Gsd Vomitting - Watery And Frothy ...

[Tilly]

My youngest GSD has vomitted a couple of times over the last 2 weeks (4 times so far).

Normally they get fed between 5am and 8am (when I sleep in on the weekends). On the couple of mornings that he hasn't been fed by 9am ... I noticed he has vomitted up a watery frothy puddle. One day there was some grass in it but otherwise it is just watery and frothy.

Do dogs throw up if they are really hungry? He always acts like he is starving even though he is going through about 3 to 4kg of raw food a day (over 2 meals)

He appears to be absolutely perfectly healthy, has loads of energy, eats well and perfectly "normal" ... well as normal as the brat can be.

[persephone]

3 to 4kg of raw food a day

That seems like a lot of food for one dog .. or do GSD's need a lot?

end of sidetrack...

I have had/known of dogs who do throw up if they have very empty tummies .. my old Kieran, for one

I started giving him one or two bikkies for a late supper.. and he was fine

[Tilly]

It is a lot of food but he is just skin and bone ... I have finally managed to get a little weight on him so his hip bones are not sticking out (as badly as they were). He just burns so much energy running around and with the cold nights ... he will just drop it again overnight. The food bill is dreadful at the moment. If only I could drop weight as easierly as he does.

Our old boy only needs to smell food and he puts on weights ... more like me

I have started feeding them a second meal at night during winter and they get a few lamb flaps at bed time ....

Edited June 29, 2010 by Tilly

[Erny]

Do dogs throw up if they are really hungry? He always acts like he is starving even though he is going through about 3 to 4kg of raw food a day (over 2 meals)

Sorry to go OT, Tilly, but this amount of food ..... 3-4kg is quite alarming!! How old is your dog and what is his weight like?

I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback who is 2yo now. I feed him 2kg raw per day (over two meals), and THAT is a lot! He needs it because he has digestive issues and isn't holding weight (although doing better at the moment *touch wood*).

So if your dog is lean on what you give him, I'd suggest you consult with a Naturopath or Canine Nutritionalist (or both), or a Vet, to discuss what might be going on.

And if your dog is a round fat pudge, then you need to lower the amount you are feeding.

I have heard some people say that their dogs have vomited if a meal is missed, although I think this has related to pups more so that adults. I'm concerned in your case though, because of the mass of food you seem to need to feed.

Edited June 29, 2010 by Erny

[Erny]

It is a lot of food but he is just skin and bone ... I have finally managed to get a little weight on him so his hip bones are not sticking out (as badly as they were). He just burns so much energy running around and with the cold nights ... he will just drop it again overnight. The food bill is dreadful at the moment. If only I could drop weight as easierly as he does.

Our old boy only needs to smell food and he puts on weights ... more like me

Just read this new post after posting mine.

Definitely see a Vet/Holistice Vet. This is not normal even if the weather is cold.

I know what you mean about food bills. Mine is at least $100 per week, and that does not include extras such as bones, Naturopath Bills, medications, etc.

[Tilly]

He is almost 15 months old ... and rake thin. He has always been on the thin side ... he has a greyhound body.

[Erny]

He is almost 15 months old ... and rake thin. He has always been on the thin side ... he has a greyhound body.

My boy is what you would class as "racy" through the body as well. Someone came up to me the other day and asked if he had greyhound in him. (And no, he doesn't.) But he should not be rake thin, skin and bone, nor have hip bones poking up. And to be like that on 3-4kg of raw food per day - something's not right. Who knows - perhaps the vomiting is an inter-connected symptom of whatever is making it that he eats so much yet not holding weight.

Consult with a professional on this one is my very strong suggestion.

Edited June 29, 2010 by Erny

[Dogsfevr]

some GSD can have a digestive issue & not absorb food correctly.

If this is the case the dog wont put on weight unless treatment is sort & products used to assist.

I have owned a dog with such issues but had it addressed at 11 months & the dog blossomed

[ish]

some GSD can have a digestive issue & not absorb food correctly.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

[matilda1]

I would be having him checked out by a vet for sure. This does not seem normal to me.

Even if it's only for peace of mind.

[Tilly]

What comes out the other end is very tiny ... if he wasn't absorbing his food properly wouldn't I expect it to be coming out the other end?

He does get the squits if given dry or processed food but generally he has small firm little nuggets ... the dachy next door has much bigger ones.

Edited: I will get him checked out by a vet to be sure ...

