Dog Being Sick But Otherwise Ok

[black_dog]

This started a couple of months ago. About once a week, our two and a half year old lab x GSD is sick. Lots of dry heaving, followed by sick. After a minute, he's 100% fine, bounding around, appetite unaffected. Prior to this he often eats grass - I know cats do this when they are not well.

He eats a combination of dry (Advance at the moment, but has been other mid-range ones and doesn't seem to make a difference), vet's meatloaf, and occasional raw meat and rice depending on what's for tea. Poos are fine. Every once in a while he escapes and comes back full of someone's compost, but he's always done that, and probably less so in recent months as he's grown up.

He's been to the vet. Urine's OK. Behaviour is ok.

Is this normal? Are there tests we should get the vet to do? They've offered blood tests, but then they always do whatever the symptoms.

[Miranda]

black_dog I'm not trying to be smart, but I'd be more worried about the dog escaping than about the throwing up. Anyway in answer to your query, all my dogs eat grass and throw up occasionally, sometimes the grass goes all the way through and comes out the other end and sometimes it's vomited up. Once a week is a little often, but it's probably not a cause for concern.

[black_dog]

black_dog I'm not trying to be smart, but I'd be more worried about the dog escaping than about the throwing up. Anyway in answer to your query, all my dogs eat grass and throw up occasionally, sometimes the grass goes all the way through and comes out the other end and sometimes it's vomited up. Once a week is a little often, but it's probably not a cause for concern.

Thanks Miranda. Yeah, I know that it's not good escaping, but when he's 'fenced up' on the property he's fine. Sometimes walking or down the reserve off-lead, when we're not paying attention, he has a couple of gardens he likes to visit.

[Poodle wrangler]

Both my dogs occasionally eat grass, also vomit occasionally- seems to be no problem.

If they vomited a few times on the one day or for a couple of days in a row, I'd have them checked by the vet.

Please be careful about the compost- I know some people who put rat bait out near their compost bins

[Teebs]

Atlas started when he was about 6 months, about once a month, then once every two weeks, then up to once a night. He acted fine, he only threw up food and bile, he was 100% healthy, other then this thing.

Vets did many tests, the only thing they didnt do was cut him open to see what was going on inside.

I went to a natural therapy vet in Bathurst, she met Atlas and spent over an hour asking me EVERY question you could think of, she examined him, checked over his vet notes.

She sent me home with some herbal drops (cant tell you what they are, name has rubbed off the bottle) 3 nights after he started the drops, i had my first full night sleep in months.

No one knows what it was/is, I dont know how she worked out what to give him, but i will go back to her!

He has started doing it again last week, after 4 months off the drops. I started him on them again and he is fine.

Get the vet to check him out, keep him in your yard so you know what he is eating and dont be afraid to seek help elsewhere.

[black_dog]

Mmm, good point about the rat poison. I might have to wander down and ask. Looking forward to it already: "Hi, I'm the owner of that big black dog that likes to pop down to your place now and then to eat your mouldering vegetable scraps."

I'll keep an eye on it, and see how it goes. Certainly our vet has no suggestions, but if it gets more frequent then I'll have to scout around elsewhere.

Dogs are great, but they are filthy animals. Add that to a food obsession, and keeping him idea weight i.e. permanently hungry, and I'd have to lock him up to stop him eating stuff. Decaying cuttlefish on the beach are a particular favourite.

[Teebs]

Maybe if you kept him in your yard you would find it easier to control what he eats and keep him safe.

[cazxxz]

I agree with Terrorbull.

And why not keep him on the lead when you go for walks? Or at least pay more attention to him. My dog is an obsessive scavenger too, stays on the lead at all times, and he manages to find bones in our street. When he gets into things he shouldn't eat, I tell him to DROP what he has and reward him with something much more exciting (treats).

(OT, does anyone else have neighbours who leave bones in the street?)

[black_dog]

This could go into a whole new debate... but since you ask.

Keep him in the yard? Dog on a lead in the reserve or on the beach? What's that about? The dog has a great time. I am unwilling to restrict the dog's freedom to such a severe degree. Having a dog is more than just keeping it alive.

The dog recalls, is super social, and I'm not going to check out every bush prior to the dog foraging in it.

[CBL]

Patch is another fan of grass, and this thread just made me realise that he has started up eating grass again in the last couple of days - and has now vomitted today (see my thread). We are off to the vet soon to try and get some answers.