Sick morning tummy
 

I am not sure if this is at all related to Layla's recovery, although she had this problem before surgery, just not nearly as often- maybe once a month.

For the past three days she has been waking up with a very noise tummy, white gums and wanting nothing to eat, except grass which I am not letting her eat. I usually have to force feed her some apple sauce or yogurt to get her blood sugar back up and eventually she might eat a treat. Before her surgery this only happened if she had an off day eating and went to bed with an empty stomach. The night before last she ate at 9:30 so I know it isn't that.

Should I be getting up around 3 to put food in her stomach? Does anyone know why it is happening so often now after surgery? She gets her Metacam whenever I can finally get her to eat in the mornings.

This doesn't sound good.:( Does your vet know what is going on? Technically white gums is an emergency. Even with hypo...it can be really serious. Adult dogs should not go hypo even if they had a bad eating day. My concern would be that this is happening in the middle of the night. If it is hypo, she could slip into a coma while you are sleeping. I'd give her vet a call today...

It is possible the antibiotics are also upsetting her tummy, so it would help to keep something in her tummy so it doesn't become acidy.

The antibiotics were done yesterday. That could be it I suppose.

Crystal- I do see what you are saying. The tummy issues are not something new to Layla. Sometimes she throws up bile but that hasn't happened in ages. I'm going to see what tomorrow brings. I really think it could be the antibiotics- I never thought about that. And I guess her gums aren't really white- they are more a light pink I guess. Perhaps I will call and just see what they say!

One other question while I think about it. Layla has no interest in standing at all. Everything she does it is laying down or sitting- even eating. Her surgery was on the 9th- is this normal?

Is she in pain when she stands up thats what I would be concerned about

Sounds like Tibbe was since January of this year until he got very sick GI-wise in June.

What does the vet say?

How tall is she and what is her weight?

What does she eat for regular food and how much of it does she eat?

What treats do you give her every day and how often?

What human tidbits of food does she get(be absolutely honest :D)?

She doesn't seem to be in pain. When we go pee she is content to walk on it and sniff around but she quickly wants to come inside and lay back down. We go for a follow up visit on Monday.

I ended up having to go to Michigan today so I wasn't able to call and I think I'm going to see what tomorrow brings.
These issues are not new for Layla. It is just the frequency that is abnormal. The issue is quickly remedied in about 5 min by getting some apple sauce in her- she is then quite happy to eat her treats :) I am hoping it is the antibiotics that were bothering her. She was getting one at night right before bed time so I'm think that is the culprit. If not, I will call tomorrow and see what they say. With my vet, I'm never able to actually talk to her- we woudl have to bring Lay in which drives me nuts because by the time I get her there she would be back to normal.

What are you feeding her for food and what treats does she get?

Does she ever get human food at all?

It sounds like you need to find out why this is happening and you don't want her to keep being sick so you have to give apple sauce so you can get treats in her - you want to stop the morning problems. What is she taking in in the way of food and treats - before the antibiotics?

Layla is on a specialized home cooked diet. She has high lipase levels although no symptoms of pancreatitis- so we are just treating her like she has chronic pancreatitis so be on the safe side.
She eats turkey, potatoe and carrot or fish, peas and blueberries.
Her treats are all low fat/natural. Her favs are pumpkin treats that I make at home- just pumpkin, rye flour and eggs.
That's it! No human food at all.

Tibbe had high lipase levels with negative CPL Snap and he was having the occasional tummy upset. He was occas. spitting up foam w/bile, not eating and lying about, doing a bit of reverse sneezing and quite a bit of belching and seeming to be having esophageal reflux. He would kind of belch and then start licking and swallow. He was doing a goodly bit of that and then he would reverse sneeze later. It seemed like he had too much tummy acid and was regurgitating it, burning his esophagus and then due to the esophageal and pharyngeal irritation from the acid, was reverse sneezing from that irritation.

