I have a dog that has been vomiting for 4 days

[charlieboy29]

I have a 2 1/2 year old cockapoo named Charlie.  He got super sick on Friday night. He was was vomiting and had uncontrollable diarrhea.  We took him to the vet the next day where they took x-rays and checked out everything else. They told us that his stomach was very swollen and inflamed.    He received a shot to make him stop throwing up and also to rehydrate him.  They gave us pepcid and also a liquid antibiotic.  For about 24 hours he was not vomiting, but Monday morning and Tuesday morning he has thrown up, but just in the morning.  Charlie is very lethargic and seems very unhappy.  He also has not gone #2 since Saturday morning.  It's also very difficult to get him to eat his bland diet and drink water.   What should I do next??

[Jaybay]

If he doesn't want to eat, don't force the issue.  Dogs know when they can and cannot handle food.  As raw as his stomach and esophogus must be by now, you don't want to promote more vomiting.

As ginger mentions, fluids are the most important factor.  The rule of thumb that my vet and I go by is that if the dog cannot hold down water for 24 hours, it's time to go back to the vet for IV fluids and more testing.  Your dog definitely needs a more in-depth workup.  Please don't wait and get right on the phone first thing in the morning!  

Also, check your dog's gums.  If they are very light, almost white-looking, you need to find an ER vet immediately.  

[ginger899]

First, he's not really going to do much of a poop, if at all, if he has not eaten. Also, from what you said, he must have been pretty well 'cleaned out' Friday. So maybe there isn't much inside him to 'do'?
He must still feel sick or he would be ready to eat. What did the vet recommend? Boiled chicken and rice? That would be the usual. But after a very bad bout of vomiting and diarrhea, sometimes just plain rice, in very small amounts is the only thing that can be tolerated for a day or so before introducing chicken.

If his stomach is still very inflamed he will be feeling a bit rotten, and also probably won't want to eat. That's not too bad, as it will give the stomach chance to rest and heal. The most important thing is to get him to drink. That is very important as he mustn't get dehydrated. Try Pedialyte if he won't drink water. If he refuses to drink on his own, then see if you can buy a syringe from the pharmacy (or maybe the vet) that is, a syringe phial, with no needle. Fill it with the liquid, and insert it into the side of his mouth. Get someone to hold his head still if you can. Then gradually release the liquid right into his mouth at the back. Don't do it too quickly, but gradually. He will swallow it.
Remember -fluids are very important. Do this as often as you can during the day. If he gets this down him he might start to perk up a little.

Did the vet say what he thought the cause of this sickness might be?