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Several Vomits

My bullmastiff has vomited several times today.  The vomit was green with a strong oder but after he drank some water the vomit was clear.  What should I look for to know it is more than just an upset stomach?
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802730 tn?1237904808
Thank you for the reply to my post.  Because Sheba was put on a special anti-allergen diet for her allergies and I was putting Pilocarpine Hydrochloride Ophthalmic Solution drops in her food beginning this past December it makes me wonder if all those changes upset her whole system.  I started keeping a special calendar in January to document how much she was eating each day because she was resistant to the new food.  The diet began in December.  

The first time I noticed Sheba eating toys was in January when she grabbed the small 6-inch Loofa dog from our 2-year old Schnauzers.  We have four dogs total after rescuing Bella & Scooter in October 2008.  I'm hoping they didn't cause her undue stress, but she was doing really well and actually liked to play with them at night.  The Loofa dog had been de-stuffed and the stuffing picked up and thrown away.  I caught Sheba with the remains in her mouth and realized she was actually starting to swallow it so I pulled it out of her throat.  I didn't write the date of this incident, but on January 24th she also ate a piece of rope toy.  After this incident I made sure not to let the dogs have all their toys spread all over the living room floor.  On Feb 23 and Feb 24 Sheba came inside after doing #2 and ran straight to her bed, turned on her side and cried out like something was hurting her.  I told the vet about this, but because Sheba had anal sac issues we discussed the pain of that being similar to hemorrhoids in people so we dismissed it.  In hind-sight I'm guessing it must have been something else causing the pain.

She ate the stuffed toy giraffe leg on March 3rd, passed it on March 6th.  We had our regular vet visit on the 5th to check her eyes, skin and nose; all went well.  Then on Sunday, March 8th is when she threw up.  I also remember her spitting out her Heartguard pill on March 1st, but I then rolled it in some soft dog food so she'd take it.

It is very hard to accept and I know I need to let it go, but I love Sheba so much and only you who have been so bonded to a dog can understand this feeling.  I updated her Dogster page to make it a permanent memorial to her except I've got to scan her older photos to add later.  http://www.dogster.com/dogs/706858

And I lit a candle for her at this site: http://www.dotsphinx.com/lightacandle/public/add/?thread=19059.  Anyone can "dedicate to topic" to add additional candles which will be permanently linked to mine in her memory.  


Helpful - 0
675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
There's something about the purity of a dog's love that makes losing them that much harder. When my other dog died at 14, I had never been so sad about anything, in my life, and I dread the day when it is time for my Misty to leave me.

What makes a dog suddenly take to doing something they had not done before? I don't know. All I can get from intuition is that it is possible subtle changes in health affects behavior. It's almost as if your Sheba was reverting to puppy-like behavior towards the end. That isn't your fault. You didn't know she was going to start eating those toys! After all, she'd never done that before.
What I can't get is that you say on the Monday 'there were no signs of any obstructions', so I presume the vet x-rayed or scanned her for this and nothing showed up. It could have been as a result of eating the toys that an infection set up, but it also could have been an unrelated infection. She might have started this unusual behavior because she had started to feel strange in some way, for a while, unknown to you? Dogs are very good at keeping things that bug them hidden away until the point at which they get really ill. But it could affect their behavior.

It is so sad. It is the worst thing to lose your dog. I know, from personal experience. But there comes a time, an irrevocable time in a dog's life when it simply is....time to leave. We never want them to go, but we can't stop that time. Light a candle for your Sheba. Treasure her ashes, put photos of her up on the walls. Talk about her life, her character, the fun you had together. Write about all those things. Paint pictures of her.....I know, I did all those things. And cried....some, and then some more. Give your other dog Spike,as much love as you can, because he'll be missing her too.
Take care. I kind of know what you're going through right now. Ginger.
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802730 tn?1237904808
When you say it can be something more serious can you please elaborate?  I posted this in a blog on March 13, 2009, two days after I lost my 13 year old companion.

I'm having a hard time understanding why Sheba decided to eat the other dog's stuffed toys.  Sheba ate a stuffed dog toy leg on March 3rd.  She took the toy from Bella and ran to her bed with it chewing away.  It didn't take her long at all because once I realized what she was doing I took it away then noticed the leg missing. I searched under the furniture and the dog beds, but it was no where.  I knew she swallowed it at that point.  That upset and worried me because it had a large part on the bottom that I didn't think she'd be able to pass.  The vet and I talked about it during our regular visit last Thursday, but because Sheba was still acting normal and not throwing up we decided she'd passed it already.   I scheduled her for a dental because her breath was smelling really bad.  She actually passed the toy on Friday morning.  I saw it in her feces....it was the leopard coloring which I have no doubts at what I saw.  She may have actually eaten a Loofa dog too because the feces I located and took to the vet's office on Tuesday contained the face of a Loofa dog toy, but that puzzles me.

