Nausea and throwing up
 

:confused:
My Zoe has been throwing up occasionally since Thanksgiving and I cant figure out why. She has always been the one to throw up if she doesn't eat enough (she can get picky once and a while and decide she doesn't like the brand of food anymore:p) but lately she has been eating fine and is still throwing up sometimes.
She has been rushed to the emergency room once already for throwing up blood and has been to the vet 2 times, one for throwing up blood and the other time for her nausea and throwing up. She hasn't thrown up blood since but she does get nauseous and throws up. She has had poop, urine and blood tests ran and everything was fine. At all three vet visits it was concluded that she probably just ate something that didn't agree with her stomach and had an upset stomach and that the blood was probably from inflammation from both throwing up and her upset stomach.
At first we thought she was getting the cats treats, food, or litter but she has absolutely no way to reach those anymore as we put up a baby gate.

Does any one else have a baby that just throws up or gets nauseous?
Also does anyone have any idea why she could be doing this or am I just being paranoid?

I would say you have a reasonable concern. I do not have experience to share but I am sure someone who does will be here soon. Hope your little Zoe is better soon and that this is not serious.

yorkies are known to have digestive issues sadly - sounds like inflammatory bowel disease mine has this here is a link as ibd does not show up on blood work and can trigger pancreatitis if in small intestines

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Dogs

what are you feeding?

Zoe is currently on Holistic Select, we had her on Natures Variety Instinct before this all started but changed it as we thought that the food was causing it but the diet change has made no difference.

Thank you for the information in the IBD and for your concerns on Zoe, I really appreciate it. She had lost weight (almost a pound) during the period of about 2-4 months ago for no reason (she was checked for worms and nothing came up). She is slowly gaining the weight back but her ribs and hip bones are very easily felt. She was always pretty thin up until she hit 2 years old and then she filled out, gained some weight and was a solid 6 lbs (sometimes 6.2 lol).
We had moved about 4 months ago and there was a lot of people in and out of the house so we thought maybe stress but there was no signs of depression, or anything, her appetite was fine, her energy level normal but she still lost the weight.
We had questioned the vets on the weight loss and they said with her being normal (blood work, appetite and everything) that there was no real reason for concern right now with the weight. More so to be concerned with the throwing up, which after the tests were complete they said that it was just an upset stomach.
So right now we don't know what to think, I do trust our vet but I just can't believe that she gets a hold of stuff all of time that will make her nauseous like this, we keep all bad stuff out of reach, and food has never been a problem with her, no upset stomach, diarrhea, vomit, nothing.
She will go for a few days or a week and then she will vomit again or get really nauseous. She has actually gone through this today and last Tuesday.
Again I really appreciate everyone's comments.

what is the protein count as those foods sound like they may have high protein count- yorkies should usually be at 22% in my opinion

this was happening to my ibd dog and it was from potato based diets so grain diets are better for ibd dogs in my opinion maybe try newmans own organic as my ibd dog will sometimes eat my maltese poop and she is on that diet and he has no issues now he gets a hold of anything else a vomit attack - I would give it a shot it is a good food but high in grains get the low fat one though

My boy is on purina ha a hydrolized soy diet so if the above does not work you may want to try that as it is not good to have that cycle going on :(

since you mentioned the move here is another thought that is similar to ibd and it is stress colitis check this out

Colitis in Dogs

this is hard to get rid of so if a stressful situation occurs then it spins them out of control

i STRONGLY recommend doing probiotics with a dog like yours as it will coat the digestive tract and it totally works i stopped them in my allergy dog and she was a mess afterwards and she had colitis and diarhea issues so the ones i use are below and i do 2 capsules every morning 20-30 before food it will stop the diarhea for sure and it is much safer than antibiotics it is like humans eating yogurt but it is non-dairy - she should lick right off plate but if she doesn't then mix a little organic pumpkin with it from whole foods it is canned

Dds-Plus Capsules by U.A.S.Laboratories - UA-1010 - at The Vitamin Shoppe

this was happening to my dog a lot too; for 2 years; and was rushed to the ER 3 times for vomiting blood. it might be the food or the ingredients in the food. i was feeding her the honest kitchen and halo holistic before that; sometimes those food are not the best for a dog with digestive issue. anyway, no one can diagnose my dog until this thanksgiving; last visit to the ER the vet suspected IBD and my dog was put on purina pro plan lamb and rice. thank god she has been fine since then; she threw up only twice bile from empty stomach. i am not sure what the procedure of diagnosing IBD but Deb (dwerten) has more info about that. i think it might be the food. also my dog doesnt get any more treat or anything else but her food. (read my posts for more insight)
best of luck :)

what are the ingredients in the current food you are feeding?

