# Mika has a sensitive stomach



## LinzFair (Oct 10, 2010)

I could really use some advice here, you are all so knowledgeable when it comes to dogs. 

So Mika just turned 3. We recently moved from Canada to Boston, and that is when the poor little girl starting gertting sick. I was feeding her Fromm's dry food, she had been on this for over 2 years. She then started throwing up her food about an hour after eating, this happened 5 times in a week, so I took her to the vet, had her checked out, and they recommended feeding rice and chicken for 5 days, and switching foods. They also recommended giving her 2.5 mg's of pepcid ac which really helped her. While she was on the chicken and rice there was no vomiting.

After the bland diet I switched her onto Halo dry food, which she loves. That seemed to work very well, and for about 3 weeks she was keeping her food down. Then she started throwing up again, so back to the vet we went. The vet gave her another full health checkup and tests, all of her levels were normal, and the vet recommended the gastro food which I have gradually transitioned her to.

It has been about 2 weeks since then and just last night about 3am she threw up, and also this morning, and again tonight. She seems to be feeling fine, and is wagging her tail and keeping hydrated, but I am not sure what to do from here. I am interested in home cooking for her, but if anyone has had any similar experiences or advice on how I can help here that would be great. I am thinking I will take her back to the vet and get her perspective as well.


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

LinzFair said:


> I could really use some advice here, you are all so knowledgeable when it comes to dogs.
> 
> So Mika just turned 3. We recently moved from Canada to Boston, and that is when the poor little girl starting gertting sick. I was feeding her Fromm's dry food, she had been on this for over 2 years. She then started throwing up her food about an hour after eating, this happened 5 times in a week, so I took her to the vet, had her checked out, and they recommended feeding rice and chicken for 5 days, and switching foods. They also recommended giving her 2.5 mg's of pepcid ac which really helped her. While she was on the chicken and rice there was no vomiting.
> 
> ...


I'm wondering if it could be the stress from the move. I'm not that knowledgable about stomach/intestine issues but think that it could be some gastro issue related to the move. Hope she feels better and welcome. Others more knowledgeable will chime in I'm sure.


----------



## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I would take her to a specialist to find out what is going on. You are fortunate to have Angell Memorial right there in Boston. 

Rebecca Remillard is also on staff there. She is one of the top canine nutritionists in the country if dietary management is recommended.

MSPCA Homepage


----------



## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

If this all was triggered by move sounds like stress colitis in the small intestines to me.

Stress colitis can take some time to calm down. What happens is the intestines inflame and the food cannot get out of small intestines and just comes right back up 

If stress related then stress colitis and if diet related it is inflammatory bowel disease. Since this started from a move it could be that. 

My dex has ibd in small intestines and he cannot digest food properly. He has never had diarrhea ever in almost 7 years and he only vomits and how i know it is small intestinal not large intestinal. Large intestinal is diarrhea related small intestinal is vomitting 

My dd had colitis from metacam and was sick for a month. I had to soak her kibble for a month to get her to keep her food down. It was a nightmare 

are you feeding dry food? If so then this could be why on chicken and rice she keeps it down as it is soft and not with kibble as kibble is harder to digest than soft food. If feeding kibble soak it and feed small meals for 30 days until the intestines can calm down and no longer are inflamed as this is what finally worked for dee dee as dd entire intestinal tract was inflamed as she had diarrhea and vomitting going on. The vet gave her metacam while on steroids which should have never been done and what spun her out of control. 

I will pull up some links for you 


Another thing is megaesophagus which can happen at any age but dogs that have this regurgitate not vomit and the difference is regurgitation is no effort in vomit so the stomach does not pump the vomit just shoots out so it is more obvious. 

Undigested food can be either colitis or ibd. When it surrounds a food change it is usually ibd but when it is medication related or a stressful event occurs usually colitis


----------



## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

Colitis in Dogs

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Dogs

Megaesophagus in Dogs


----------



## LinzFair (Oct 10, 2010)

dwerten said:


> Colitis in Dogs
> 
> Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Dogs
> 
> Megaesophagus in Dogs


This info was so helpful. IBD symptoms are identical with what has been going on with Mika. It mentions that changes in food can be a temporary fix yet symptoms will reappear. I'll be taking Mika to the specialist and I'll ask about IBD.


