Hello there

I have a 10 yr old neutered labrador bitch who has for the last 2 days been vomiting - not a great deal and only at night - she is going throughout the day without vomiting at all.

I would have immediately taken her to the vet, but for the fact that she is only doing this at night - she goes out at about 11.30pm and when I go downstairs at 7am, she has been sick. Sometimes it is fully digested and sometimes there's recognisable food there. She's had diarrhoea only once, again I came down to this at 7am this morning.

Took her on a short walk today and no diarrhoea, perfectly normal stools.

She always wears a muzzle when she goes out as we are in rural Spain and there are goats/foxes/stray unvaccinated dogs who are also in the area - so I am fairly certain it's nothing she's actually eaten.

She seems happy and hasn't lost her appetite (no surprises there)

Should I fast her for 24 hours? At present I am giving her boiled rice and chicken in small amounts, 3 times a day. She normally eats Arden Grange twice a day, with a few milk bones or a DentaStick for lunch.

Lastly, is there a chance my other dogs will catch this from her?

Thanks in advance for any advice

Hi,

Difficult to suggest a diagnosis.Could be a gastritis, a foreign body ( even a chunk of unchewed Dentastick) lying in her stomach or a bit of bone which you may have given her. If it does not settle aftre a few days she should be checked out by a vet.

W

Many thanks for the prompt reply

Again, this morning I came down to a small amount of vomit, but she's had 3 small meals of boiled rice and chicken today, no further vomiting and stools normal.

I have booked an appointment with the vet for tomorrow morning, just to be sure.

Hi,

Good. Please let me know how you get on.

W

Hello there

Well, things have calmed down on the vomiting and diarrhoea front, thank goodness.

When I visited the vet on Saturday, he wasn't sure what it was, asked me if I changed diet etc., which I haven't.

I did take a stool sample in and told him I was fairly sure it was a bug rather than a digestion issue, as my other labrador has now also developed diarrhoea.

He was not interested in testing the stool sample I'd painstakingly collected, as he said it wasn't watery enought (sorry to be graphic, but it was part of a very watery bout of diarrhoea, but was easier to collect than the really watery bit!)

Anyway he prescribed Flagyl for both dogs and Cerenia for the black lab who was vomiting once a night. I haven't used the Cerenia as I believe they're for motion sickness?!

I then went into the chemist and the pharmacist recommended that if the Flagyl doesn't work, she uses Neomycin and Dihydrostreptomycin if her dog ever has a bug....maybe something to try if this happens again? (which I hope it doesn't)

As I've said to you previously, in the UK I would always take a vet's advice over a pharmacist, but over here, many of the vets don't seem up to the same standard as vets in the UK. I did try and find a vet who'd trained in the UK, but unfortunately haven't managed to find one who is less than 100 km away from where I live

I was also going to ask you if Kaolin and Morphine mixture is ok to use for dogs? I know you used to be able to buy it over the counter in the UK and it's fab for almost immediate relief of gastro enteritis type bugs in humans - do you know if it's the same for dogs?

Lastly, and off topic, I did send some pics of Harry to your email - hope you got them.

He's very well again and enjoying life - just cleared a large bowl of chicken and rice added to his regular food and sitting on my other half's lap, looking very content!

Thanks again for all your help in the past and over this latest problem

Best Regards
Lisa

Hi,

Pleased to hear that there is some improvement - chicken (or mutton) and rice are fine to help get over a bout of D&V. he antiemetic could help too.
I would not advice using any form of streptomycin. Kaolin & Morphine works well too, and does not raise the possibility of antibiotic resistance arising.

W

hi i have a jack russell and he keeps being sick throught the night 3 times or more he seems fine in the day. e has been doing it recently stopped for a couple of nights and again started last night, should i book him it at the vets thankyou.

You do not say how often this has been going on so the usual advice of starve for 24 hours, bland diet for a few days then gradual re-introduction of the normal diet. If this has been going on a while then it may be related to the time you feed him - if you only feed him in the morning he may be getting stomach acid irritating the stomach at night so feed him morning and evening which should put a stop to it. Otherwise see your vet and get him checked out.


Sorry for the delay in replying but I have been on holiday.

Hi my dollie is 6 months old and she is a jack Russell cross and has recently been sick and only at night it has been going on now for about 2 weeks on and off she eats morning and evening but have noticed that she has been eating the sick back up so I take it she has no bug !!! I recently bought her a nylobone and wondering if shaves of this may be in her tummy .

Hi Nickie

Its a while since your post but if this is still happening you need to make some changes to her food at the very least to see if the type of food she is eating is causing the problem. Feed her in smaller meals with a bland food, classically chicken and boiled rice or a prescription canned or dry version of bland diet. Take the nylobone away if it looks like she is gnawing bits off it. If the problem isnt responding to this simple change or if she is losing weight or becoming unwell I strongly suggest you get your dog checked over by a vet.

Cathy Wickenden BVet Med MRCVS
Barton Lodge Veterinary Centre
1 Midland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 5BH
Tel: 01442 216048 24 hours
[www.bartonlodgevets.co.uk]