so happy your baby is doing well

the only way to diagnose is scoping intestines but i do not like that so i went with food trials and again rice over white potato as white potato is inflammatory and not good on ibd dogs as it inflames the intestines and backs them up :(

Hi guys her is the info on the food Zoe is on
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein Not less than 28.00%
Crude Fat Not less than 18.00%
Crude Fiber Not more than 3.00%
Moisture Not more than 10.00%
Calcium Not less than 1.30%
Phosphorus Not less than 0.85%
Vitamin A Not less than 22,000 IU/kg
Vitamin E Not less than 165 IU/kg
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)* Not less than 30 mg/kg
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* Not less than 3.00%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* Not less than 0.75%
Beta-Carotene* Not less than 5 mg/kg
L-Carnitine* Not less than 150 mg/kg
Glucosamine Hydrochloride* Not less than 340 mg/kg
Total Lactic Acid Micro-organisms* Not less than 100,000,000 CFU/lb
(Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium in equal amounts)
Total Bacillus Organisms* Not less than 7,000,000 CFU/lb
(Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis in equal amounts)
Protease* (from Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger)1 Not less than 280 HUT/lb
Cellulase* (from Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger)2 Not less than 100 Cellulase Units/lb
Alpha-Amylase*(from Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger)3 Not less than 5 Dextrin Units/lb

Ingredients
Anchovy & Sardine Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground White Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Chicken Meal, Pork Meal, Oatmeal, Dried Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Carrots, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Peas, Potassium Chloride, Organic Quinoa, Apples, Blueberries, Cranberries, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, DL-Methionine, Vitamins [Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin], Minerals (Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc, Iron, Manganese and Copper, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Inulin, L-Carnitine, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger Fermentation Products, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative).

This morning Zoe threw up at about 6 o'clock it was brown and had a specks of clotted blood in it again. :(
After reading all of your posts I honestly think it is a good chance that she has IBD. I will definitely get her some probiotics and see if I can get her on Newmans own Organics food.

Poor baby! I will be praying for the sweet lil girl!

Gastroesophageal reflux
 

Not knowing a full complete medical history on your beloved Zoe it sounds like your dog has acid reflux for short.

Gastroesophageal reflux is the process by which stomach acids backs up into the esphagus, resulting in chemical burns of the mucous lining. Try feeding your dog very small meals that are bland through out the day. High fat foods and protein can worsen acid reflux. Dietary fat and protein should be limited, as fat decreases the strength of the muscle between the stomach and esophagus, while protein stimulates the secretion of gastric acid. With the diet change you should also try medication as well. I think Prilosec that you can get over the counter might help. Check with your vet for proper dosage.

Red blood in the vomit indicates active bleeding somewhere between the mouth and the upper small bowel. (Blood from the nasopharynx and esophagus may be swallowed.) Common causes are stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastrointenal foreign bodies, and gastric tumors. Material that looks like coffee grounds is old, partially digested blood. This also indicates a bleeding point between the mouth and upper small bowel.

Has your vet performed a esophagoscopy to pinpoint the possible cause?

fat and protein a little high - poor baby is it the color of the food? I get concerned when there is blood though so keep an eye on her and feed smaller meals like 3-4 times a day rather than twice a day to make it easier to digest - has she been on any nsaids like metacam, deramaxx, rimadyl recently?

I think the food change will help and i would try that without meds like pepcid ac first as always best if food alone can do the trick - If the blood is dark brown coffee ground looking it is indication of ulcer and why i asked if she had any nsaids as they can cause ulcers in the stomach lining. If fresh blood more red then could be do to a blood vessel from vomitting but i always have concerns of pancreatitis since small intestines are so close to pancreas and yorkies are prone to pancreatitis :( but you will definitely see signs if pancreatitis such as lethargy, tossing and turning etc as it is very painful been through that with mine

thanks Deb; i think it was the food all along. the halo i was feeding her had salmon; and the honest kitchen had lots of veggies and whatnot; sometimes it's too much for their digestive system to take.

i think it might be the food; few ingredients in the current food that might cause this; it might not be agreeing with his stomach and might be causing inflamation.
"Anchovy & Sardine Meal, Pork Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Flaxseed"
you can try bland diet; chicken and rice or hamburger and rice for a week and see if that helps.
and you might want to consider a new type of protein in the food; such as lamb.
of course check with the vet about all is.
hope he feels better.

