Princess is not feeling well :(

[Princess10]

This afternoon Princess vomited 4-5 times in a row, what looked like tiny amounts of bile. I called my mom for advice & Princess calmed down during the call. She laid around a little but was fine a short time later. So I decided not to call, that something must've upset her stomach-though I don't know what.

I had to leave for about an hour & told DD to watch her closely. When I came back she said she was acting fine (& she would notice if she wasn't). We had to carry some stuff up & when we were done I had just sat down for a sec & Princess "told" me she pooped. DD was going to give her a treat & before she could walk down the hall Princess was heaving again. She did at least 6 times this time. It almost seemed mucousy the last time & I had to kind of wipe it out of her mouth (sorry, gross), I didn't know if that was what was gagging her or what.

I called the vet, luckily they were still there at about 6:10 & the tech checked with the vet & they said to bring her in the morning. They said encourage her to drink & she'll be fine until then.

Is there anything I can do to make her feel better? Obviously she can't have sprite but is there a dog friendly "equivalent" that could ease the upset? Any tricks to get her to drink? And her poop was normal....

[jadabug]

Oh my I hate Princess is sick. I am not sure what you could give her that you would have on hand. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in. I know with throwing up that much, I wouldn't let her eat for a while..let her tummy settled down.

[shodanusmc]

I have no clue, but I hope it is nothing serious and she gets better real fast. Just watch for any sign of blood and dehydration

[Ellie May]

Vomited 10 times and the vet said you can wait until morning?? If she is dehydrated, you could lose her by morning.

Her gums she be pink and wet (not tacky). If they are not, it is a sign of an emergency. And when a Yorkie throws up 10 times, it is usually an emergency anyway.

You can give water, but she probably won't be able to keep it down. And you can give Pedialyte, but if it is pancreatitis, that could seriously injure her. Call the ER and see what they want you to do...

[Princess10]

The ER vet told me to with hold food & water for 12 hours, try again then take her in to reg. vet if she vomits that up?

She's not worried that her gums are sticky, since they are still very pink. I offered Princess water before I took it away & she didn't want any. I asked the vet what they could do for her & they said X ray if foreign object is suspected (which is not) or blood work depending on the exam.

I am in a very bad situation right now, I can't even go into it. I will take her in if I feel she starts vomiting again or showing signs of dehydration. They are only 5 minutes away.

[Ellie May]

Do what you and your vets think is best.

Here sticky gums after vomiting requires an immediate trip to the vet for fluids. Sticky gums means dehydration. Dehydration means electrolyte imbalance and potential cardiac arrest. A Yorkie that vomits 10 times is almost certainly dehydrated.

She probably won't be able to hold down water. And if she is dehydrated now, I'd hate to see what could happen after 12 hours of no fluids.

I'd say watch the gums to make sure she is okay, but they already indicate that she is not. I'm sorry.

[ladyjane]

Sticky gums is a sign of dehydration. Even if they are pink that does not mean anything. To evaluate by color, hold your finger against the gum until it turns white. Then release and it should turn pink quickly. If the response is slow, that is a sign of dehydration.

Sticky yet pink is not a good sign. Sticky is dry as in dehydrated!

[BabyGirl Rosie]

Poor Princess. I hope she is feeling better soon. Did you see the ER vet or call them? Sometimes seeing them is much better. After vomiting so much I think she needs to be seen.

[MaddiesMommie]

Poor girl. That is a lot of vomit. I would not take the risk with one of mine. IMO, she should be seen by a vet tonight.

[Maximo]

I'm sorry to read that Princess is sick. Sending prayers for your little girl.

[Princess10]

I have not taken Princess into the ER. She has not vomited & I have offered her water, I can't make sense of a dog low on fluids being completely deprived. I did add about a TB of milk to 1/2 cup of water to entice her to drink it, she has been, though very little it is something. She has not peed since this afternoon, though, unless she is sneaking somewhere-but I'm watching her like a hawk so I doubt it. I did give her a little honey on my finger, she would not take nutri-cal. As soon as she ate it she tried to vomit though nothing came up. She's hungry, I can tell. I don't know if I could try to give her a tiny bit of rice or even chicken, I already have some cooked up. She's been more active this last hour but I wont play with her because I don't want her to over do it. Just lots of cuddling & brushing for the time being.

I know many of you, if not all, think I am a terrible yorkie mom for not bringing her in & I actually feel like one myself. I have just been hit with unforeseen events these last two months and have struggled to put food in the fridge, among other things. I have been on disability but as a single mother to a teen that is getting me no where. I have been desperately seeking any work I can get my hands on the last few weeks as I've come to terms that we are just screwed. I've been getting everything together I can to sell on CL just to have something in the meantime. I have one interview tomorrow that either will or wont lead to another interview before I know anything. I'm also calling to set up another one tomorrow. I do not qualify for care credit or anything of the like due to mostly my illness & it's repercussions. I've just been praying extra that we would continue to be lucky & nothing would come up during this time & of course my luck has been pushed twice the last couple of weeks! I am doing everything I possibly can & more. It makes me cry to think I can not do everything for either my skin/fur kids at this time, but it is the sad reality.

I am taking her to the regular vet in the a.m., aside from seeing if she is dehydrated what should be done? Bloodwork I'm guessing, but I don't know. I just want everything that can be checked to be checked. Any suggestions or constructive criticism is appreciated. As always, thanks for the care & concern.

[Ellie May]

When a dog presents to the ER with this much vomiting and not much as far as other symptoms, the top two rule outs for my vet are a GI obstruction and pancreatitis. If neither are the issues (xrays and a cPL done plus a blood panel with CBC), then "bugs" or other issues are considered (the panel and CBC help with this).

The problem with giving sugar with symptoms like this is that if by chance it is her pancreas, it can make things worse. It would already be a life threatening problem, and then it puts her at more risk. And waiting if it ends up being an obstruction, the intestines can start to die off.

Did she get any new treats? People food? Chews?
Is her abdomen painful on palpation? Does she have a fever?
Is she pooping?

While I'd probably see if she could hold down water in this case, no food of any kind should be given yet. That includes sugar. Unless she goes hypoglycemic, then the important thing is to let her body rest. This part is JMO.

Again though, even if she gets better over night, this is still a very serious and life threatening situation. She needs fluids and anti-emetics immediately.

[Princess10]

Thanks for responding, she is having no obvious abdominal pain, had a normal poop around 6 or so tonight & has had no new treats recently. As for people food I think the only thing in the last few days has been a few bites of toppings off my pizza yesterday, veggies & cheese, & a tiny bit of crust. It was nothing she hasn't had before, same brand & everything & it was a very small amount even to a yorkie.

I have not took her temp just been feeling her belly & ears to see if they feel warmer than usual & they do not. I will not attempt to feed her anything else & hopefully she continues to improve overnight. Regardless I will be at the vet when the doors open. I have all service covered once I am there, so I will spare nothing. I'm writing down all that you've recommended & will take it tomorrow.

Thanks again.

[Ellie May]

If she continues to have full poops, then you can be fairly certain she doesn't have a fully obstruction.

Even the slightest amount of greasy pizza topping can lead to a life threatening issue. And even if they have had the same food before.. Avoiding any and all foods that could potentially be considered fatty is best for her. Since we don't know what her causing her troubles, there is not way to know for sure. But that theoretically could have brought this issue on.

Dog food is best when there is any doubt.

[yorkiemini]

So sorry to hear about Princess being sick and all of your problems.
Keep the faith and take care of your baby! Sending Prayers and Blessings to you!