Dog throwing up a lot of blood

[oceanprotect]

My parents' 7 year old husky/springer mix started throwing up blood (my mother says it is a lot of blood, not just pinkish) on October 31.  He was taken to the vet that evening and given a vitamin k and prednisone shot and re-hydrated.  They have had him on doxycyline and prednisone tablets since then and before we give him those, he is given a carifate tablet to soothe his stomach.  He seemed to be doing well until yesterday (November 6) when he has started to throw up blood again (dark red) and won't eat and has no energy.  This has started since the carifate ran out and he is taking the prednisone and doxycyline without it now.  The initial blood work done showed no signs of toxins and decreased red blood cells.  I am wondering what to do next, what problems could be associated with these symptoms?  Would an x-ray help, and they mentioned something about an auto-immune disease, is that something a dog can overcome?  I don't want him to suffer and I really dont want him euthanized.

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Please don't consider euthanasia until you have exhausted all possibilities!

Please refill the Carafate Prescription and use the entire time that he must be on prednisone and doxycycline.  I would also ask the vet for an anti-emetic (anti-nausea) medication such as Reglan or Cerenia, and I would add Pepcid (at a human dose) to the protocol.  Please give the Pepcid at least one hour away from the Carafate.  

Auto-immune anemias take months to correct but most of them do result in normal blood values.  Patience is important.  Other possibilites include 1. other infectious diseases that are not sensitive to Doxycycline, so a broad infectious disease profile should be performed, 2. GI ulceration and Heliobacter Pylori infection, 3. GI cancers, 4. Other anemias caused by parasites and toxins. 5. Misc. causes.

An abdominal Ultrasound and X-Ray, and barium study may also be helpful.  Please also feed Liver, Heart and other organ meats, at least temporarily.

Ginger is an anti-emetic herb and would help with vomiting also.

[ireneo]

Vomiting blood is an emergency. I do hope he's been to the vet since you wrote this note. Did the vet mention any possibilities the last time you took him in? Can you get more medication for his stomach? If the med helped before, perhaps that's the answer then - a problem in the stomach. But they'll have to do more testing to determine the exact cause and I hope, cure it.