When he got put on Prednisolone for what was perhaps an unobserved fall, his tummy really went south and he had lots of nausea, spitting up and all of the above all got worse. I'd been feeding him beef jerky treats in the late winter and that's when his spits ups seemed to start and then the reflux a month or two later so I stopped the treats altogether but still he was symptomatic a bit before the steroids.

His lipase was high and then we checked him for pancreatitis. Vet said high lipase is normal for some dogs as long as liver enzymes are normal and all other values normal so he recommended changing Tibbe to one of the GI diets that wasn't too rich. They put him on Royal Canin GI which seemed to cause itching and not really help his tummy or stool, but when he was changed to Hill's GI I/D, that did the trick after a week or more. He was also treated with Pepcid for the reflux for a month. He was put on Fortiflora enzymes for 2 weeks also.

Now he has no nausea, spits ups, no mucous-y diarrhea, no reflux, no reverse sneezing and I guess he's still got high lipase - we won't check it again until his next scheduled labs in the fall.

It could be the food that is contributing to his tummy troubles since he was having the problem to a lesser extent before the antibiotics. Tibbe cannot tolerate blueberries at all. They always irritated his tummy, even before last winter's symptoms began. Most dogs can eat them but not Tibbe. But it could be that the berries or the other food he's on is what is causing the trouble he was having pre-antibiotic. When the antibiotics are stopped and if he's still having trouble, your vet might start him on a different type of food just to see if his present diet is causing the tummy trouble.

Thing was with Tibbe, once he was started on the Pepcid and his Hill's begun, it took about a month before his tummy really settled down and his stools returned to normal with no other symptoms. He's back to acting normal again and eating well and no more spits ups, anorexia or reflux!

When Muffin was on some antibiotics, they tore her stomach up and she wouldn't eat. She was old then. I got her to start eating again by giving her chicken broth with a dropper. That's how bad she got. That soothed her tummy and tasted really good to her, because she was really hungry. Some antibiotics are worse than others about causing tummy problems. Clindamycin is probably one of the worst for both humans and animals. I don't really know about all of the others. Anything with Ibuprofin in it usually causes the same issues.

Thanks for all of your info but I really know it is not Layla's food- I know that usually this is a result of an empty tummy for her. Before her surgery that was the cause. Layla is a very picky eater and some days she eats a lot and others hardly at all. If she goes to bed on an empty tummy I know this will happen in the morning. She has been on this food for over 3 years and she might have a noisy tummy 6-10 times a year- if that. So I really don't think I can blame the food.

However, I really did learn a lot reading your post. My vet also said that about lipase levels- some are just high- watch her for other symptoms. Layla has a sensitive system so I'm thinking it was the antibiotics. We'll see what happens over the next few days. We go for a follow up on Monday but if she has a noisy tummy tomorrow I"ll call her vet and see what they say. It isn't normal, but easily controlled thank goodness!

I know they are just awful when I take them so I'm sure they affect her- she is super sensitive to everything (just like her mom!) so maybe they will take a bit to get out of her system!

I don't know if your vet would recommend a quarter of a pepcid or not or whether she's that much in need of it or not. You can talk to him and see what he says. Only you know how bad she is.

Thankfully, I can fix the problem. She just needs to get a taste of something in her- usually yogurt or apple sauce that I have to force in her until she realizes it helps her tummy! Then she is a happy camper, back to normal and having breakfast. before surgery, she would play ball- the tummy doesnt' affect how she feels at all- then would be hungry from playing ball and would be happy to eat breakfast. It is this darn surgery!

I would give her some time. Are you taking her out to potty on a leash and does she walk on it then or not? If she's not putting it down at all by now, then I would be back at the vet.

Yes we just came in from a pee/poop and she walks on it no problem- well she is hobbling a bit but she doesn't pick it up at all. But she does not want to stay out long and is eager to get back in her buggy and lay down. I have made a 3x3 pen for her and she just wants to lay down there too.

That is normal. She needs to rest it so she can heal. You don't want her running around on it anyway. Just out to potty and back.:)

That's what I thought, but i have no idea what normal is. She is also quite jumpy lately, maybe anxious, but I suppose that is normal as well. She seems quite concerned about noises and where people are moving.

