Dog vomiting, loss of appetite

[JanS]

Dear Vet,
Our dog Luna has been unwell for several days now. She has vomited several times. She did play with energy today. But tonight she did not want to go outside to walk her round. Yesterday she left her wet food. Today she ate it but threw up again. She did eat kibble between meals but is not very appetitive. I dare not give raw meat because I am afraid of infections if her stomach is not right. Could a possible cause be that we accidentally gave partially frozen raw meat 2 days ago? It was only 3 hours out of the freezer. All advice welcome.
Kind regards

 

[Dr. Christina]

There are so many different possibilities for an upset stomach. Have you done a search of the library for vomiting? And so many questions to help narrow it down. Any possible toxic exposures, change of laundry soap, new furniture, painting the house, over heating, stress in the house, etc. More is in this article.

Do you have a local holistic vet or a virtual one on your health care team? If so, do contact them now. If not begin now the process of finding one. Read this article.

Often the first step when there is an upset stomach is to fast for a short time. How much, about does she weigh? 20# and less - fast only for a few hours, 50# or so fast for up to 24 hours. then begin with a small amount. So do not leave kibble out free choice. If she vomits immediately after drinking - give ice cubes, or very very small amounts of water.

do your own physical and these may help you a bit:

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(though about heart - still good to do as part of whole exam - Non member login | Holistic Actions!

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Be sure you enter all these symptoms in your journal.

You can safely give vibrational essences. There are some for digestive issues that you would have in your holistic first aid kit. Or you can get rescue remedy at any health food store and often even regular pharmacies. Put 4 drops in an ounce of water and give a few drops - even on the nose. Always good to do.

If you are trained in any energy methods do remember to use them. If not - think about adding them to your skills - pick one for starters - Reiki, HTA (healing touch for animals), EFT (emotion freedom technique), Bengston Method, Eden energy medicine, Tellington TTouch, Acupressure, Chi Gong, Tui Na, Tong Ren, WEBB

If Luna feels better tomorrow after fasting, etc. this evening, then be patient even if she is not as active in the afternoon or evening. Start with some bone broth, raw goats milk or something else bland, and only a small amount. See what happens. Look for the overall trend. If the physical exam you do seems normal and the temperature is normal, then you can wait a little more.

If your home exam showed problems (and you can repost here), or Luna is less active overall, then you may feel more comfortable going to your vet.

If you are not sure, and just want to speak with someone, I can usually work people into my virtual coaching practice.

Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Could a possible cause be that we accidentally gave partially frozen raw meat 2 days ago?

Probably not.

What's Luna's age, and has she seen your local vet recently? If she is older and has not had an exam in the past few months, or blood work in the past year, now may be a good time to do so. In addition to the great ideas that Dr. Christina shared.

 

[JanS]

Luna is 1.5 years old. She now is energetic again, runs a lot and she has a normal appetite again. Her energy is normal. She did throw up this morning with an empty stomach and she has been vomiting about 2x a week for the past few weeks. Is this something to worry about? Would blood tests be useful, if so which ones, or an ultrasound of the stomach?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Jan!

Great news about Luna being back to herself

Is this something to worry about?

No. However it is something to investigate in the ways that Dr. Christina mentioned. The HA! 101 course is a great place to start!

A vet exam and baseline blood and urine tests like a CBC, biochemical profile, wellness profile, urinalysis and 4DX with a reflex C6 will help inform your decision.

You can also schedule one of the HA! community calls with Dr. Christina or I to help decide on your next steps.