----------



## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

I'm sorry about little Mika. You have been given very good advice. Yes, kibble is harder to digest. If she were mine, I would put her on a home made diet and no kibble. (You can try a canned diet) Sometimes, drinking water from different locations can cause them to vomit. Do you give her water from the tap? I would keep her on bottled or filtered water. When I travel with my girls, I always bring bottled water for them to drink. Since Mika did well with the chicken and rice, perhaps this can be your "base" food. Of course you will need a good recipe to make sure she gets a balanced diet(vitamins, minerals, etc.) For awhile anyway, I would keep her on a diet that is easy for her to digest.


----------



## njdrake (Apr 23, 2007)

My Zoey has IBD. Once we got her diagnosed she did great with a change in diet. Its been over 4 years and she's had very few problems.
I hope you find out what's wrong with Mika and she gets better soon.


----------



## malteseboy22 (May 25, 2010)

Hi Lindsey, I had Max on the Gastro as well since he had issues and he was on it for 8 months. If it the Royal Canin it does come in a can, which is easier on them. Also I would make sure at night to give him something before bed so he would have something in his tummy overnight, as per the vet. PM me as I have had alot of gastro issues with Max.


----------



## LinzFair (Oct 10, 2010)

Thanks for the tips everyone. We have an appointment with a specialist tomorrow, I'm hoping they can get to the bottom of this quickly.


----------



## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

LinzFair said:


> This info was so helpful. IBD symptoms are identical with what has been going on with Mika. It mentions that changes in food can be a temporary fix yet symptoms will reappear. I'll be taking Mika to the specialist and I'll ask about IBD.


my dex has been on purina ha for ibd of small intestines for 5 years and doing fine and purina ha is a dry hydrolized food. It was the last resort before scoping him which I did not want done. 

The prob if it is ibd of small intestines is it can set off the pancreas which is what happened to him and he was very sick. Once we put him on the right diet for him he has been doing great. 

The vet did say sometimes they get sick after being on a food for a long time but luckily that has not happened with him. 

The internal medicine specialist told me many dogs with ibd cannot tolerate chicken so why i was thinking more colitis since she is tolerating chicken ok. 

IBD does not come up on blood tests usually but ims told me that some will test high on lipase and amylase and some will test positive on cpli which these values are all pancreas related. 

The only true test for ibd is scoping the dog and biopsying the intestines which i am not a big fan off. Best to try to get the right food first.

Ibd dogs if really bad may end up taking tylan powder as it has an anti-inflammatory in it to take inflammation down in intestintes. If really severe they treat with steroids which you want to try to avoid if you can. 

Tylan powder is really bitter so you may have to make capsules as ims gave me capsules and tylan for dd but the probiotics worked for her as ims told me if probiotics did not work then i had to give her tylan. Luckily the probiotics were enough so if you think it is ibd related probiotics would not hurt. I use dds plus from the vitamin shoppe and have for years with dd and it is non-dairy which is why i use it as some dogs are lactose intolerant thus yogurt could make the prob worse

Diet is key with this disease.


----------



## Maltbabe (Oct 10, 2010)

*Water????*

Hi:

Canada's water is delicious and perhaps the change in water is causing this.

Justa thought..... since she does well for 2-3 weeks and then starts again...

Hope this helps :thumbsup:


----------



## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

Maltbabe said:


> Hi:
> 
> Canada's water is delicious and perhaps the change in water is causing this.
> 
> ...


definitely possibility so change to spring bottled water crystal geyser and see if there is a change


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

LinzFair said:


> Thanks for the tips everyone. We have an appointment with a specialist tomorrow, I'm hoping they can get to the bottom of this quickly.


Lindsey - happy you're seeing the specialist tomorrow and hope she or he has answers. Be sure to take questions with you on a little notepad so you don't forget anything. That often happens in a specialist's office and that way you can also write things down. Let up know how things go. Good luck.:grouphug:


----------

