Throwing up yellow bile

[emc]

My chihuahua is 1 1/2 years old and since I got her at 8 weeks of age, several times a month she throws up yellow bile. It always happens at around late morning usually at between 11-12 pm. The vet doesn't seem to be too concerned but I'm getting tried of cleaning up. This happens around 3 times a month. Does anyone know what could be causing this and how to prevent it? I heard things like chewing on rawhide, going too long without food and haivng too much variety in food, but none of this seems to make any difference. Any advice would be appreciated. I might add that otherwise she seems healthy with lots of energy. Thanks.

[dragondawg]

My chihuahua is 1 1/2 years old and since I got her at 8 weeks of age, several times a month she throws up yellow bile. It always happens at around late morning usually at between 11-12 pm. The vet doesn't seem to be too concerned but I'm getting tried of cleaning up. This happens around 3 times a month. Does anyone know what could be causing this and how to prevent it? I heard things like chewing on rawhide, going too long without food and haivng too much variety in food, but none of this seems to make any difference. Any advice would be appreciated. I might add that otherwise she seems healthy with lots of energy. Thanks.

If you don't feed in the morning then that's your best first try. Typically in puppies at around 6-8 months of age it's not too uncommon for them to vomit bile in the morning due to acid build up. Usually this goes away as they get older, but for many dogs without a morning feeding, there is continued acid problems in the stomach. I know of one dog in the neighborhood that would eat a stomach full of grass and later would throw it back up. A morning feeding solved the grass eating problem.

If you are already feeding in the early morning (e.g. 7-8AM), then you should consult with your Vet about giving an acid blocker for a couple of months to see if that helps. Also it's not uncommon for a dog to experience GERD or reflux disease. Again an acid blocker or in extreme cases something that increases intestinal motility such as Metoclopromide will help.

If the acid blockers don't work, then your Vet will probably want to scope down into the stomach to look for physical problems. But given the frequency, it's doubtful anything physically is wrong.

P.S. Since your dog is healthy and has a good energy level, there's no need to experiment with different diets.

[emc]

I used to feed her in the morning when she was a puppy. I now give her a biscuit in the morning and break her meal up into 3 small portions, the last portion she gets at around 10:30 at night. The acid blockers looks like something to check out, thanks.

[Seravieve]

I have a rottie/blue healer mix that has a similar problem. He does it more frequently than you doggie. Maybe 2 or 3 times a week. Our vet said that unless its everyday, theres not really a problem. And that we should give him Tums or Pepcid AC... Tums seems to be working so far.. I guess its just an acid stomach build up.. We feed our dogs in the morning and at night.. so Im not too sure.

[emc]

How often do you give the tums?

[mike001]

My dogs always did that. I noticed that it always seemed to be after a huge meal the night before. My vet says it's normal for dogs to do this, they will sometimes eat grass to help settle their stomach. Could be a stressful event from the day before and digestion wasn't proper. I don't mind cleaning it up off the floor, but when it's on the carpeting it has to be done right or it will stain. You could try adding enzymes to the diet too.

[dragondawg]

I have a rottie/blue healer mix that has a similar problem. He does it more frequently than you doggie. Maybe 2 or 3 times a week. Our vet said that unless its everyday, theres not really a problem. And that we should give him Tums or Pepcid AC... Tums seems to be working so far.. I guess its just an acid stomach build up.. We feed our dogs in the morning and at night.. so Im not too sure.

Having a dog throw up 2-3X a week is about 2-3X too much, despite what your Vet indicates. Chances are if you give the dog Pepcid AC (yet another H2 Acid blocker) everyday for 2-3 weeks, you will be rid of the weekly nausea. If the esophagus has been burned enough times by reflux and vomiting, then imagine yourself having severe heartburn everytime you eat. Nothing wrong with giving tums, but it alone really isn't going to suppress the acid long enough to allow healing. Be it dog or human, the stomach will usually try to compensate by producing more acid to restore the pH after Tums. You could still use it in addition to the Pepcid for a couple of weeks before feedings- 1 hr before feeding for Pepcid.

Morning and night feedings works with my puppies. They get about 1/3 of their ration in the morning and 2/3 at night. Probably various other proportions would work just as well.

If a dog is so stressed out that it vomits the next day, then it should be placed on Prozac.

Grass eating may or may not have linkage to stomach acid or a naseated feeling. My 3 yr female eats grass voraciously in the Spring, and has sheldom regugitated it. Best I can figure out is that she just enjoys the smell and taste of it, despite the fact she does not like veggies. In my neighbor's dog, grass eating was directly connected to acid build up.