My Dog Keeps Throwing Up

[german_shepherd]

Hello everyone,

I have a 2 year old male shepherd who has been throwing up off and on for the last few weeks.

First of all I contacted the vet immediately who thought it may be due to him being fed twice a day and that his stomach was having problems digesting as my dog is happy, playful, & has a good appetite..

He suggested feeding him smaller quantities a few times a day. This seemed to work initially but I have noticed since about a few days ago he is throwing up again. He will eat, throw up, eat it (if I dont get there quick enough to stop him)..then he is absolutely fine.

This morning though, he woke up...walked around for about 5 minutes and threw up grass. He hadnt even eaten anything yet.

I am taking him to the vet this evening but I like to get as much info as I can and I know there are some very knowledgable people on here.

His diet (fyi) consists of dry food (supercoat or bonnie) and a small portion of our dinner (assuming its not spicey). He does not eat canned food.

Any info is appreciated.

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

Perhaps try a better quality food and see if that helps? :D

[Miranda]

How often is this happening, once a day, every few days, once a week? How many cups of dry does he eat at one meal? Is he a very fast eater?

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

It could be any number of things, but certainly as lillysmum has suggested you may need to try a better quality food.

There are several super premium commercial dried foods, one that may help is Nutro's Chicken and Rice, which is formulated for dogs with a sensitive stomach :D

[Staffyluv]

I agree with what the others have said about changing his food...

Dry dog food can be harsh on an already upset tummy. Maybe try some boiled chicken and rice for a while to give his poor stomach a rest. A bland diet is best for dogs when their tummy is upset.

Good luck at the vets

Jodie

[german_shepherd]

Thanks everyone for your quick responses.

First off... I thought I was feeding my dog the best quality food as I buy it from a pet food shop and this is what they recommended. :D

He also never experienced any problems on puppy food.

To answer your questions:

How often is this happening: once a day generally.

How many cups of dry does he eat at one meal?: 1 cup in the morning & 2 cups approx at night.

Is he a very fast eater?: no

thanks

...also where can I buy Nutros from?? I am in Adelaide.

Edited December 15, 2006 by german_shepherd

[shoemonster]

I would try something bland like boiled chicken and rice for a few days just to see if it is the food

[flycow]

Best is check with your Vet first. There is no miracle dog food. Narrow down to two or three brands and see how your dog response to it is the wiser way. There are several super premium brands, Eukanuba, Proplan, Royal Canin, Nutrience, Innova etc they are all good, most important is let your dog tell you how he fair in it.

You can get some samples from the manufacters, just write an email to them, or get the smallest pack of two to three brands and see how your dog respond to it first. Don't lock yourself into any brand straight away, otherwise you never have any comparison, there is no one best dog food in the world, different dog fair differently on each brand. Check with your vet first, if in doubt, get another Vet's opinion.

[Miranda]

Thanks everyone for your quick responses.

First off... I thought I was feeding my dog the best quality food as I buy it from a pet food shop and this is what they recommended. :D

He also never experienced any problems on puppy food.

To answer your questions:

How often is this happening: once a day generally.

How many cups of dry does he eat at one meal?: 1 cup in the morning & 2 cups approx at night.

Is he a very fast eater?: no

thanks

...also where can I buy Nutros from?? I am in Adelaide.

Well sometimes dogs who eat large amounts of dry very quickly will throw it back up and then eat it again because it's just too much for their stomachs in one go. However your dog obviously isn't one of those so I have to admit that I'm stumped. I agree with the others, try a better food, preferably one that has a much lower cereal content or maybe try him on a completely different diet such as BARF. Or change him back to the puppy food and just feed him less if he puts on weight. It seems strange that it's just started happening, is it since you changed to the adult food?

[german_shepherd]

is it since you changed to the adult food?

Well come to think of it. Yes.

It didnt really dawn on me. He was on puppy food until he was 18 months and the last 5 months on adult food. We eased him into it and the progression seemed fine. But yes, it has gone on for a couple months now.

I am very eager now to change his food and see what happens. Still, I will see what the vet has to say, but I will definately look at altering his diet.