Just because your dog has successfully eaten a diet for 3 years doesn't mean it cannot now be adversely affecting her. Something is making her spit up, eat grass and get sick from an empty tummy prior to antibiotics, even if it is just once a month. It could be excess stomach acid from something creating it - possibly her current diet. Dogs often live with empty tummies for long periods of time without nausea or symptoms other than hunger. I don't think an empty tummy causing white gums and nausea until you get applesauce in it is normal and would see if the vet wants to think about changing something about the diet and/or run some tests on her if she is still having the problems she was having prior to the antibiotics.

I do see what you are saying. I will call our vet in the morning to make an appointment. We have to go there anyways for Layla to get her Cartrophen Vet injection.

Layla had a good morning- no sick stomach but her symptoms just returned about 45 min ago. This has never happened in the afternoon so I called the surgeon's office and we both think it is a reaction to the Metacam (Layla has a very sensitive tummy). We are going to take her off of it and see what happens. They also suggested we make an appointment with our vet, and we have one tomorrow at 11 am. I got so nervous when I heard her belly making noises. I am still shaking. That never happens during the day. Thankfully she just ate a plate of food so I hope that helps settle things for today. They said to watch for vomiting or lethargy. I had to laugh when they asked if she has energy- well she is crate 23 hours a day and sleeps so it is a bit hard to tell but they were happy to hear she will go for a walk in the yard before she pees/poops. They don't think it has turned into an ulcer but that's what the vet will be checking tomorrow. *finger crossed*

Her tummy is probably got some acid from the metacam. Antibiotics and ibuprofen are both very hard on their tummies and I am sure it is even worse when they already have problems.

Thanks for the reassurance. I am sleeping on the couch tonight with Layla right next to me in her buggy. Going to check on her hourly to make sure she is ok. I feel like i just can't wait to get to the vet. She ate tonight at 10:30 so I am hoping that will hold her over, if not- we'll eat again in the middle of the night if we have to :) She is a very sensitive girl and I hope this is all it is.

I'm sure she'll be fine tonight. Try to relax and get some rest. Let us know what the dr says.

Side Effects



Side effects of Metacam most commonly include stomach upset, kidney or liver malfunction and abdominal bleeding. Side effects may be mild and often temporary, like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Always call your veterinarian if you notice your dog becoming lethargic, unwilling to eat or showing the above symptoms for more than a day.



Read more: What are the Side Effects of Metacam in Dogs? | eHow.com What are the Side Effects of Metacam in Dogs? | eHow.com

I read 3 pages worth of google search on side effects.... lol.. I am now trying to convince myself she doens't have liver failure- you know what the internet is like- read something and you are sure you have it!

Did the script say to give on an empty stomach or can the antibiotic be given with food? Sometimes depending on the drug it is recommended to give with food if tummy upset occurs, but do check with your vet. Pain relievers can make them go off their food... Tink ate better when the pain meds were stopped after her surgery. Maybe a little bit of chicken baby food with the pill would help, like a snack/reward for taking her meds...

Kathy- she was supposed to have it with a meal, which she did.

Just got back from the vet- our vet was on holidays but her "sub" is just so lovely. She agreed that it was the metacam and we are going to stop using it for now. She said her gums being light pink were an indication that Layla was in pain which makes sense because her tummy was just awful. She gave Layla a shot of something similar to gravol (hmm.. what do you Americans call that... the stuff for motion sickness....) that will keep her tummy calm while her body processes yesterday's dose of meds. She said to watch Layla for swelling in her knee or any other signs that she is in pain and to talk to the surgeon on Monday (when we see them to get the stitches out) and see if we need to look at different pain meds. Layla is doing great. She had some lunch and is deep into a nap at the moment (Going to the vet takes it outta ya!). Thank you all so much for your help! Layla has such a sensitive tummy and I should have known the Metacam would not have gone over well for long!