My dog's dry heaving improved with meds. What tests should I do?

Hello. Unfortunately, it will take a hands on exam & some diagnostic tests such as x-rays to definitively say what is going on. She may have some chronic reflux & that is why the Pepcid seems to help. I would definitely take her off the grain free diet & switch her to a sensitive stomach formula. Hill's has an over the counter food for this. The reason I recommend this is many grain free foods actually have more fat added for taste & Mia may have some problems digesting the extra fat. I would try this first, then possibly go to a limited ingredient food made for allergies in dogs. There may also be an infectious component to the cough, so we really cannot rule out chronic bronchitis or heartworm disease. And some of the grain free diets have been linked with heart disease. Your veterinarian can determine if this is a heart problem, pulmonary one, or some kind of esophageal reflux. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.,

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In my opinion your next step is the absolute best option (appointment for bloodwork, radiographs). It is certainly a positive that Nilo is improving, but it is necessary to rule-out any underlying diseases that can have waxing/waning clinical signs. If he has been having diarrhea I typically recommend my patients to also bring a fecal sample so that it can be tested for parasites or other infectious causes of gastrointestinal upset.

Blood work is always a good idea. He may have gastric reflux in which case it is best to feed him multiple small meals throughout the day to keep his stomach from being empty too long. You can also try a trial of Pepcid (famotidine), 5mg once a day in the evening before bed (so 1/2 of a 10mg tablet). Do this for 7-14 days and then see what happens. If no improvement I think you and your vet should do more testing to figure out what may be going on. If this does help, I suggest you consult with your vet about what you did and see what their recommendations are from there. It is not usually a good idea to keep them on famotidine daily forever as it will shut down the stomach's ability to produce any gastric acid which is not a good idea. As a side note, ground beef and steak are really high in fat (even the lean varieties) so I would stop feeding that. High fat diets can cause pancreatitis and vomiting. Boiled chicken or turkey would be better. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

An immediate check up is required as gastrointestinal inflammation/infection may be affecting Max. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Antiemetic medications and antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It sounds possible that Magi may have acid reflux disease. I would inquire with your vet about trying a short course of antacids on her. If that has already been tried, then I would suggest doing some bloodwork to check for any organ issues. And if that again is normal, then a food trial should be done to treat for suspected inflammatory bowel disease. Some good food options here are going to be easily digestible foods such as Royal Canin hypoallergenic HP, Hill's Selected protein PR, or Hill's Z/D Ultra. I hope that you can some improvement with Magi's vomiting episodes with the suggestions above. Best of luck and take care.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I suspect that the tablet got stuck in the throat or esophagus but then it got dislodged. As long as Willow is acting normal now and she is not gagging, vomiting or heaving there is no need to take her to your vets right away. However, I would suggest to give her a small drink of water immediately after she takes a tablet to avoid this problem in the future.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Lola. From your description, I do not suspect she has bloat or a possible blockage. If she had bloat, you would see restlessness, pacing, anxiety, excessive drooling, trying to vomit but not being able to, and a bloated stomach. A blockage would typically have symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and lethargy. The heaving spells are concerning, however, and without seeing her in person, I can't say if she will be ok or not. I am also concerned she has only pooped once in six days. As long as she is eating, drinking, and acting normally, it's fine to wait until tomorrow for her vet appointment. Should she show any of the signs I mentioned above, have her seen by an ER vet immediately. I hope this helps!