7.5 month old Shih Tzu: lack of appetite, occasional vomiting

[fvf147]

Hello, My 7 & 1/2 month old Shih Tzu started having lack of appetite a couple weeks ago, but it's only been the past 6 or 7 days that it's gotten worse and she's not wanted to eat an entire meals.

She has on occasion thrown up the white/yellowish frothy/foamy stuff in the wee hrs of the night or early morning.  Only then, only when her tummy is empty.  It's happened every since we first bought her as a tiny pup.  But seems like it's happening more often now, esp since the lack of appetite started.

The morning is the worst, its breakfast that she has started refusing, but sometimes even the lunch she'll pick at or eat slowly, dinner meal has been the best as far as how hungry she seems & she will usually finish w/o any prodding on my part.

This is coming from a dog that used to devour, almost inhale her food & eating was her most favorite part of the day, when she started teething was when she finally started slowing down and eating at a normal pace, but her love of eating didn't change until this.

So far even w/ the lack of appetite, she has remained playful and normal in activity.

Took her to the Vet this past Friday.  Teeth are fine, said temp was slightly over 103 but that the Vet thought it was just due to excitement/nervousness at being there at the vet, she had to be held pretty tight to get that temp reading.  She had gained 4 pounds! since her spaying surgery on Feb. 19.

So w/ all this in mind the Vet wasn't too concerned (unlike me) and said it's probably just a mild case of bilious vomiting syndrome, so she prescribed Zantac (which had to be called into my pharmacy $33), and a probiotic that was called Proviable DC, 10 capsules that was $10.  Also said to try to space out her feedings so that the last one is at bedtime.

She eats 1 cup a day, divided into 3 feedings.  It's Puppy Chow mixed w/ Eukanuba Puppy Growth.  I know, I know... everyone hates Puppy Chow.  I just so wanted to try to not get stuck on a very expensive dog food like we did w/ our Pomeranian who was on Science Diet all her life and died at the age of 13 from cancer.

I've not adjusted that last feeding to bedtime yet, but I have made it much later than it was.  She was eating at 8am, 12 noon & 5 PM.  Since the Vet visit on Fri, she's ate at 8am, 1:30 PM & 7PM.  So far there hasn't been much change.  This morning she hasn't had any of her breakfast.  She's also not a big drinker of water in the mornings, so she's had very little water today also.  But she's always been that way, that part is not new.

The vomiting has never happened every morning, only about once a week, but seems to be more than that now.  Last night I found two more spots in the back of her crate, but I'm not sure if they were there before the Vet visit or not because I might have missed them as I didn't look that good back there.

They did not say at the Vet's what time of day or w/ or w/o food to give these two meds.  So I am going to call back here in a minute to get clarity on that.  Have been doing the Zantac first thing of the morning and at bedtime.  And the probiotic in the evening sometime.  

A friend of mine doesn't understand why I don't free feed like she does her two dogs... but that's just not my personality, I also had trouble housetraining her so a feeding schedule also helped me set a potty schedule and I'm very reluctant to leave that for that reason.  She poops 3 times a day, at 6:30 am, around 10 am & last around 8pm.  That's a lot to do w/ why I haven't moved those feeding up to bedtime like the Vet suggested because I'm wondering how that will affect her poop times.  I'll do it if it helps her just trying to adjust myself I guess.

Would appreciate any suggestions/advise.  Thank You!

[fvf147]

If you read the reviews on Dogfoodadvisor.com there are people complaining of some of the same symptoms even on the five star brands like Wellness & four star brands like Halo.  It's very hard to make decisions when there's so much conflicting information out there.  Some of those people said they've went through over half a dozen of the best brands out there!  How is it that they are the best if dogs are having the same symptoms as dogs on the cheap foods?

I'm confused and aggravated.

[fvf147]

Yes I did read that somewhere, did you give me that link or did I read it elsewhere?  When I do change her food it has to be gradual anyway, I don't have it here I'll have to drive to town to get it, I'm taking her to the vet tomorrow, so why not go ahead and get the blood work and possible radiographics (Vet's word) done just to make sure that organs are as they should be, there's no abnormality... etc.  

I just can't move forward till I know there's nothing physically wrong, do you see what I mean?  

I can't get the food as quickly as some because of where I live, there's not even a walmart in my town.  So that's what I meant by I'm not changing the food till I know the major stuff is checked.  If everything checks out at the Vets, I'll swing by Petco and grab a bag of the Wellness or something.

I've looked at so many dog foods the past week I am so confused and overwhelmed.  There's so many brands, then you've got to look for the puppy versions then you've got so many different flavors and I don't know which to pick, why can't it just be simple... Chicken or Salmon or Lamb etc...

I'm actually stuck between:

Wellness CORE Puppy
Wellness Super5Mix Just for Puppy
Wellness Super5Mix Small Breed Just for Puppy
Halo Spot's Stew Chicken Recipe Puppy

Any thoughts on these?

If I also decide to get treats like the biscuits you recommended I give her at bedtime does it need to stay w/ the same Brand as the dog food I choose?  I noticed that Wellness did have a biscuit treat but hadn't checked on Halo yet.

[Misfits4Me]

"I want anything physical ruled out before I go switching her food, I feel like that will just make things worse at this point until I know she's clear in other areas. "  What if it IS her food that's causing her distress?
You need to read these consumer complaints about Purina.....Alot of them sound like what your dealing with or worse! These complaints come in on a daily basis & today is no exception......Please read-----
Here's the link:  http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/ralston.html

[fvf147]

Well,  the meds are not working for her.  If anything she's throwing up more now.  It was occasional... now it's been every day.

Yesterday I tried to just leave her alone and let her decide when she wanted to eat but that seemed to just make her sicker.  Same today.  When I finally coaxed her to eat some she seemed to perk up and feel better.  

Misfits4Me, I looked over all the links you gave me.  I actually had looked at Wellness Core before at Petco.  But I want anything physical ruled out before I go switching her food, I feel like that will just make things worse at this point until I know she's clear in other areas.  So I guess I'm going back to the Vet.  

The first half of the day seems to be the worst for her, the latter half of the day she starts acting more like herself and a little more enthusiastic about eating.  That's got to be a clue to something, maybe the stomach acid thing & nausea...

I just don't know anymore.

[fvf147]

Thanks so much for the post. I too am short on time & will dissect & digest your post later tonight... But wanted to answer about her weight....

She weighed 7.6 on Feb. 19th, at 21 weeks old, when she had her surgery.  This past Friday she weighed 11, exact age is 31 weeks.

So not exactly 4 lbs, vet said AKC lists acceptable weight range as 9 to 16 for shih tzu.   I was surprised she had jumped up that much, vet said sometimes after being spayed their metabolism slows down.  I have not increased her food at all since then.

About the temp, like I said she said it was slightly over 103, & that she felt like it was from the excitement & nervousness of being there & having stuff done to her.  

Yes it is the same vet office that prescribed the hills prescription diet to our Pom yrs ago, but a different vet, our vet from back then retired. But they do still carry the science & prescription diet because its in the lobby when you first go in.

[Misfits4Me]

Corrections from my first post, They Should read:

(DON'T) even think of feeding any Hill's products

Next: She should be fed twice a day at this age & probably no more than 1/4 to 1/3 Cup (TWICE) per day. Sorry......