Tummy Issues

[ncies1011]

I have a 9 month old yorkie/pom mix who's about 14lbs. and lately hes been having some tummy issues that I can't seem to get control of. (sorry for the long post)

When I first got him, he had been eating Iams puppy food which I didn't like so I slowly weened him onto Blue Buffalo puppy since my other dog is on Blue Buffalo. After awhile, I noticed it seemed to be too rich for him because he became very gassy and would poop anywhere from 4-5 times a day. I decided to switch him to Wellness Core puppy which he loved and did very well on. I've never had an issue with him when it comes to food. I actually had to stick a ball in his food bowl to slow him down because he would eat so fast.

Anyways, the last time I went to the pet store to pick up some more food, they were out of the puppy food so I decided to go ahead and pick up a bag of Wellness Core adult food. I had enough puppy food to introduce it to him. He seemed to not have a problem with it other than the pieces being a bit bigger than he was used to. He began to eat it slower which I didn't think anything of. A few days later I picked up a bag of the same food only for small breeds. All the ingredients were the same as the regular adult food. I figured it'd be easier for him to eat.

After a few weeks of him being on the food, I began noticing he would get sick in the early morning hours, usually between 4-6am. He would throw usually bile. First I tried increasing his food but he would still have the same issue. Next I tried giving him a meal before bed with a little bit of rice to try and calm his stomach down. I'd get the same result only there would also be a bit of digested food along with the bile or sometimes the rice. It was mostly bile. After about a week of this happening, I finally told my mom to hold off on the kibble and just give him some boiled chicken and rice, something bland to try and calm his stomach down. She texted me later on that morning saying he ate it, just very slowly but ended up throwing up 1/2 hr later. My parents ended up taking him to an emergency vet and honestly, they probably thought my parents were crazy for bringing him in because he didn't look nor act like he was sick. He's crazy hyper, runs around all the time. I don't know where he gets all the energy he does. Anyways, after the doctor looked at him, he gave some Reglan syrup to help with the vomiting since he didn't look sick at all.

We'd been giving him the syrup for a few days before deciding to ween him off. He'd been doing ok, still not eating like he normally did, just very very slowly. Then Tuesday, he wouldn't touch his breakfast. When I got home from work, he still hadn't eaten anything and I could hear his stomach growling so I knew he was hungry. I finally had coaxed him enough to get him to eat but a few minutes after he started acting funny. He wouldn't sit still and eventually climbed in my lap and was shaking and eventually threw up, not a lot but it was clearly a little bit of food. My parents took him back to the emergency vet because my first instinct was he had a blockage of some sort (even though he drinks water, poops everyday and runs around crazy everyday). The vet did x-rays and saw nothing in his stomach except the bit of food that hadn't come up. He put him on the low residue food with an antacid for a week.

He hasn't been crazy about the low residue food. I had picked up some Simply Nourish (Petsmarts holistic brand) that I wanted to try before all this had happened. I stuck a very small amount in with the prescription food and it got him to eat the food. The past few days, he hasn't been finishing the food all the time but usually all he leaves is some of the low residue food. Today he refused to eat anything for breakfast. I'm just stumped and not sure what's going on with him and I don't understand why his tummy is so upset. I'm thinking he should be on some sort of sensitive stomach formula but I don't care for Science Diet or Eukanuba. I'm more of a holistic dog food fan. I know Nutro makes a sensitive stomach formula but they arn't exactly the most trustworthy company either.

Does anyone have any opinions on this? I'm almost wondering if now he's just afraid to eat because something is clearly bothering/causing his stomach to hurt. I just want him to eat something because I don't want him to get sick again.

[mimimomo]

Does he get any treats, anything else besides kibble? Since it started couple of weeks after switching to Wellness Core Small Breed, I'm thinking it's not the food/kibble. When dogs have a food allergy or intolerance...they vomit, either the food itself &/or bile. Turbo is allergic/intolerant of pumpkin, he would throw up bile & sometimes food even tho his stomach wasn't empty. I was giving him friutables treat which has pumpkin. I put 2 & 2 together & when I stopped giving him the treat, he stopped throwing up.
Did he get a full panel blood test & urinalysis to rule out any problems? Maybe take him to a regular vet for a thorough exam? Hope you'll find answers soon!