[Dust Angel]

Sienna was doing this a while ago and other than the throwing up seemed perfactly healthy and content. She was roughly the same age to. I had recently fed her Bonnie as well. I stopped feeding it and it went away the same day i changed her food. Hope its nothing serious, good luck.

[calliech]

Did your vet do any blood tests? If not, go back and ask for the blood tests to be done, specifically amylase and lipase. They will know what to do since they are the vets. If these are elevated it indicates pancreatitis. Anitbiotics and low fat diet. But instead of guessing......get the tests.

[Miranda]

Supercoat and Bonnie are both cheap foods with a very high cereal content and they don't suit all dogs, I'd recommend that you buy a small bag of a super premium dry such as Eagle Pack, Nutro, Royal Canin or Eukanuba and see how he copes with that, you could also feed him one meal of chicken wings and perhaps mix a little beef or chicken with his dry food in the evening. If he still throws up you could try a completely natural diet (chicken wings/frames, lamb flaps, eggs, meaty bones etc.). If he doesn't improve after a change of diet I suggest you take him to your vet and have him thoroughly examined and maybe some blood work as well.

[itsapittybaby]

I have fed my dogs Bonnie for years and have never had a problem, Bullmastiff's, Greyhound's, Chihuahua's and Maltese.

They also get human consumption fresh meat (beef and chicken).

It all depends on the dog, just like us, they are all different.

My hubby can eat all sorts of spicey foods without any problems, and me well I have a bit of pickles on a sandwich and my stomach aches and rumbles for hours afterwards :D

Talk to your Vet about a diet that is suitable for your furkid.

I also agree cooked chicken mince and boiled white rice for a few days to see if that settles his belly down a bit.

Good luck with it.

[german_shepherd]

Thanks everyone.

My little monkey is off to the vet in 2 hours and I will request a blood test. I will also try the rice and chicken as from tonight.

Bit upsetting about the supercoat and bonnie issue. I specifically asked for the best dog food from the pet food company and this is what they recommended. They said all the other foods contained a high cereal content. ..its hard when you try to do the right thing but lack the knowledge to make a educated decision. :D

Thanks for everyones feedback. I will let you know the outcome.

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

You will find a lot of helpful advice here. Its always pays to read the ingredients list of any foods and it will help you to understand better that many of the cheaper brands are full of "rubbish".

Edited December 15, 2006 by Hesapandabear

[TangerineDream]

Sienna was doing this a while ago and other than the throwing up seemed perfactly healthy and content. She was roughly the same age to. I had recently fed her Bonnie as well. I stopped feeding it and it went away the same day i changed her food. Hope its nothing serious, good luck.

DA, what are you feeding now? (always interested it what works well for others)

[bloss344]

Good luck at the vet. Hopefully all your pup will need is a change of diet, but it's worthwhile having the bloodwork done in case it's something like kidney disease which can manifest with vomiting in the early stages.

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

Thanks everyone.

My little monkey is off to the vet in 2 hours and I will request a blood test. I will also try the rice and chicken as from tonight.

Bit upsetting about the supercoat and bonnie issue. I specifically asked for the best dog food from the pet food company and this is what they recommended. They said all the other foods contained a high cereal content. ..its hard when you try to do the right thing but lack the knowledge to make a educated decision.

Thanks for everyones feedback. I will let you know the outcome.

Sounds as if they get a little extra $$$ from the companies that supply these cheap foods.

The genuinely super premium foods include (in no particular order): Nutro, Nutrience (esp the Holistic range), Eagle Pack (again the Holistic range is good), Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Organic Formula, and Royal Canin. The Hill's, Iams/Euk, Advance etc, are OK but I wouldn't feed them, and as for the rest...not worth the money if you ask me!

I feed a raw, whole foods diet and my dogs do very well on this approach. But it's not for everyone, and it sounds as if you'd need to do a fair amount of reading and research before you could begin to try this method.

BTW - do a gradual switch when you change foods. :D

[itsapittybaby]

Which foods did the breeder recommend?