Indigestion (?) - 4 year old Jack Russell

[CatherineP]

My pup is swallowing hard and stretching his neck as if he has indigestion. Twice before he was on cerenia 1 tab for 4 days and omeprazole 2x daily for three days, but I'm not finding this working as great as it once did (this week). He whimpers periodically as if he is in pain when he is going through this. He eats home made food and recently was given Optima adult digestive rabbit with potato dry food which I mix with a little water. He seems to like very much. He gets approx 1/2c (or little less) 2x daily but is hungry in-between. I did give him two table spoons of his home cooked meal this evening 3 hours after his dry food and after our walk; very active boy. Approx an hour later, this indigestion starts and he wants to eat grass which I don't allow him to. Is this indigestion or what? Thanks for your assistance! Video attached

 

[NancyK]

I was wondering what his homemade diet consists of and also how long this has been going on.

Nancy

 

[GinnyW]

..and I would add that I think it's perfectly all right for him to eat the grass, assuming it's clean and unsprayed. It usually helps them throw up the offending bits - a completely mechanical reflexive thing to do.

 

[CatherineP]

I was wondering what his homemade diet consists of and also how long this has been going on.

Nancy

Hi Nancy, Skip started with his homemade diet when he was approximately 2 years old (now 4). Very picky with what he would eat as dog food; doesn't like the same meal for breakfast as dinner. His home cooked diet consists of Beef, turkey, pork, white fish, sometimes chicken (not a fan of salmon) and pumpkin, carrots, green beans and periodically bell pepper, blueberries. I also make his treats (ground oat flour, turkey, apple sauce, banana, egg).

We are travelling for three months and this is the second time in a week he has experienced this issue. Twice back home.

It certainly was a rough night for him last evening and most of this morning. He is better tonight. I gave Skip his rabbit/potato dry food tonight and held his dish up for him to eat. He ate well as usual and so far no movement of his neck. I'll continue to prop his dish up to see if that helps.

Cathy

 

[CatherineP]

..and I would add that I think it's perfectly all right for him to eat the grass, assuming it's clean and unsprayed. It usually helps them throw up the offending bits - a completely mechanical reflexive thing to do.

I am so confused. My vet back home told me not to let him eat grass because this could upset his stomach even more and there may be other plants in the garden that could make him quite sick. He was eating leaves from the fig tree. Our yard is pesticide free.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Cathy!

Thanks so much for posting here about Skip.

I'm so sorry to hear he had a rough night.

Twice before he was on cerenia 1 tab for 4 days and omeprazole 2x daily for three days,

Was there a diagnosis?

My pup is swallowing hard and stretching his neck as if he has indigestion.

Ah, the gulps!

"Coincidentally" I just discussed the same symptoms earlier today. This a common symptom.

Is this indigestion or what?

It may very well be indigestion/reflux, or a host of other potential diagnoses.

Regardless of the diagnostic label, this is Skip's way of communicating an internal energetic imbalance. Possibly related to the food or another environmental trigger.

Are you able to find ginger (capsules, whole ginger, even ginger ale) homeopathic remedies, or Pepcid locally?

Let's discuss this symptom on your next HMDM call in the next few days or next week.

 

[NancyK]

Hi Nancy, Skip started with his homemade diet when he was approximately 2 years old (now 4). Very picky with what he would eat as dog food; doesn't like the same meal for breakfast as dinner. His home cooked diet consists of Beef, turkey, pork, white fish, sometimes chicken (not a fan of salmon) and pumpkin, carrots, green beans and periodically bell pepper, blueberries. I also make his treats (ground oat flour, turkey, apple sauce, banana, egg).

We are travelling for three months and this is the second time in a week he has experienced this issue. Twice back home.

It certainly was a rough night for him last evening and most of this morning. He is better tonight. I gave Skip his rabbit/potato dry food tonight and held his dish up for him to eat. He ate well as usual and so far no movement of his neck. I'll continue to prop his dish up to see if that helps.

Cathy

Do you include a calcium source such as edible raw meaty bones, bone meal or seaweed calcium? Although essential, too much of any of these could cause problems.

As far as grass eating, I know people whose dogs seem to do fine eating it. However, neither of mine ever eat grass unless something is bothering them which is very rare. They are 17 and 18 so this is over many years. If my yorkie eats grass it usually means he is either going to bile vomit right afterwards or later.

