Why does my dog gag and vomit after dry food? Can I afford a vet?

Draco may be eating his food too fast and then it expands (in the case of dry food) and the stomach wants to get rid of it, "thinking" it is overfilling, Better feed him smaller amounts of food over three to four times a day. Eating grass is a sign of a tummy ache or nausea. Draco may also be trying to get rid of a hair ball. In addition, there is a possibility of chronic pancreatitis and gastritis. Older cats also tend to get old cat diseases, such as hyperthyroidism or kidney disease, both of which can cause vomiting. Worst case scenario, especially since Draco is an older kitty, would be lymphoma. I suggest you take Draco to your veterinarian for a senior exam including blood tests, possibly x-rays, if the vomiting does not subside with changing to feeding smaller portions more frequently.

Hello. Unfortunately, many dogs are greedy eaters & do not chew their food, but even so, most do not vomit it back up. I would definitely give a wet food a try & see how he does with this. You might also try using Science Diet Sensitive Stomach. If he continues to vomit weekly, which is just too frequently to be ignored, you really should consider having Marco examined. You do not mention his age, but there are certain conditions & problems that may be at fault here, such as a condition called megaesophagus, or even a hiatal hernia. This may also be a true food allergy, so trying a hypoallergenic diet consisting of hydrolyzed proteins may help. See how he does with the wet food & go from there. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If Pumba was in the trash last night, I would be very concerned that he ate something rotten or may have a foreign body obstructing his GI tract. It's very serious that he is quite weak and unbalanced, and that is not something that can be treated at home. He does have to see a vet, as the cause of the vomiting and severe lethargy. The nose being dry isn't a sign of illness, as a dog's nose can change temperature and moisture level just by being next to a heat source, but a dry tongue can indicate dehydration. If there was a home remedy, I would tell you, but in this case, there is no home remedy, and taking him to the vet is the only option. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com

Blood work is always a good idea. He may have gastric reflux in which case it is best to feed him multiple small meals throughout the day to keep his stomach from being empty too long. You can also try a trial of Pepcid (famotidine), 5mg once a day in the evening before bed (so 1/2 of a 10mg tablet). Do this for 7-14 days and then see what happens. If no improvement I think you and your vet should do more testing to figure out what may be going on. If this does help, I suggest you consult with your vet about what you did and see what their recommendations are from there. It is not usually a good idea to keep them on famotidine daily forever as it will shut down the stomach's ability to produce any gastric acid which is not a good idea. As a side note, ground beef and steak are really high in fat (even the lean varieties) so I would stop feeding that. High fat diets can cause pancreatitis and vomiting. Boiled chicken or turkey would be better. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi there, It sounds like Dracula may have an intestinal blockage or a severe infection causing the vomiting. Continuous vomiting is not normal and he needs to be taken to a vet ASAP for an exam and an x-ray. Once they find the cause they can make a plan of how to make him feel better and help him be able to stop vomiting. I hope that helps and thanks for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concerns. With Thor's age and these symptoms, I am concerned that there may be something going on systemically (liver disease, kidney disease, infection, etc.). With these symptoms, I would recommend having Thor examined by a veterinarian and having his blood tested to make sure his organ function is within normal limits. If you recently switched diets, this could be dietary indiscretion. If you are unable to get to your vet right away, I would recommend starting a bland diet as outlined below and adding in a probiotic such as Purina Fortiflora. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.

Aww Marty is so handsome!! So part of this equation is how often is this happening? Is it just once or twice a week? In that case, I’m in the camp of “continue to watch and wait”. If this is daily or multiple times a day some further investigation is needed. You need to discuss the following with your vet but some possible next steps include: Recheck X-rays if it has been 3 months or more since his last set. If not done before, also include views of the neck as sometimes a mass in the throat or neck can cause this. Testing for locally occurring fungal diseases if applicable and/or trial treatment with an antifungal medication. Trial treatment with a short course of steroids. CT scan if available in your area. Sedated/anesthetized laryngeal exam. Best wishes to you and Marty!