My dog has a bloated belly and pain after eating. What can I do?

I'm so sorry that Cash is not doing well. His clinical condition is very concerning and makes me worry about a significant chronic disease such as heart failure, protein-losing diseases, or a cancerous process. I highly recommend Cash be evaluated at a veterinary emergency hospital with internal medicine capabilities. He likely needs x-rays and bloodwork alongside a potential abdominal ultrasound or echocardiogram.

This presentation could be due to a gastrointestinal inflammation/infection, which needs to be further investigated by your local veterinarian. Further investigations such as abdominal ultrasound or x rays are likely to be needed.

I'm sorry that Jasper is uncomfortable! I'm concerned because you say that he has stomach pain and is acting restless - these can be symptoms of a life-threatening condition called bloat, or GDV (gastric dilatation and volvulus). This is a problem that can affect large breed dogs, in which the stomach becomes overly full of air and/or food and twists on itself. Symptoms normally include acting painful, restlessness, panting, unproductive attempts to vomit, and sometimes a large or bloated-looking abdomen. If this sounds like what Jasper is doing, I would recommend getting him to a vet immediately as this is a medical emergency - bloat requires emergency surgery, and is fatal within hours without treatment. If this isn't possible or you opt not go to the vet, you can try offering him some plain boiled chicken and rice or chicken-flavored baby food to help settle his stomach. There are no over-the-counter human medications that are recommended for use in dogs for this problem, so unfortunately there is nothing you can give him apart from small amounts of a bland diet to see if this helps.

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do for her at home. You cannot give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. In addition, it is illegal for the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to prescribe any medications for her without seeing her in person first. There will be a vet on call for the holidays, so I would call your local clinics to find the vet on call to see her now. Usually there is an emergency contact number on their website or their answering machine. I would find a vet to see her now if she is in a lot of pain.

Unfortunately, there are no safe OTC pain relievers for dogs. Many are toxic for dogs and can be fatal if given. I'm not sure what kind of surgery your dog has, perhaps a spay, but she should likely not still be in pain three days before taking out her staples. It's also concerning that she won't eat, which could also be due to pain. This pain and anorexia could be an indication of a post surgical complication. Her symptoms are serious enough that she needs medical treatment now. There will be a vet on call for emergencies in your area. The information to find that vet is found on the clinic's answering machine or website. You can also see if there is an ER veterinary clinic in your area. Please take her into a vet asap.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I see this sort of thing quite commonly in small dogs and the question always is: is it stomach pain or back pain. These little guys can easily hurt their backs and so they tense their abdominal muscles. They also don’t want you to touch them for fear it might tweak their back even more. Because we don’t know yet, I’d refrain from giving anything tonight as we don’t want to interfere with whatever your vet decides to give tomorrow. Tramadol is a safe pain medication but it can slow the GI tract so let’s skip it for now. For tonight, just let Rigby rest alone. Best of luck to you and Rigby!

Unfortunately, I can't recommend any specific treatment because there are many different possible causes. He could have intestinal parasites, an intestinal obstruction, gastroenteritis, or an endocrine or metabolic disease (issue with internal organs that is making him feel overall crappy, rather than something specifically wrong with the intestinal tract). Additionally, many medications for humans aren't safe for our pups. He really does need to go to the vet for further testing and treatment. You can also talk to the vet about giving him anti-anxiety medications for future visits to help with his anxiety. I hope he's feeling better soon.