Help, I think Ozzy is sick!! =(

[Foam]

Will somebody please give me some advice?
Ozzy just threw up twice, and in his barf I saw some pasta (my parents must have fed it to him, because I didn't eat dinner tonight) something red (maybe clumped together pasta sauce?) and his dinner. He doesn't chew his food! This really scared me..the pasta was whole, and so was his food.
So I set him outside for a while, then took him back in. I was keeping a close eye on him, and I saw him starting to...kind of thrust his head forward and make his throat move. You know like he was about to throw up?
So I took him outside again, and he was eating soooo much grass! He was getting into every plant he could get a hold of, grass, dirt, gravel...I couldn't keep him out of anything!
I let him drink some water, and now he's in my room sleeping on my bed.
I'm afraid because he was acting really weird...he would run up to me, wag his tail and let me pet him like usual, then he would back off and bark at me. So I'm kind of leaving him alone.
He is getting neutered next week, while my family and I are in Mexico for Thanksgiving.
Could somebody please help? Tips, advice, stories or anything that might help him get better? =(

[GoldenRetrLuver]

I'm not an expert, but I think he could have just ate something to make his stomach upset. Daisy once ate her old collar...., ALL OF IT. Thankfully, it passed. ;) If it seems to be getting any worse, I would take him to the vet.

[binka_nugget]

Some people say that dogs eat grass when they feel sick. I don't know if there's anything truth to this...Did you ask your parents if they fed him any food? I think he probably got something that upset his tummy a bit. I'd keep a close eye on him and if he doesn't seem to be getting better in a couple days, I'd check with the vet.

[lovemyshiba]

Obviously, I'm no expert, but I think he's probably fine.
He probably just ate something that didn't agree with him. Check with your parents and see how much pasta they gave him--that could be the culprit--the sauce.
All 4 of my dogs threw up the other day after eating Frosty Paws--apparently those don't agree with them. They were all fine. When Abbey is sick she goes out and grazes a lot more than normal--the grass helps her throw up, because grass is not digestible--that's what my vet told me about her throwing up the grass--their system cannot digest it, so they throw it up. Gross, but some dogs just like to eat it.

I hope Ozzy is feeling better and back to normal soon. Just keep an eye on him, and if his condition worsens take him to the vet.

I bet he'll be just fine.

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by Foam
Will somebody please give me some advice?
Ozzy just threw up twice, and in his barf I saw some pasta (my parents must have fed it to him, because I didn't eat dinner tonight) something red (maybe clumped together pasta sauce?) and his dinner. He doesn't chew his food! This really scared me..the pasta was whole, and so was his food.

Since others have addressed the issue of him throwing up, I'll deal with this issue.

Most dogs do not fully chew their food. It always amazes me that if my dogs throw up just after eating their food is in whole pieces, yet if I'm watching them eat it seems like they chew every bite.
So the fact that the food was not completely chewed shouldn't worry you.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Originally posted by Foam
... He was getting into every plant he could get...
grass, dirt, gravel...
I couldn't keep him out of anything!

OK... :(

The GRASS is normal for a dog with an upset tummy...

Dirt & Gravel :eek: are no-nos...

Possibly you exaggerated a bit?? :confused:

Dirt will probably pass through his system...
The GRAVEL won't be much of a digestive "help".

Tell Oz to stick to the grass. :p

[micki76]

My advice - as always, no people food. If you knew how dangerous it could potentially be to your dogs, you'd never give them another bite. Table scraps (people food) can cause pancreatitis, which can be one episode or a lifetime condition. It's very deadly and very painful when they have an episode.

I'm not saying that's what this is, but warning you that people food is people food and dog food is dog food.

The only exception to this is the BARF diet, because you don't feed processed or extremely fatty foods.

I'm sure the pasta was just too rich for his tummy and he probably feels crappy. But please, no more people food as he's obviously very sensitive to it if pasta upset it. :)

[Twisterdog]

Dogs don't chew ... it's a nasty fact of nature. In the wild, a wolf or a coyote who takes the time to chew loses its food to another wolf or coyote who bolts it down whole. Hence, bolting food down without chewing is a natural evolutionary "survival of the fittest" behavior.

And, another nasty fact of nature ... a dog will eat just about anything, no matter how rotten, rancid, disgusting, bad for them, or completely inedible it is. They usually just throw it back up, or poop it out later. This is ok, they have short, fast digestive tracts, most things just pass right on through. It's when something gets stuck, that there is a problem. I've heard of rawhide knots, panty hose, baby diapers, etc. getting stuck and killing dogs. One of my customers dogs had to have emergency surgery for eating several pounds of gravel. :confused:

Dogs eat stuff, dogs puke stuff up. It's pretty normal. Disgusting for us, normal for them. If it doesn't get worse, I wouldn't worry about it.

