Upset tum for Jenna today

[Jenna AK]

Hi all, haven't been in for awhile. And of course I have a problem.
Jenna has been with us for a year now (she's somewhere between 3-4 years old-a rescue) and I've only seen her have bad enough gas to give her simethicone once before. This worked in two doses within half a day. Today, not so much. She had one dose about 5 pm, and I jsut gave her another about an hour or so ago...finally I am not hearing major noise from her belly...but she normally has a decent appetite and today that changed.
She's not eaten all day, nor drunk water as far as I can tell. She's only peed twice today and no pooping since last night-she usually goes once to twice a day. Her tummy was all squeaks and squeals most of the day, loud enough to hear from a distance. I got her to eat a treat about an hour ago, reluctantly, but she's just sleeping now...at the moment I think she's comfortable, but the not eating/drinking worries me.
She had some boiled chicken last night as a treat after her usual meal, and I've been trying a new food on her for about a week and a half, it's called Evo. Canned only, she won't eat their treats and I haven't tried their dry. Normally she eats Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance, but she's been getting picky about eating it and turns her nose up at least half the time I give it to her.
How long should I wait to see her eat a decent meal? Is there anything else I can do for her in the meantime? How long to wait for her to poop?

I've also had to tend one of my house bunnies a lot lately and have left my daughter, who is 19, in charge of her so I can work with the bunny, who has arthritis and needs special therapy time. I wonder if maybe Jenna is protesting my not spending this time with her by not eating? Maybe this contributed to the tummy troubles?

I worry mostly because I see a lot of posts about low blood sugar in Yorkies. Is it ever necessary to force feed a dog with an upset stomach to keep their sugar up? I do have a tube of NutraCal here that I had to use for my cat after a dental went wrong in February. Could she have any of that?
Sometimes cooked meats give her stomach trouble. I bring the occasional steak home for her and if she gets too much she has diarrhea. Chicken sometimes bothers her, sometimes not, but I've never seen it constipate her, if that's what's going on.

Many thankies in advance for any help. If there's anything else you can think of for me to watch for, I'd appreciate it.

[kjc]

Stress can contribute to a tummy upset. I wouldn't add anything to her regular diet ever if she's prone to having digestive issues when you do that. She should eat, drink and eliminate this morning after fasting for a day.

Her gums should be pink and moist, not pale and sticky. That could mean a drop in blood sugar and dehydration. Giving her a small amount of Nutrical would be okay and may help to stimulate her to eat. If her gums remain pale after giving the Nutrical, she should go to the vet. If she's not acting right, she should see the vet.

Could she have gotten into anything? Are her toys and chews all accounted for? If her tummy is hard and distended, she may have a blockage, and would need to see the vet.

If she doesn't eat this morning, it would be wise to have a vet take a look at her. I usually call first thing in the morning and make the appointment for early afternoon, and if mine don't improve by that time (acting fine but still not eating), we go. If they eat and drink and act fine, I call and cancel the appt.

Hope she's feeling better today...

[Ellie May]

If she doesn't want to eat, it's not good to force it because she may just throw it back up. Different if they're being picky, but that doesn't sound like the case..

As long as she isn't straining to go and can't, you have no worries about the stool right now. If you're really worried about constipation though, the vet can get an xray.

Evo is very high in fat, especially the canned. Way too high in fat for Yorkies which could be causing or contributing to the problem. I'd go with a bland diet for a couple days and then slowly transition to the old food. Problem is, if she is sensitive to chicken, this may not work. You could do whitefish or you could get a sensitive stomach food from the vet to give for a short period.

When in doubt, see the vet. You know your girl best. This doesn't sound normal for her. If there are any signs of dehydration or hypoglycemia, she has to go in immediately. A dog not eating for a day is usually not a big problem at all (even in most adult Yorkies). When something lasts more than 24 hours, I'm concerned. Anything less than that and it depends on how they look and their history. I think you would feel better taking her in, so that's what you should do.

[Jenna AK]

Thanks everyone! Sorry I wasn't in to update yesterday. Jenna wound up eating for me yesterday afternoon and evening, so we just went from there. She did poop finally, last evening, but you could see she was having a hard time. She's drinking more water today, which is good, and still had a bit of loose (toothpaste like) orange-ish colored stool today, but she is definitely feeling better. Scares the heck out of me when stuff like this happens (she's only had this bad gas once before and she's never fasted for a whole day)...I usually have to deal with it after my house rabbits have dentals.
I hadn't realized the Evo was too fatty. Out with that then. We'll get her back on her DVP. She doesn't like the taste as much, obviously, but it's been doing well for her for the last year. I was just hoping to find something for those dry spells when she gets tired of her regular fare.
She likes a little steak once in awhile, but yeah, I can't get anything even remotely marbled for her because it upsets her tummy and her stool gets loose. This is the first time since we brought her home I've seen her so constipated though. She doesn't get chicken that often, but it usually doesn't upset her stomach as long as she doesn't eat it to excess. That's why I was surprised to think it might be that, she only had a few small pieces.

All toys are intact. She only plays with them when I'll play with her and I am always careful she doesn't swallow any part of them.

She's in fine form today...took me on the longest walk we've taken all winter. I'm afraid I'm not in the best shape though...lol.
She is my shadow. And even though she loves everyone in the family, if I am paying attention to another of our pets she gets a little upset. But I'm inclined to think that other food was the big culprit. I will not feed it to her again.
Thanks again for all the help. I have a great vet who will see Jenna at any time...they're even open weekends. I never hesitate if I think it's remotely serious. I almost lost two huskies in the last few years to GDV (they have since passed away of old age causes) and I live 30 minutes from town as it is, so whenever I think we need the doctor we hop in the car and go immediately.

Do Yorkies ever get GDV? I was told by my vet that there's only a 4% chance of it in a dog like Jenna. That's why I was so creeped out by her not wanting to eat and the simethicone taking so long to work. I've always tried to be so careful of my dog's diet ever since my huskies got sick with it. So if anyone can suggest another food besides DVP to tempt her tummy safely with, I'd love a recommendation.