Edited June 29, 2010 by Tilly

[matilda1]

let us know how you go, and please keep us posted.

Good luck !!

[Nekhbet]

I have a GSD in my classes like this he's like a rake. Literally. I got the owner to add Protexin powder and some Livamol (start at 1tbsp a day) to his raw food and give him fattier cuts. He's put on muscle within a month and is looking more normal! My old GSD used to be the same, protexin does wonders for this breed

[all that glitters]

Interesting! I feed Shyla 500g of raw veal/rabbit mince with a cooked egg mixed through in the mornings, and 1.5 cups of holistic bikkies at night mixed with a tin of sardines in oil and a bit of cheese for garnish. She also gets a chicken frame every second day and other treats. My mum always says she's too thin cos she can feel her ribs and her spine (she owns an overweight fat golden retriever, all her pets are loved with food lol) but I keep saying she's the right weight and it's better to be thin than more on the other side of the scale. I can feel her ribs through a thin layer of fat which I thought was good. Her hips don't stick out or anything. I hope she fills out more as she ages (she's coming up to 1.5 in a few mths). My vet said she's the perfect weight and he wishes he saw more dogs like her, and the german shepherd people at a show said she looked nice. But I see mum every week so hearing her say 'she's too skinny' gets to me lol

[Erny]

it's better to be thin than more on the other side of the scale. I can feel her ribs through a thin layer of fat which I thought was good. Her hips don't stick out or anything. I hope she fills out more as she ages (she's coming up to 1.5 in a few mths). My vet said she's the perfect weight and he wishes he saw more dogs like her, and the german shepherd people at a show said she looked nice. But I see mum every week so hearing her say 'she's too skinny' gets to me lol

ShelleAndShyla - you should be able to feel ribs through a thin layer of fat. Her hips aren't sticking out. So, albeit that we can't see her, by your description she sounds fine. That's different to "rake thin".

[KitKat]

Hehehe...i know Tilly's dogs...and they need that much food!! They are good size boofers and use up the food they eat quickly They are great condition...very well built, muscly but lean. They are also very active boys so that might have something to do with it?

When i was feeding Raw/Barf to my GSD's, i was feeding that much or more JUST to keep my dogs from looking starved - i was just lucky they were coated GSDs else i might have been reported. I have found when i JUST feed meaty bones - no vegies, very little mince, no offal they keep much better condition...mind you they might go through 2-3kgs (between them) of bones a night .

Also Sabre will vomit up froth when he's very hungry - sorta like when he has a very empty belly. Between my two boys...i swear Bronx gets all the fat and Sabre gets all the lean Sabe gets a good 2-3 times more food then Bronx does and i still have to watch that B doesn't get podgy and that Sabe doesn't get too scrawny.

Edited June 30, 2010 by KitKat

[Erny]

Hehehe...i know Tilly's dogs...and they need that much food!! They are good size boofers and use up the food they eat quickly They are great condition...very well built, muscly but lean.

That doesn't sound like the "rake-thin, hips sticking up" description Tilly gave in the opening post. And 4kgs of food daily is a heck of a lot of food, even if the dog is a very active juvenile and I think it still deserves some at least non-invasive investigation. The question posed for this thread was about the vomitting. It might be nothing, but it is difficult to ignore it when you also take into account how much food the dog receives and how "rake thin" Tilly has described it as. "Rake thin" describes a dog with absolutely no fat layer covering ribs, ribs jutting out (hence the "rake" description).

Tilly - do you think that was an over description?

Edited June 30, 2010 by Erny

[KitKat]

For comparison when i last saw Tilly's youngest he was in similar condition to many of the young working GSDs i now see pretty regularly - more so the ones that have been learning or beginning working rather then coming in from Fostering.

I've seen him when he's missed a breakfast and it's a noticible difference, the difference might be more noticible now - they will go through more food in winter as they use more in general.

When i was feeding Raw/BARF 3-4kgs per dog daily was pretty much the norm - but i followed the hype for a while before i decided it wasn't worth the issue (or the huge amount of money) - and that was with my guys doing less work then Tilly's. Unfortuantely for her boy he doesn't deal well with kibble. It's possibly worth getting blood tests, cultures done etc. I'd have to get my hands on him again to see if my opinion of his weight agrees with Tilly's (not that i'm an expert or anything).

ETA - Also thought i should add - this boy isn't a slim light build boy - he's a big solid GSD even for a youngster.

Edited June 30, 2010 by KitKat