Anything fed to a dog in moderation - with the exception of known toxins like chocolate, caffeine, onions, etc. - is not going to harm a normal, healthy dog. Dogs are omnivores, they have developed the ability, over millions of years of evolution, to eat meat, plants and grains. Highly processed food is not good for dogs, just as it is not good for people. But a few bites here and there is not going to cause harm to a healthy dog, just like a candy bar or a Twinkie is not going to cause harm to us, as long as we are not eating twelve Snickers bars every day or something.

[micki76]

Originally posted by Twisterdog
Anything fed to a dog in moderation - with the exception of known toxins like chocolate, caffeine, onions, etc. - is not going to harm a normal, healthy dog. Dogs are omnivores, they have developed the ability, over millions of years of evolution, to eat meat, plants and grains. Highly processed food is not good for dogs, just as it is not good for people. But a few bites here and there is not going to cause harm to a healthy dog, just like a candy bar or a Twinkie is not going to cause harm to us, as long as we are not eating twelve Snickers bars every day or something.

This is not true in a dog with Pacreatitis or a dog that maybe prone to it. Just a small amount of rich food is all it takes to induce Pacreatitis. A few bites here and there could kill a dog with Pancreatitis and at the very least send them into a Pancreatic episode that's very painful and usually requires hospitalization. I live with this everyday and it sometimes takes only one bite to send Chester to the vet. So we don’t even give one occasional bite anymore.

[Cookiebaker]

OK, i know this is gonna sound really gross. When Malone was a small pup, he either threw up or pooped out (I can't remember which) what I thought was spaghetti. When I looked closer I saw it was actually worms. Has Ozzy been dewormed??

If it happens again, or he starts acting lethargic, I would take him to the vet, just to be sure there's not something else going on.

Feel better, Ozzy!!!

[Foam]

Thanks for the advice everybody!! =)
Ozzy is acting perfectly normal now. I think all he needed was a good rest, thank goodness.
I fed him breakfast this morning, and just to be safe I didn't put any wet food with his dry food. I think that helped him to chew it more. since it's not as soft for the swallowing. ;)
Now he and Darlin are outside, and playing.
I think you guys were right. Just a little belly ache. ;) Thanks again!!

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by micki76
The only exception to this is the BARF diet, because you don't feed processed or extremely fatty foods.

Actually pancreatitis is commonly seen in dogs that are on BARF. The raw meat is very high in fat and phosphorus. It's usually recommended that your dog gets a calcium supplement to balance out the ratio of calcium and phosphorus. :)

I agree with everyone though; the pasta must not have agreed with him. Was there anything else in the pasta, or was it just plain?

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by wolfsoul
Actually pancreatitis is commonly seen in dogs that are on BARF. The raw meat is very high in fat and phosphorus. It's usually recommended that your dog gets a calcium supplement to balance out the ratio of calcium and phosphorus. :)

I agree with everyone though; the pasta must not have agreed with him. Was there anything else in the pasta, or was it just plain?

Do you have a link that supports this that I can read?

Dogs on a BARF diet aren't supposed to get a lot of raw meat. It's supposed to be raw meaty bones, not just raw meat.
I always cut the fat off their bones before giving it to them.

[Twisterdog]

Originally posted by micki76
This is not true in a dog with Pacreatitis or a dog that maybe prone to it. Just a small amount of rich food is all it takes to induce Pacreatitis. A few bites here and there could kill a dog with Pancreatitis and at the very least send them into a Pancreatic episode that's very painful and usually requires hospitalization. I live with this everyday and it sometimes takes only one bite to send Chester to the vet. So we don’t even give one occasional bite anymore.

I know. That's why I said, "Anything fed to a dog in moderation - with the exception of known toxins like chocolate, caffeine, onions, etc. - is not going to harm a normal, healthy dog.

:)

[micki76]

Originally posted by Twisterdog
I know. That's why I said, "Anything fed to a dog in moderation - with the exception of known toxins like chocolate, caffeine, onions, etc. - is not going to harm a normal, healthy dog.

:)

Chester was a normal, healthy dog for almost 4 years until one day several months ago. Then pancreatitis struck and he's since had several episodes.

Pancreatitis is normally caused by 'human' food. Sometimes it's caused by large quantities of human food, but sometimes it's caused by small amounts, like in Chester's case.

He never got more than a bite or so at a time.

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Shelteez2
Do you have a link that supports this that I can read?

Nope, I don't know any links, but feel free to look yourself. :p

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by wolfsoul
Nope, I don't know any links, but feel free to look yourself. :p

Well I have researched the BARF diet quite a lot and have never read that many dogs on the diet suffer from pancreatitis like you stated. That's why I was asking if you could support your statement :)

[Uabassoon]

Shelteez here is a site for you that says the guy who created the BARF diet said that pancreatitis is a possible side affect.. here's the quote from the web site.

