white chicken or similar?

Hi Connie,
OK, past 2 days, just on Purina. He's never vomited till yesterday on the puppy chow. It did look like bile when he just vomited. He had food in his crate (flipped the bowl this morning) but I don't know if he just refused to eat it or what. Yes now he just doesnt want to eat much. If his human food he's all for it. His food, yeah that is a no go.

Saturday is the last day he ate and didn't vomit. Poop is solid logs that are formed yet still soft if squeezed. Normal energy, normal drinking of water. He would eat the chicken big time if I made if for him.

I have a quick question to add on. Finn will eat out of my hand (not a habit I want to get into) and he loves to eat out of his activity balls. Could he be bored eating out his bowl. Not challenged enough? Also, I tried feeding him out of a plastic bowl instead of his stainless steel ones. I noticed that they have a black residue when you wipe them with a cloth. Could this be upsetting his stomach?

I am going to be getting the ceramic bowls in a stand. I think this will elevate the problems of him tipping his bowls and it raises it up for him a bit. He likes to lay down to eat because I notice he has to lean down alot to get at his food. Not something he likes to do.

OK, past 2 days, just on Purina. He's never vomited till yesterday on the puppy chow. It did look like bile when he just vomited.

He has vomited both the Chow AND bile vomit? And was the bile vomit on an empty stomach?


He had food in his crate (flipped the bowl this morning) but I don't know if he just refused to eat it or what. Yes now he just doesnt want to eat much. If his human food he's all for it. His food, yeah that is a no go.

So he has access to food that is not his meal? And is hand-fed as well? In that case, are you saying he may be just not hungry enough to eat it unless he loves it? I am having trouble figuring out whether he is having real vomiting episodes (vomiting the food) or just the empty-stomach bile vomiting.

Saturday is the last day he ate and didn't vomit. Poop is solid logs that are formed yet still soft if squeezed. Normal energy, normal drinking of water. He would eat the chicken big time if I made if for him.

When did he last vomit? This morning? I would strictly enforce a do-not-feed policy for other family members and only you feed him a small meal of some kind of not-fatty cooked meat (preferably white skinless chicken) and see what happens. (This is not a check I'd want to do with Purina.) The Froot Loops, the two foods, hand-feeding, tipping over, etc., etc., make it unclear about what's really going on. So let's find out. If he is fed meat, and you stand there and watch and then remove the dish and do not allow anyone to give him anything else, what happens. OK? And post back. (If you don't have enough, it's fine to stretch it out with overcooked white rice, but keep this a small low-fat meal for the vomiting experiment.)

JMO.

 Quote: Mary McKeever

I have a quick question to add on. Finn will eat out of my hand (not a habit I want to get into) and he loves to eat out of his activity balls. Could he be bored eating out his bowl. Not challenged enough? Also, I tried feeding him out of a plastic bowl instead of his stainless steel ones. I noticed that they have a black residue when you wipe them with a cloth. Could this be upsetting his stomach?

I am going to be getting the ceramic bowls in a stand. I think this will elevate the problems of him tipping his bowls and it raises it up for him a bit. He likes to lay down to eat because I notice he has to lean down alot to get at his food. Not something he likes to do.

Elevated bowls have now been connected with bloat, so all that elevated-bowl advice is gone.

Yes, you want ceramic or stainless. For now, do you have a heavy glass mixing bowl? Feed him and then pick it up. No free-feeding. JMO.

I don't understand the lying down. How tall is he?

When did he last have a vet-check, BTW?

" I tried feeding him out of a plastic bowl instead of his stainless steel ones. I noticed that they have a black residue when you wipe them with a cloth. Could this be upsetting his stomach? "


Yes. Even if not, I think plastic feeding bowls are probably a bad idea.

How many times a day is he eating?

How much are you feeding him per meal?

What is his exercise routine like? Is he getting enough output vs input? So is the dog really "hungry"?

Switch off the Purina, go back to TOTW.

I went through this with my husky mix when he was about the same age - he did the exact same thing with wanting me to hand feed him and he didn't want plain kibble. He wanted yogurt, egg, veggies, berries etc added. (one of them)

After having a vet check and everything coming back clear (I thought maybe a gastro thing) I decided to let him not eat and see what happened.

So for 4 days he stared at the kibble when I put it down, I gave him 3 minutes to get his head in it, if he didn't start eating in the three minutes, the food was taken away. On day 5 he ate his dinner, but not breakfast, plain. So I went to feeding him once a day and that sufficed. I also, switched up adding something and not to his kibble. (he is on raw every other day, so he still gets variety that way *Yes I understand there are risks with doing this*) He will now eat it no matter what. I think he realized that he either eats or he doesn't, its no skin off my back.

So for my case, I think it was a combination of "can I manipulate my own food/the person who feeds me?" and "I'm actually not hungry enough to eat 2 meals a day".

He is almost 8 years old now and I have not had any eating problems since he was a pup.

LOL! All so true ....


But I think the vomiting should be nailed down: Is it just bile-vomit, etc.

And I would do it with some bland white food (unless it was actually never actual food-vomitus, but only empty-stomach bile vomit).

How's he doing, Mary?