Thanks so much guys for all of your suggestions, opinions and concerns, it really helps me feel better about my little one.
To answer your questions, Zoe hasn't been on any nsaids nor has she had any esophagoscopy, x-rays, ultrasound, etc. Although the vet had said that he might consider doing an x-ray or ultra sound, but that was before her blood-work and stuff came back normal and he said she had probably eaten something that didn't agree with her.
The blood in her vomit is small clots (maybe one millimeter wide), although she had actually thrown up pure blood before, that was when she went to the emergency room the day after thanksgiving. The other times she has thrown up blood it has been small clots in the vomit like this last time or a small amount of blood in the vomit.
I will keep her on a bland diet for a week as you have suggested and see how that goes.:thumbup:

wow the blood thing bums me out as have not experienced vomitted blood before :( poor thing but i know colitis diarhea can have blood in it as dd had that

believe me you don't want to experience that; i wish that on no one.
it's the worst thing ever; i felt helpless and scared; and i knew when she reached that point nothing else can help her but the ER; and we all know how much the ER cost and what i had to go through last time; and i never want to experience that again.

i hope your baby feels better soon and you get him on the right diet; so u dont have to go through that.

ok here is what i would do in your situation i would get the canned and dry newman's own organic at whole foods - I would see if your baby will eat canned as that is easier to digest as when my baby had stress colitis i had to soak her kibble for a month so she would not vomit it up and the more i think about this due to move i think stress colitis set it off. If your baby will not eat the wet food then i would soak the kibble and see if she eats that. I would not do beef too high in fat and NO BROWN RICE it is too hard to digest I would really try to transition the food as that food is not working I do not think

Did you switch to this food around the time of vomitting or how long has your baby been eating it?

Zoe started eating this food after the vomiting started as we had thought the other food has caused it.

Has the vet mentioned anything about conducting a barium exam to figure out exactly why the food is coming back up? I went through a similar situation.

i would not do that myself i would first try low protein low fat diet as what is the test going to tell ?

can you name the food eaten before and after vomitting and link to them - what about food she was eating when no issues ?

No, the vet never mentioned doing a barium exam.
The food Zoe had been on was:

EVO - Turkey & Chicken Formula Small Bites
Meat-Based Pet Food – Premium Dog Food, Cat Food, Ferret Food, Dog Treats – EVO Pet Products

Natures Variety - Instinct Duck Meal & Turkey Meal Formula
Instinct: Duck Meal & Turkey Meal Formula: Grain-Free Kibble for Dogs | Nature's Variety

These two were given at the same time as she doesn't like eating the same food for too long.

And she has presently been on Holistic Select Small & Mini Breed Radiant Adult Health
Holistic Select - Small & Mini Breed Radiant Adult Health - Anchovy, Sardine & Chicken Meals Recipe

Before that she had been on Wellness Small bites.
After thinking back to even when she was a puppy, I know she has always vomited but we had always thought it was because she didn't eat. Do think it is possible that the food had always made her vomit and she was not eating because she was nauseous which in turn lead to vomiting? Also is it possible that IBD can get worse or do you think that she is just reacting more to the food that she is on now?

I think your answer here is poultry - duck, chicken meal, chicken, turkey so you may want to give natural balance venison and sweet potato a shot or the lamb and rice formula AVA is on as that is working for her - my ibd dog is on a hydrolized soy diet purina ha as he almost died of pancreatitis as he has ibd of small intestines thus triggering the pancreas if it gets bad enough.

My internal medicine specialist says many ibd dogs cannot tolerate chicken but dex does not have a prob with it so this may be the issue.

also keep in mind if a dog stops eating a food many times that is a sign the food is making them feel ill not so much they are tired of it so keep that in mind since this has been an ongoing issue

i agree; i would try lamb and rice; either purina pro plan or any other brand with lamb being the source of protein. if you get the purina pro plan lamb and rice; remove the shredded lamb pieces and just give the kibbles.
ava used to be very picky and doesnt want to eat; and vomited frequently. i am still having a bit of trouble getting her to eat; but she eats much better than before; and she likes this food. and has only vomited twice due to empty stomach (she doesnt eat enough sometimes)
i do think ibd gets worst with age, especially if it started earlier and wasn't caught in time. the wrong food can definetly worsen it.
one of the sign to look for; is when the dog is feeling nauseated in the morning and refuses food.
i hope your dog feels better soon

I will definitely keep this in mind.

This is exactly what was happening lately and she couldn't get comfortable and she would scurry from one place to another trying to find a spot to lay down and she would also sometimes shake. Then she would look up at me as if she was hoping I could do something so the only thing that helped would be if I gave her a Cerenia (maropitant citrate) that the vet gave us. But I dont want to keep having to rely on the Cerenia, I really want to fix what is causing this.

Zoe has been on chicken and rice since she threw up the other morning and she is feeling SO MUCH better now. No nausea or vomiting so far :xfingers: Even my sister commented on how happy she seems and how much more energy she seems to have now.
:thumbs up to everyone! I am so glad that you guys are here to talk to and you understand.:ghug:

Also I will look for a food for her with venison or lamb. I was also thinking of talking with a nutritionist and home cooking for her (any suggestions? lol).