Now before you try to argue with me or anything, I'm not saying that the majority of dogs on the BARF diet get sick. I do believe it is a great diet, but I do now that pancreatitis is a possible side affect from it.

"In his book, ["The Barf Diet," 2001] Dr Billinghurst mentions pancreatitis as a possible hazard when starting the Barf Diet. He says that this is more likely in the overweight dog receiving too much fat from, for example, fatty lamb. He himself recognises that fat causes pancreatitis and I must assume that he has encountered this condition several times on the BARF Diet."

http://www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk/BARF_Raw_Food_Diet.htm

[wolfsoul]

The benefit of meat for dogs is protein not enzyme. Secondly, cooking the meat makes it much more digestible as raw meat has indigestible collagen proteins. In the wild, mother dogs eat the meat from a kill and regurgitate for their pups - serving predigested meat. In addition, raw meat is very high in fat. Thousands of dogs die every year from Pancreatitis, and some are disabled by this disorder after being fed a raw meat diet for a short time. Not only is raw meat high in fat, but the pancreas is made to produce enzymes. Supplementing with too many live enzymes can cause the pancreas to shut down. If your dog has Pancreatitis and you aren't aware of it – a high fat diet of raw meat could kill them.
I know this is an anti-barf site, but you wanted an addy... http://secondchanceranch.org/rawmeat.html

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by Uabassoon
Now before you try to argue with me or anything, I'm not saying that the majority of dogs on the BARF diet get sick. I do believe it is a great diet, but I do now that pancreatitis is a possible side affect from it.

"In his book, ["The Barf Diet," 2001] Dr Billinghurst mentions pancreatitis as a possible hazard when starting the Barf Diet. He says that this is more likely in the overweight dog receiving too much fat from, for example, fatty lamb. He himself recognises that fat causes pancreatitis and I must assume that he has encountered this condition several times on the BARF Diet."

http://www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk/BARF_Raw_Food_Diet.htm

Thanks for the interesting read.
Dr. Billinghurst's book was so poorly written that I had a hard time getting through it and so probably didn't take much from it.

The only problem I had with this article was the author assuming that he [Dr Billinghurst] has encountered this condition several times on the BARF Diet. I hate people that just assume things. Why couldn't he have assumed he'd seen it lots in patients that were overweight and had been given fatty table scraps?? :)

What I do like about this article is it isn't quick to condemn the other side, or the opposite view. He says raw may be good for some and cooked may be good for some and I agree with that.
I hate when people think their way is the only way.

Thanks again for the link! :)

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Shelteez2

. He says raw may be good for some and cooke may be good for some and I agree with that.

I agree. Dogs don't come with labels saying "This dog will get sick, and this dog won't." Dogs will react differently to different diets. :)

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by wolfsoul
I know this is an anti-barf site, but you wanted an addy... http://secondchanceranch.org/rawmeat.html

well that was......interesting to say the least......;)

Here's a quick read for you :)

http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/PottsCats.html

[wolfsoul]

I've read that before.

[Blue Heeler]

B.A.R.F. itself is not to blame for the pancreatitis, anyone who doesn't know how to feed their dog can cause it. Even if you feed kibble (which your dog can just as easily get sick on) your dog may get it if you feed it fatty foods. It all boils down to moderation in all things.

BTW,, hello everyone.. I'm new here.. :D

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Blue Heeler
B.A.R.F. itself is not to blame for the pancreatitis, anyone who doesn't know how to feed their dog can cause it. Even if you feed kibble (which your dog can just as easily get sick on) your dog may get it if you feed it fatty foods. It all boils down to moderation in all things.

BTW,, hello everyone.. I'm new here.. :D
Weclome to PT! :D

You're right, the diet itself isn't to blame. It can very much be blamed on the choices of meats that the owner buys. Lean meats are good because they don't have as much fat in them. Some of the richer dog foods can cause pancreatitis. Innova is a great dog food, and very high quality, but is often very rich and won't agree with a dog's stomach.

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by Blue Heeler
BTW,, hello everyone.. I'm new here.. :D

Well well, fancy seeing you here! ;)

You should do a intro in dog general and show some pics of your beasts :D

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by wolfsoul
Innova is a great dog food, and very high quality, but is often very rich and won't agree with a dog's stomach.

I have heard that about Innova before. I'm glad that my dogs don't have a problem with it as they love it a lot! The one bad thing I've noticed is that there seems to be more tartar than usual on their teeth since they've been eating it, but then the raw bones take care of that so I guess it's all ok in the end.