LoveToKnow Dogs:Custom Vomiting and Diarrhea

There's a chance that the brownish coloring you're seeing in the bile could be blood. For this reason, I think you should take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.

I would also discourage the grass eating at this point because it won't help the situation and could be encouraging more vomiting when it isn't beneficial.

Thanks for your question, and I truly hope the vet can give your dog some immediate relief from the nausea. Best wishes. - posted by:Kelly

It sounds as though your dog might have been having a reaction to whatever type of shampoo your wife used. Was it flea shampoo? Sometimes dogs can't tolerate a particular chemical pesticide in the mix. I would recommend looking carefully at the ingredients and seeing if there is a significant difference from the last type of shampoo you used.

Now I'd like to discuss your dog's diet. While cooking for your dog can be a great alternative to serving commercial dog food mixes, without balanced nutrition your dog can become seriously ill.

Boiled chicken is a good source of protein, boiled hot dogs are a lesser alternative. However, your dog is missing out on valuable vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. I'd like you to check out our article about Making your Own Dog Food. It offers information on how to create a balanced, home cooked diet for your pet that will keep him safe and healthy. You'll also find other articles on dog food and nutrition in our Category:Dog Supplies category.

Thanks for your questions, and best wishes for your dog's future health. - posted by:Kelly

I'm not a vet, but do I understand you correctly that the vet is saying all the other symptoms are the result of the ear mites? If so, I would have to agree with you that this doesn't sound correct.

While it's a possibility that your dog has an obstruction, and I certainly agree your vet should check for one, there are some other things that could be going on. Frequent regurgitation might be due to a condition known as megaesophagus. The muscle is unable to move the food down to the stomach, and it is regurgitated a short time later. This is sometimes connected to Canine Myasthenia Gravis.

Is there another vet at the clinic you can ask for a second opinion? I would not suggest moving your dog to another clinic in such a delicate condition. A second set of fresh eyes might be able to review your dog's records so far and come up with an alternative diagnosis.

Thank you for your question, and I'll keep your dog in my thoughts. Please let us know what you find out. - posted by:Kelly

There are a couple of things that could be going on here. First, the diarrhea could have soaked through to the carpet padding. The trapped smell could be luring your dog back to these spots to poop again. I suggest thoroughly soaking these areas with an enzymatic cleaner sold at most pet supply stores. The enzymes eat the bacteria, and will eventually eliminate any residual odor completely.

Second, there could be a medical reason that your senior dog is unable to hold his stools the way he used to. It would be a good idea to have your vet give your dog a check up, just to make sure there's nothing medically going on. At the very least, you may have to increase the number of times you let your dog to exerices each day.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find these suggestions helpful. - posted by:Kelly

What you're describing may be bile. Some dogs just naturally have more sensitive stomachs, and will throw up bile from time to time. However, since your puppy is doing this several times each day, it's worth having your vet look into it. Your puppy may need a change in diet to help things settle down.

In the meantime, I wouldn't be overly worried about it yet. Let's see what your vet recommends and if it brings your dog any relief.

Thanks for your question. - posted by:Kelly

I get a lot of questions on this particular topic, and it's always difficult to answer. Some dogs seem more prone to spitting up bile, especially early in the day. Sometimes this is due to a bit of nausea after the tummy has been empty overnight. It can be beneficial to feed a handful of kibble at bedtime to avert the nausea, and hopefully the vomiting as well.

In other cases, it can actually be the food that causes the disturbance. Have you switched brands at any time during the course of the vomiting episodes? There might be a particular ingredient that doesn't sit well with your dog's tummy. It's just one more avenue to investigate.

Excessive vomiting of bile can sometimes, but not always, be a sign of a liver problem.

All things taken into consideration, I would keep a diary about your dog's vomiting over the next two weeks. Record the date and time it happens, as well as a description of whether it was bile, food, etc. Take the diary to your vet and discuss what has been going on. Hopefully your vet will be able to detect a pattern in the diary that will give clues to the cause. Then he/she can begin to address the problem.

Thanks for your question, and if you do get a diagnosis, please come back and share it. As I said, we get a lot of questions on this topic, and it would be good to compare what various vets have to say about it. - posted by:Kelly

I don't think the recent warm spell has made your dog sick. Right now with the diarrhea, it would be better if you withheld food for 24 hours. This will give your dog's digestive system time to settle down, and hopefully put a stop to the diarrhea.

I'm not a vet, but it sounds to me like your dog could have picked up some sort of virus or bacterial infection. Is he still willing to drink water? If so, try to get him to take some to stave off dehydration. Honestly, I would call and make an appointment with your vet tomorrow if he isn't doing any better. The longer you wait, the more run down he will become.

Thanks for your question, and I hope your dog recovers quickly. - posted by:Kelly

This could possibly be a case of Dog Flu, but it could also be something worse. I'm going to recommend you stop giving the cheese. Right now, more food will only keep stimulating your dog's tummy to throw up again. You need to withhold food for 24 hours to help the tummy calm down. Cheese is also binding, so combined with your dog's refusal to drink, this could lead to constipation if he does manage to keep the cheese down.

I think a call to your vet is in order. Dehydration will definitely be a concern if your dog continues to vomit and refuse water. In the meantime, try to keep your dog warm and comfortable, and keep trying to get him to take some water.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes for your dog's speedy recovery. - posted by:Kelly

I'm not a vet, but it does sound as though your dog needs to see one. Dogs will occasionally vomit bile from time to time. Sometimes this can be attributed to an empty tummy that has become irritated. The fact that your dog has been vomiting repeatedly for the last 24 hours indicates a more serious problem. Excessive bile vomiting might indicate a problem with your dog's pancrease. It could also be an indication of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The fact that you've noticed blood in his stool only complicates matters.

I suggest you collect a sample of both the bile and the stool in separate zip-loc bags, and call your vet right away. The sooner your dog gets some help, the sooner he'll begin to feel better.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes. - posted by:Kelly