Another thing you might consider is if the amount of fat in the food has any relation to his behavior.

Good luck.

Nancy

 

[CatherineP]

Hey Cathy!

Thanks so much for posting here about Skip.

I'm so sorry to hear he had a rough night.

Was there a diagnosis?

Ah, the gulps!

"Coincidentally" I just discussed the same symptoms earlier today. This a common symptom.


It may very well be indigestion/reflux, or a host of other potential diagnoses.

Regardless of the diagnostic label, this is Skip's way of communicating an internal energetic imbalance. Possibly related to the food or another environmental trigger.

Are you able to find ginger (capsules, whole ginger, even ginger ale) homeopathic remedies, or Pepcid locally?

Let's discuss this symptom on your next HMDM call in the next few days or next week.

Hi Dr Jeff, last night was a bit better but now along with the late night gulping he had this weird cough early hours of this morning. I will be taking him to the vet today.

Skip coughed up late yesterday afternoon one piece of tiny carrot. This was from food offered on Tuesday evening. Today, Thursday morning after his coughing through the early hours, (went outside to pee around 3 AM, wasn’t interested in grass to eat), at 8:15 AM, I could hear him drinking a lot of water. He went outside, returned in the house and vomited more carrots. I’m wondering if he has food in his lungs. Just hearing that weird cough and the sound of something loose inside his chest/stomach for him to vomit (hard to explain).

He’s not vomiting any of the rabbit/potato dry food as you can see in the picture, only carrot with a bit of grass. I’ve also attached a video where he’s licking his lips quite a bit, and you can hear one cough and again gulping. Nights are the worst because things had settled down yesterday afternoon.

Unsure if I can get ginger capsules, but I know I can get fresh ginger from the market. How much would you suggest giving him? Cannot get ginger ale.
Cathy

 

[NancyK]

I would not feed raw vegetables to dogs. They are super hard to digest and basically come out the same way they go in. If veggies are fed, they need to be fed in small amounts and cooked thoroughly to reduce the antinutrients and make them more digestible Perhaps this is the root cause of the problem.

Nancy

 

[Dr. Christina]

Welcome, Cathy.

First, there would not be carrot chunks in the lungs. When people or animals vomit, they do sometimes get a few drops of fluid into the trachea, so then they cough.

These vomiting episodes, gulping, and "urping" do seem rather chronic. Hopefully you have taken the 101 course. You may want to review lesson one. A symptom is a clue that there is an underlying energetic imbalance, so the goal is not just giving drugs or holistic treatments to merely stop that symptom.

All the suggestions made can help temporarily, and at this point I think it would be very important to become a client of a homeopathic veterinarian (Dr. Jeff and others can work virtually, even while you traveling) to rebalance the underlying imbalance causing the digestive issues. This would be in addition to the support we are giving you with the HA! resources (go to resources, library, digestive) and the HMDM calls.

Cathy, it may be useful to download and begin using the Healthy Dog Journal. This way you can look at the context of the "urps" and see them in context. What else is happening when these "Periodic" episodes occur? You said they are now when on your wonderful travels, though had happened at home. Have they happened on other trips? What is different on the trips? Could it be you being more stressed on the trip this time? What about weather, which food is fed, attitude, stress, enough sleep, your emotions, etc. The journal also reminds you to keep checking the early warning signs of internal imbalance.

Because of vomiting up the chunks of carrot, for a few days it may be useful to finely chop, or puree Skip's food.

Try one herb at a time (while scheduling your appointment with a homeopathic veterinarian.

The easiest with fresh ginger is to make a tea. You cannot overdose this way and it may be more palatable than fresh ground in the food. 1teaspoon finely chopped ginger, steeped in 1 C water for a good 5-10 minutes. Then give as much as Skip wants. Not sure how much he weighs. A 40 # dog could easily take 1/4 - 1/2 C 2-3 times a day.

If you can find (most groceries have capsules and health food stores for sure) Marshmallow root, it is excellent and super safe for digestive upsets. Powder or tincture.

Fennel and Yucca are useful.

If you can get mail at some point, order healthy gut from animal essentials - Digestive Health for Dogs & Cats | Healthy Gut Herbal Formula | Animal Essentials.

Acupressure can be useful as well. You will see our webinars on that in the digestion section of the resource library.

Your meditation (Kathleen Prasad, Leah D'Ambrosio recordings) with intention to soothe the digestive system may be the very best first aid for Skip right now.