[BabyGirl Rosie]

My Rosie has tummy issues. I know many on here do not like Science Diet but the I/D has worked well for her. Also I home cook now and she has done well.

Do you have a regular vet? Have you considered talking to a nutritionist? How did he do with the chicken and rice?

[ncies1011]

Yes, he usually get 1/2 a biscuit after he eats and then small chewy treats which I usually use as potty treats. He didn't get any blood work done nor a urinalysis. The vet he was taken to is technically his regular vet, just in another area. It's owned by the same doctor and several of the staff members rotate between the two offices. This location just happens to be open 24 hours.

Originally Posted by mimimomo

Does he get any treats, anything else besides kibble? Since it started couple of weeks after switching to Wellness Core Small Breed, I'm thinking it's not the food/kibble. When dogs have a food allergy or intolerance...they vomit, either the food itself &/or bile. Turbo is allergic/intolerant of pumpkin, he would throw up bile & sometimes food even tho his stomach wasn't empty. I was giving him friutables treat which has pumpkin. I put 2 & 2 together & when I stopped giving him the treat, he stopped throwing up.
Did he get a full panel blood test & urinalysis to rule out any problems? Maybe take him to a regular vet for a thorough exam? Hope you'll find answers soon!

[ncies1011]

Science Diet would be my absolute last resort. It's really not my favorite by any means. I'm already cringing at the fact that he's eating Iams right now. He really isn't thrilled by it himself. He does have a regular vet which is closer to home. The emergency vet we took him to is affiliated with our vet. That one is just further away, is open 24 hours and has a walk-in clinic available.

It did cross my mind that it was possibly a food allergy. Wellness Core Puppy had deboned chicken as the first ingredient whereas Wellness Core Adult (both regular and small breed) had turkey as the first ingredient and to my knowledge, I don't believe he has turkey before.

Originally Posted by BabyGirl Rosie

My Rosie has tummy issues. I know many on here do not like Science Diet but the I/D has worked well for her. Also I home cook now and she has done well.

Do you have a regular vet? Have you considered talking to a nutritionist? How did he do with the chicken and rice?

[BabyGirl Rosie]

Originally Posted by ncies1011

Science Diet would be my absolute last resort. It's really not my favorite by any means. I'm already cringing at the fact that he's eating Iams right now. He really isn't thrilled by it himself. He does have a regular vet which is closer to home. The emergency vet we took him to is affiliated with our vet. That one is just further away, is open 24 hours and has a walk-in clinic available.

It did cross my mind that it was possibly a food allergy. Wellness Core Puppy had deboned chicken as the first ingredient whereas Wellness Core Adult (both regular and small breed) had turkey as the first ingredient and to my knowledge, I don't believe he has turkey before.

Well it was my last resort at the time. It was that or loose her. So I am very thankful for Science Diet RX foods. Now I home cook which has been the best thing for us.

I would get with my regular vet It very well could be allergies I guess. Rosie can eat venison and chicken but throws up turkey.

[Britster]

I would look for a simple formula... while I think RX foods are great and have their place and help a lot of dogs, I don't think it should be the immediate answer for an upset tummy. Most of the time, they're to be used temporarily.

Check out Canine Caviar Special Needs formula. California Natural also has some simple formulas. Precise also has a lamb & rice simple formula, I believe!

Food allergies are actually very uncommon, they only account for about 10% of dog allergies.

Good luck

[ncies1011]

I will definitely look into those foods. Other than California Natural, I'm not too familiar with them.

He has been getting better with eating. He's still getting the Low Residue but we've also slowly been mixing in some Simply Nourish. He usually leaves some kibble but only 10 pieces or less and it's always the Low Residue.

Originally Posted by Britster

I would look for a simple formula... while I think RX foods are great and have their place and help a lot of dogs, I don't think it should be the immediate answer for an upset tummy. Most of the time, they're to be used temporarily.

