My senior GSD on arthritis meds is vomiting and coughing. Why?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. The approach must be logic, starting from offering different kind of food. A check up is needed if inappetence lasts for more than 24hours. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Diarrhea and throwing up can have many causes. It is basically a problem with the stomach and intestines caused by a food over sensitivity, eating something that does not agree with the dog, intestinal parasites, bacterial infection, viral infection, the weather, food change, stress, etc.  I would fast Max for 12 hours and then put him on bland food for two days, such as boiled white rice and boiled white boneless chicken meat, fed in small quantities over several feeds and then transition back to his regular food slowly over a few days. If this does not clear up the diarrhea or if the vomiting increases, or if he gets lethargic, he needs to see a veterinarian for an exam as there may be something more serious such as an infection going on.

Sam certainly sounds like he could be feeling a whole lot better. The contents of the vomit do a look a little odd, sort of grainy and liquefied. It almost looks like he could have gotten into something, or was eating dirt. What kind of medications is Sam taking for his current ailments. Depending on the nature of the liver condition, there are several different medications that should be considered. There is a liver supplement available called Denamarin that is designed to promote liver health and lower increased liver enzymes. I find it very effective in most cases. Depending on the cause of the bronchitis, it may require antibiotics to be resolved or potentially anti-inflammatory medication. If the vomiting is your primary concern at this time, I would give a call to your vet and see if he can prescribe some Cerenia to get it under control. The best thing that can be done would be to get Sam back into the vet to have looked over. With his medical conditions, it would be best to make sure he does not require any hospitalization to get better.

Hello. So sorry to hear that Goliath is having this issue. I would recommend you STOP giving the Meloxicam right away and I would honestly take him in to an emergency vet clinic to be seen right away. I think his dose of Meloxicam is quite high and it may be upsetting his stomach and could be causing some damage to his kidneys. With my calculations he should have been getting 7.5mg once a day, not twice. I would recommend he go in for some bloodwork to check his kidney values and get some additional medications to protect his stomach lining. If his kidney values are elevated he may need to be hospitalized so he can be on fluids to flush out his kidneys. I don't want to scare you but this could be a pretty serious issue. I wouldn't wait too long to have him seen. The longer you wait, the more damage that could be done to his body. I hope this was helpful. I am hoping for the best for Goliath. Dr. Amber

Hi, and thanks for your question. This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or possibly to a tracheitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like we may have two separate problems- a skin problem and a GI problem. The skin itching could be related to food but is more likely related to environmental allergies (which can develope at any age). Another possibility is that it’s actually pain- she is the right age for arthritis and other problems. This may be especially true if it’s over a joint. A foreign body like a thorn stuck in the skin is also possible. For the vomiting, there are many many possibilities. Acid reflux is more common with age. A trial of small frequent meals and Pepcid AC (famotidine) can help. Other possibilities include long-term foreign material (cloth or object swallowed long ago), organ disease (kidney disease, pancreatitis) cancer, and more. Abdominal xrays, full blood work, abdominal ultrasound, and sometimes even an upper GI scope or exploratory surgery may be needed to figure it out. This is a complicated and involved case and we could definitely talk more about it via text or call if you’d like. I believe there is a link below if you’d like a more in dept consultation. Best wishes to you and Hope!

Sorry to hear that Jack isn't acting like himself. Baby aspirin over the course of few days, while not the most preferably of pain relievers in dogs, is not likely to cause significant ailments. Inappetence and vomiting however are some of the side effects caused by the drug, however, and might be to blame in this instance. They can cause gastric ulceration, though this usually occurs in larger quantities or with overdose. If he hasn't been drinking his water for just tonight, I wouldn't begin to panic just yet. If he continues not to drink for another 12 hours and/or vomits with greater strength or frequency, get him into a veterinarian for a diagnostic work up and/or treatment plan to get him feeling better. Be sure you tell your vet the exact point of time he last received an aspirin so that he knows if it is safe to prescribe other types of anti-inflammatory drugs without the risk of cross-reactivity. If Jack struggles with arthritis, he may benefit from having an anti-inflammatory available to him on days when he struggles the most - this would be a discussion for you and your vet to have. I would also encourage you to consider starting him on a supplement that contains fatty acids and glucosamine chondroitin. Hope this makes sense.