Dr. Christina

 

[CatherineP]

I would not feed raw vegetables to dogs. They are super hard to digest and basically come out the same way they go in. If veggies are fed, they need to be fed in small amounts and cooked thoroughly to reduce the antinutrients and make them more digestible Perhaps this is the root cause of the problem.

Nancy

Thanks Nancy. I never feed the dogs raw veg with their meals. They have had in the past a raw carrot slice, celery slice and cucumber slice to chew on, but now, they no longer. Their meals are always fully cooked. I was actually surprised the carrots, possibly squash/meat came out whole as if never chewed.

 

[CatherineP]

Welcome, Cathy.

First, there would not be carrot chunks in the lungs. When people or animals vomit, they do sometimes get a few drops of fluid into the trachea, so then they cough.

These vomiting episodes, gulping, and "urping" do seem rather chronic. Hopefully you have taken the 101 course. You may want to review lesson one. A symptom is a clue that there is an underlying energetic imbalance, so the goal is not just giving drugs or holistic treatments to merely stop that symptom.

All the suggestions made can help temporarily, and at this point I think it would be very important to become a client of a homeopathic veterinarian (Dr. Jeff and others can work virtually, even while you traveling) to rebalance the underlying imbalance causing the digestive issues. This would be in addition to the support we are giving you with the HA! resources (go to resources, library, digestive) and the HMDM calls.

Cathy, it may be useful to download and begin using the Healthy Dog Journal. This way you can look at the context of the "urps" and see them in context. What else is happening when these "Periodic" episodes occur? You said they are now when on your wonderful travels, though had happened at home. Have they happened on other trips? What is different on the trips? Could it be you being more stressed on the trip this time? What about weather, which food is fed, attitude, stress, enough sleep, your emotions, etc. The journal also reminds you to keep checking the early warning signs of internal imbalance.

Because of vomiting up the chunks of carrot, for a few days it may be useful to finely chop, or puree Skip's food.

Try one herb at a time (while scheduling your appointment with a homeopathic veterinarian.

The easiest with fresh ginger is to make a tea. You cannot overdose this way and it may be more palatable than fresh ground in the food. 1teaspoon finely chopped ginger, steeped in 1 C water for a good 5-10 minutes. Then give as much as Skip wants. Not sure how much he weighs. A 40 # dog could easily take 1/4 - 1/2 C 2-3 times a day.

If you can find (most groceries have capsules and health food stores for sure) Marshmallow root, it is excellent and super safe for digestive upsets. Powder or tincture.

Fennel and Yucca are useful.

If you can get mail at some point, order healthy gut from animal essentials - Digestive Health for Dogs & Cats | Healthy Gut Herbal Formula | Animal Essentials.

Acupressure can be useful as well. You will see our webinars on that in the digestion section of the resource library.

Your meditation (Kathleen Prasad, Leah D'Ambrosio recordings) with intention to soothe the digestive system may be the very best first aid for Skip right now.

Dr. Christina

Thanks very much Dr. Christina! No I have not taken the 101 course but will. I was desperate for answers therefore posted to the forum. I will have a look at everything you suggested.

Our trip started on May 29 and was a nightmare from the start and extremely stressful for the dogs due to not being able to land and when we did, the long lines for immigration and then finally being able to take them out to relieve themselves 15 hours later. Not to mention being stuck in another country for 3 days before finally getting to our destination (with my other dog having issues once landed). It was supposed to be a very simple trip!

We are in the Azores; therefore, I will need to go on line to get a lot of items you suggested due to not having them available here. It's a bit difficult I understand receiving goods from the US, but easy coming out of Spain.

In any event, I had to call the vet (holistic) this morning. They performed an ultrasound on Skip and found his small intestine inflamed and his stomach enlarged. They couldn't see his pancreas due to his enlarged stomach. Skip would not eat this morning and one could see he was in pain as he just laid in bed, not his happy and active self. The vet felt due to his stomach upset, he was eating grass and he picked up something more than grass which has caused his issue (he did have a leaf stuck on his tongue one morning last week that I removed). Nevertheless, they took him away to administer IV fluids.

 

[CatherineP]

Do you include a calcium source such as edible raw meaty bones, bone meal or seaweed calcium? Although essential, too much of any of these could cause problems.

As far as grass eating, I know people whose dogs seem to do fine eating it. However, neither of mine ever eat grass unless something is bothering them which is very rare. They are 17 and 18 so this is over many years. If my yorkie eats grass it usually means he is either going to bile vomit right afterwards or later.