Check out Canine Caviar Special Needs formula. California Natural also has some simple formulas. Precise also has a lamb & rice simple formula, I believe!

Food allergies are actually very uncommon, they only account for about 10% of dog allergies.

Good luck

[veggienut]

In my opinion, it could be the "natural food" selections that your choosing to give to your dog. I've been to the Vet so many times on food issues, diarrhea, etc that I am an expert in some ways. My Vet told me that these dogs are special in the way that they can't tolerate all foods and my Vet doesn't like "natural foods" since they haven't been on the market as long as "Iams, Science Diet or Royal Canine". And if your giving treats to him, then that is why he's not eating. Cut out the treats and give him what the Vet has suggested even tho "you don't like it". A dog does not have the same system as us humans and need specific foods in their diet. Some dog foods are too rich I found out a while back, like Acana. My Yorkie had blood in their stool due to it, for example. Anyways, this is my opinion.

[BabyGirl Rosie]

Originally Posted by veggienut

In my opinion, it could be the "natural food" selections that your choosing to give to your dog. I've been to the Vet so many times on food issues, diarrhea, etc that I am an expert in some ways. My Vet told me that these dogs are special in the way that they can't tolerate all foods and my Vet doesn't like "natural foods" since they haven't been on the market as long as "Iams, Science Diet or Royal Canine". And if your giving treats to him, then that is why he's not eating. Cut out the treats and give him what the Vet has suggested even tho "you don't like it". A dog does not have the same system as us humans and need specific foods in their diet. Some dog foods are too rich I found out a while back, like Acana. My Yorkie had blood in their stool due to it, for example. Anyways, this is my opinion.

[ncies1011]

I don't think it's the natural food that's causing the issue. He was eating Wellness Core Puppy for months with no issues. It's as soon as I switched him to the adult food when the issues started. I'm in the process of switching him to Simply Nourish right now and haven't been having issues. If he leaves food, it's only the prescription food.

During this whole process, we haven't been giving him any treats because I wanted his stomach to settle so he hasn't been getting any.

Originally Posted by veggienut

In my opinion, it could be the "natural food" selections that your choosing to give to your dog. I've been to the Vet so many times on food issues, diarrhea, etc that I am an expert in some ways. My Vet told me that these dogs are special in the way that they can't tolerate all foods and my Vet doesn't like "natural foods" since they haven't been on the market as long as "Iams, Science Diet or Royal Canine". And if your giving treats to him, then that is why he's not eating. Cut out the treats and give him what the Vet has suggested even tho "you don't like it". A dog does not have the same system as us humans and need specific foods in their diet. Some dog foods are too rich I found out a while back, like Acana. My Yorkie had blood in their stool due to it, for example. Anyways, this is my opinion.

[LuvTaycieGirl]

My Taycie, who will be 3 in March, has gone the rounds with foods. Rx and many brands.. I can't even remember how many I tried. In the beginning I was very against certain brands, and I swore up and down she never eat anything not holistic.

But after round, after round of diaherra, and trip after trip to the vet.. I decided to be more open minded about it.. At one point I didn't care if she ate my sleeve to stay alive, I just wanted her to be healthy and it to end.

Best advice, I ever recieved was go with what works and stick with it. She did awful on many popular holistic brands, finally and RX diet did the trick for her for about a year and half.

In October she got very, very sick and was in the ICU at a specility vet hospital and had a Biospy done of her small intestine and Liver.

Results, showed MVD, and at this point.. My options for her dwindled.. I need a nutrionist.

Currently we homecook. Her recipe was formulated through a Board Certified Veterinary Nutrionist and so far so good. For me, its the best of both worlds, I can control exactly what I feed her.. I know where the ingredients come from etc, and its formulated to help her illness. For now, this works. But if she did better on RX food we would go back in a heart beat.

I hope you find something that works. I know how overwhelming it can be. I also make sure floors are swept and vacummed, she is in a safe area while I am cooking and eating so she will not get anything that might be dropped on the floor. And, no treats. For us, it is simply not worth it.