My senior dog has monthly vomiting and diarrhea. What's the fix?

I’m so sorry Chibbu is sick. It sounds like the cough and limping are better but now the concern is vomiting, diarrhea, and not wanting to move much. The vomiting and diarrhea could be due to antibiotics If he is still on them, it could be due to the diet change (milk can cause upset stomach as most dogs can’t digest it well), or it could be due to whatever is going on. I am particularly worried for organ disease or failure (liver and kidney) and possible cancer. With his age and signs, I would definitely get into a vet if possible. Blood work and X-rays/ultrasound would be a good place to start to find out what’s going on.

Chronic vomiting is always a good reason for concern, it could be a sign of an internal disease such as a tumour, kidney failure or pancreatitis among other things, you should take Wolfie to the vet in order to get it checked, he will need to have a blood test done so the vet can gather some more information.

Vomiting that often in an older dog that still has an appetite and is drinking water can be a sign of something stuck in the stomach or a mass. If Kruzer ate a ball, toy bone or something in the yard it may not be able to pass and may sit in the stomach causing irritation and vomiting. As this has been going on for a few weeks I recommend taking him in for abdominal X-rays. They should be able to see if the stomach is normal and if there is anything stuck in it. If he's losing weight and not feeling well then I would run a blood panel also to check his organ function. Once they have a diagnosis of the cause of the vomiting they can then proceed with treatment. If he has something stuck in the stomach sometimes surgery is needed to remove it. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kruzer.

That is very concerning that she is not eating, vomiting, and losing weight. If blood work is normal than your vet could do x-rays and/or an abdominal ultrasound to look for abnormalities. Your vet could also do an ACTH stim test to make sure she is on the correct dose of vetoryl. Your vet could also treat with an anti-nausea medication called Cerenia and an antibiotic called Metronidazole to see if that helps with the vomiting and diarrha. Hope she feels better soon.

Glad to hear that the vomiting was resolved with Cerenia. This is usually a pretty good indication that there is no serious obstruction within the upper or lower intestinal tract. If there is continued diarrhea, the addition of an antibiotic / anti inflammatory such as metronidazole would be my next step. You can certainly use medications such as pepto bismol or maalox but I do not find them to be very effective. They do not actually address inflammation in a particularly effective manner. Another possibility unfortunately that can not be ignored in an 11 year old animal are certain types of cancer. However, I would not truly begin to consider this strongly unless there has been a longer history of problems, including weight loss and muscle wasting. Hope this makes sense.

It sounds like she needs to be examined and treated by a vet right away. She may be getting dehydrated and need some fluids, either subcutaneously or intravenously. Your vet can also run some blood work and other tests to help determine the cause and evaluated the function of all her organs. It is very concerning that she is not eating and is very weak. I don't think this is something that should be treated at home with OTC medications. If she has a gum infection then she may need an antibiotic to treat the infection. Call your vet or take her to an emergency clinic for treatment. Hope she feels better soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vomiting and diarrhea can be caused by many conditions primarily gastrointestinal in nature such gastroenteritis and gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction or other conditions such as pancreatitis or kidney disease. I recommend that you have your pup evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include abdominal imaging and general bloodwork. You could try a bland diet composed mainly of boiled chicken and white rice which is easily digestible and can help with an upset stomach. Good luck and have a great day!