Another thing you might consider is if the amount of fat in the food has any relation to his behavior.

Good luck.

Nancy

Sorry Nancy, I missed your message. I have been given Skip and Amy calcium (baked egg shells blended to powder) for a while now, but stopped a couple of weeks ago because of all the issues.

In the past, my vet advised not to give the dogs raw bones due to cracking their teeth and fragments breaking off that could choke them; therefore, I stopped. I had given them raw chicken feet, which they turned their nose up to. I then baked them and they both enjoyed but then Skip choked; therefore, I stopped (probably 3 years ago). I will need to investigate bone meal and seaweed calcium. With all that the dogs have gone through this past month, I'm so nervous to try anything even cooking for them!

I'm sure it's fine for the dogs to eat grass (so I thought) but when there is other vegetation in the garden that they eat, that can become a real problem.

Pretty amazing that your pups (wonderful, long life they are living) never eat grass. I sure hope Skip will be sorted soon and won't eat any more after this scare!

There probably isn't enough fat in their food IDK (need to be careful with Amy due to her pancreatitis). I remove the turkey/chicken skin (try to buy organic when I can) and cut the fat out of beef, pork if too fatty. One meat Dr. Jeff suggested is rabbit (so did my new holistic vet presently working on Skip), but rabbit is only available on Saturdays where I'm at present. Turkey is a hit or miss and mainly I understand around Christmas.

I do appreciate your assistance! Thank you, Cathy

 

[Dr. Christina]

Cathy, as you are seeing, there are many opinions about what to feed dogs (and cats). Minimizing changes right now is a good strategy. Once you read the nutrition in the 101 class, and both dogs have a homeopathic veterinarian and are responding well to treatment, you can make longer term decisions about diet.

Another resource for you is a gentle veterinarian in Portugal who does phone consults. She is trained in energy work and listening to what the animals tell her. She may be useful for finding supplements and products in Europe, and another member of your vet team.

Even "holistic" vets may not realize the need for treating the whole dog, the underlying energy imbalance, so may just prescribe more natural approaches to stop symptoms. You will learn more and more about this perspective, as you have more time , with the HA! resources.

Most importantly now will be to keep your mind positive, release any worries, and send positive intentions and love to both dogs.

Dr. christina

 

[NancyK]

Sorry Nancy, I missed your message. I have been given Skip and Amy calcium (baked egg shells blended to powder) for a while now, but stopped a couple of weeks ago because of all the issues.

In the past, my vet advised not to give the dogs raw bones due to cracking their teeth and fragments breaking off that could choke them; therefore, I stopped. I had given them raw chicken feet, which they turned their nose up to. I then baked them and they both enjoyed but then Skip choked; therefore, I stopped (probably 3 years ago). I will need to investigate bone meal and seaweed calcium. With all that the dogs have gone through this past month, I'm so nervous to try anything even cooking for them!

I'm sure it's fine for the dogs to eat grass (so I thought) but when there is other vegetation in the garden that they eat, that can become a real problem.

Pretty amazing that your pups (wonderful, long life they are living) never eat grass. I sure hope Skip will be sorted soon and won't eat any more after this scare!

There probably isn't enough fat in their food IDK (need to be careful with Amy due to her pancreatitis). I remove the turkey/chicken skin (try to buy organic when I can) and cut the fat out of beef, pork if too fatty. One meat Dr. Jeff suggested is rabbit (so did my new holistic vet presently working on Skip), but rabbit is only available on Saturdays where I'm at present. Turkey is a hit or miss and mainly I understand around Christmas.

I do appreciate your assistance! Thank you, Cathy

Catherine,

Poultry skin is definitely high fat and some dogs do not tolerate it very well. So for your dog, removing it may be best. I think fat tolerance differs between dogs.

I have been using Better Bones from Four Leaf Rover for calcium and I highly recommend it. It is freeze dried from pasture raised cattle. It contains some minerals other than calcium to mimic feeding bones. It is a fine powder that mixes well with the food. In addition, the form of calcium it contains is hydroxyapatite which is better absorbed than the calcium carbonate that is found in egg shells. Calcium carbonate also acts as an antacid and low stomach acid can cause issues. Dogs need stomach acid to digest well. Anyway, if you decide to try another calcium source I recommend it.

Nancy