On Sunday morning I gave her medication in soft dog food as always (2 Benadryls,1 Vitamin E UI200, and Pilocarpine drops), but she threw it up and refused to eat.  She vomited throughout the day.  I kept giving her water to keep her from getting dehydrated.  She refused to eat in the afternoon also and would not sleep Sunday night, but she wasn't stumbling or acting real weak so I decided to wait to get her into her regular vet's office on Monday because she knows Sheba's background and meds she was taking.  I got two hours sleep Sunday night and was contemplating taking her to the emergency vet.

Monday she had a fever, high white blood cell count, was mildly dehydrated and was moving very slow.  She was doing much better each day, but was still fighting a bad infection.  All the tests came back good and there was no signs of any obstructions.  I was scared something from the toys were caught in her system somewhere.

Tuesday she was doing even better at the vet's office, barking at the staff and getting around good.  At home Tuesday evening she only wanted to stay on her bed, but did move around a little.  She looked so tired, but was more alert and would watch me closely.  She appeared to sleep good that night.

Wednesday she was doing good too, but took a turn for the worse just as the vet was about to call me to say they were going to release her and put her on oral anti-biotics.  I am so thankful  I was able to make it over there and hold her paws, pet her and kiss her head before she crossed Rainbow Bridge.  I'm not sure if she knew I was nearby, but if there is truly a place called Rainbow Bridge she knows.

I'm having problems dealing with this and keep beating myself up with guilt.  What in the world would possess her to start swallowing toys??  In all these years she has never eaten anything strange; only dog food and treats.  She was 13 years old and doing better with her allergies, but had arthritis.  I stopped giving her treats and she's been on a special anti-allergen diet since December '08 and I wonder if she was doing that because she was still hungry.  Or was she jealous of the new dogs who are very active and play most of the day. I think the toys contributed to her problems and probably put toxins throughout her body.  That is my fault for having those toys around for her to get hold of.  I have no idea how or when she got hold of another Loofa toy because I've accounted for all the ones we have.  I took the pink one to the vet's office to let them know I located it.  I also have orange, green and red ones.  I had a blue one which was six inches long, but caught Sheba eating that one a couple months ago and pulled it out of her throat before she completely swallowed it.

My husband wanted a necropsy done at LSU and I also wanted to know what happened to my baby because I just knew she had some remnants of a toy still stuck inside somewhere so I drove her to LSU Wednesday afternoon.  I left her there, but went back to get her yesterday morning because the Pathologist called to let me know they cannot release the body for private cremation if the necropsy is performed there.  I couldn't bear the thought of my baby being thrown in a pile with other dogs, horses and cattle for a mass cremation.  I wish someone could change this policy because it is ridiculous.  I took Sheba back to the vet's office here so she can have a private cremation.

Thank God for my Dogster friends especially Sandi in CA for all her support.  She reached out to me after Miracle’s passing and I just had to call her about Sheba.  We talked almost all my way back home from LSU Wednesday night.  She was so kind to contact Melanie whom I’d also received a tremendous amount of support during Miracle’s crossing.  Melanie called me a few minutes after I arrived home around 10 p.m. It helped a whole lot to speak with two caring and loving friends whom I’ve never met.  It also helped me yesterday morning when I spoke with two ladies at LSU. We talked about dog’s problems as they age, etc.  It probably was Sheba’s liver shutting down, but I still can’t help but wonder if I caused it to exacerbate by allowing her access to the dog’s toys.  


I was thinking of bringing her home to bury next to Miracle, but with my husband talking about us possibly moving I couldn't stomach the thought of putting her in the ground then digging her up to take her with us.  I've already been having problems over that about Miracle lately.  Sheba will have her private cremation. She'll come back in a nice little box which I plan to keep at the head of my bed because that is where Sheba.slept at night right there on my right side next to my pillow.  I'm missing her so much.  I updated her Dogster page today to reflect a memorial tribute to my special angel. http://www.dogster.com/dogs/706858.

Last night Spike slept in Sheba's spot on the bed right next to me.  He didn't leave my side all night long. It's the first night I could sleep a little, but I woke up at Midnight then a couple times in the early a.m.   I plan to read the book "Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates" again for extra comfort.  Sheba is in God's hands now waiting with my other fur babies for me to join them at the Rainbow Bridge.
Helpful - 0
82861 tn?1333453911
Wow.  I sure hope you took him to the vet by the next day.  When a dog vomits bile and can't keep water down that can be serious.  General rule of thumb: if a dog vomits food, that's an upset stomach.  Vomiting on an empty stomach (bile only) and inability to keep water down can mean any number of things, none of which are very good at all.

I'm so sorry I wasn't here when you originally posted and that he's doing better now.
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