my girl is sick

hello all. I hate to introduce myself this way, but I am very worried about my tzu, Gracie boo boo.

She goes through spells where she throws up a lot. The vet has tried cerenia, which works while she's on it, but a few days after she's off it, the vomiting starts again.

I am extremely worried. today, I gave her 2.5 mg. pepcid a/c and she threw that and all of her food up! She's thrown up twice, and keeps burping like she's going to go again.

I am at my wits end, the vets don't know what to do next.

She is on Iam's lamb and rice with a tiny bit of hamburger or canned to intice her to eat it.

The last food she was on, about 6 months ago was Wellness. She threw up on that too.

please, anybody with any help, suggestions, or advice, please let me know.

I am VERY worried about my girl.

Oh im so very sorry about your baby, sounds like a terrible time with her, i dont know much but my friend had a dog who had problems like yours and it was a medical condition that make them sick due to something not right from within...maybe a second opinion from another vet would help you get to the bottom of this problem, saying that with all the will in the world sometimes they just dont know

well, we haven't had her scoped. I guess that's next.

they did do a blood panel to check kidney and liver function.

Could it be the food?

I can't the thought of losing her.

Aww I'm so sorry

How old is she? How long has she had the problem? Is she throwing anything up or just bile? The vet should definitely be carrying out some tests if they can't diagnose, or maybe find another vet?

Have you tried just feeding her boiled chicken and rice for a few days? Maybe that will help? Worth a try. Maybe you have a dog that can't stomach dog food? Is she ok in herself apart from the vomitting?

thanks to all of you.

She is 4 yrs, we just got her last year.

She is fine otherwise.

licks at her paws, and throws up bile usually, but today after having the pepcid, she threw up her food, two different times.

I'm offering her ice chips now.

I am thinking of another vet.

I am scared to death.

Someone told me that shih tzu are just sensitive like that. Do you all think so?

If it's yellow frothy bile that's a sign of hunger? Have you tried putting her on a food for sensitive tummys? Or as Trace says, chicken and rice and see what happens?

Well Alfie did this a short time ago, was sick for almost a week. He was healthy in every other way, playing, alert, so I didnt rush him to the vet. I dont know what it was made him vomit so much, but he's fine now.

Do you know anything at all about her history? Both heritage and medical? Can I ask why the previous owners rehomed her with you? Not being nosey, just wondering if they knew something wasn't quite right.
How long has she been vomitting like this?
Could she be eating something in the garden thats making her ill?

Sorry about all the questions, but it could help trigger something that makes you figure out whats happening.

well, we got her cause the lady had 10 shih tzu that she showed and Gracie wasn't showing well, so they sold her as a pet.

The lady told me she never had a problem with vomiting. She was eating the chicken Iams, but itchy, excessively itchy all the time.

So we put her on Wellness, threw up when they changed the formula, illness lasted about 6 weeks off and on. Vet used cerenia to stop the vomiting and antibiotics in case there was a bacterial infection in the stomach or bowel. Seemed to work.

That was about 6 months ago. Finally found a food that seemed to work. Was putting about 1/2 tsp of cottage cheese with it and she did a lot better. But has been throwing up again.

The night of Oct. 9 she threw up about 5 times. Next day we got her on cerenia and antibiotics again. Seemed to help.

Then this past Fri night, she threw up again, and now today, we're up to three times now. Last time was yellow fluid.

Have an appt. tues, Nov 3 with another vet for 2nd opinion.

ps...don't think she's getting into anything outside, she only goes out for potty and we watch her cause of coyotes...

have not tried chicken and rice
but have done stir fried crumbled buffalo and rice, mixed with dry dog food.

is there a good dry for dogs with sensitive stomachs?

I am sorry too that your little girl is unwell.

Have you tried her on a little natural fat free youghurt that helps put back good bacteria in to the tummy.

Plain chicken and rice like Trace says is always a good choice.

Hope she feels better soon.

So sorry to hear your little girl is having such a horrid time. Chicken and rice is always my fall back for dodgy tummies - and specifically brown rice seems to work better for my girls than white rice. Don't know why....

If your vet hasn't been able to get to the bottom of this I think a second opinion is def the best plan. Good luck, and I hope they can get to the bottom of this.

thanks to all of you for your advice and concern.

Gracie just had 1 tbsp of cottage cheese.

I'll get some chicken tomorrow and boil it and some rice for her.

what kind of food do you all use?

I'm in the US, so our choices may be different.

I will let you all know what the vet says next week.

Well I think there's a food over there that you can get called Natural Balance which is very good for sensitive tummys. Royal Canin also do a senstive formula. Michelle on here will be able to advise on foods available in the States as she is quite well up on them but I think NB is very good.. we can't get it over here

Whatever you do, introduce it gradually when you do change.

I also agree, plain natural yoghurt is good for sorting tummys out.

I was using Eukanuba small breed puppy for mine, but I am giving IAMS a try. I have also switched over to adult for Alfie, as he is gaining a lot of weight after his castration, so puppy food wont do him any favours.

Let us know how she gets on with the chicken and rich, and try the yoghurt too.

the cottage cheese she had yesterday stayed down, and a very small meal of dry dog food with cottage cheese has stayed down for now, it's been about 1 hour since she ate it.

how can I get that pukey smell off her face without giving her an entire bath? yesterday she had two baths, wondering if there is a cheater way to do just the face...

you all ever hear of pinnacle dog food? it has chicken and oatmeal.

thanks to you all

hi, thought you all would like to see my sweetie.

hope it worked.

Oh shes just beautiful, very very pretty

Bless i hope you get this sorted soon, the best thing to do with the face is either use baby wipes or a waterless no rince shampoo for the face designed for puppies, this is what i use and find it great for daily use.

Hope that helps

oh baby wipes, good idea

thanks,
she is precious isn't she?

She's beautiful! Love the shades

she is lovely! i hope she feels better soon

Beautiful little fur baby

Baby wipes work really well

just to let you all know, so far today, no vomiting!

husband thinks yesterday's was the pepcid and the canned food I mixed with her dry.

he also said he has seen her sniffing in the mulch where the cats pee....think she's eating mulch?

I know she's not eating cat poop cause they don't poop out there in the mulch.

I wonder if she's licking where the cats pee and ingesting some of the mulch? although I've never seen it in the vomit...

OOOOOOO now someone here correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure mulch is bad for them. Is it? I'm certain I read that somewhere.....

I went to read, cocoa mulch is dangerous to dogs. Which type do you have?

Not sure Trace?