dog vomiting

[rickben7]

My 8 year old lab has been taking rimidyl for her hip dysplasia which she has had for about one year.  She got to the pill dispenser and may have eaten extra pills--I don't know if there were extra pills in the dispenser or if it contained just that day's amount, so I took her to the vet immediately.  They pumped her stomach and kept her overnight on IVs. She was fine the next day.  But since that time, she has had a very sensitive stomach.  She smacks her lips was throwing up all the time 2 to 4 times a day.  I took her to the vet and they suggested  aloe vera liquid and Rx Biotic which I have been using.  I give her some brown rice and chicken soup (made without onions) mixed in with the rx biotic and aloe.  I then give her pepsid and 1/2 pill of the rimidyl and one condraflex.  Then 3/4 of a cup of Newmans own chicken dry food.  (I tried the evo and meet foods, but they were too rich for her.)  I do this two times a day.  In the morning and late afternoon by 4.  She has done very well but occasionally she has to throw up (of course at 3:00 in the morning).  Is it serious for dogs to throw  up?  My vet said it is not normal and even once a month is too much.  But she is otherwise fine.  She now only throws up maybe two or three times a month.  Her stools are normall and no blood when she t\hrows up.  Can I give her tums at night?  She now only throws up in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning.

[Jaybay]

It's hard to tell if it's the rimadyl finally causing the problems here or not.  I had a dog who took it for years for the same problem with no GI issues.  However, any dog on rimadyl long-term should have liver function tests done annually.  If your vet hasn't done this blood test, ask him to do it.

In the meantime, you might try changing to something different like deramaxx.  It's more expensive, but it works even better than rimadyl on any of my dogs who needed an anti-inflammatory.

If your dog can get through a day or two with no meds, that might help calm things down.  His stomach has gone through a lot and is going to be a little iffy for a few days.

How old is your dog?  If she's seven, she's reached senior status and it wouldn't hurt to have a full blood and urine workup to see how her organs are performing.  This kind of vomiting is not normal.  Does she throw up food, or is it primarily slimy bile?

[ginger899]

Basically, do you think the throwing up is due to her having had her stomach pumped? ie, started straightaway afterwards, and she didn't have this before? Rimadyl is a very good painkiller but quite strong. I wonder if this could be upsetting her? For that year she's been on Rimadyl did she throw up any more frequently than she usually would?
I wonder if you could ask your vet to try a different painkiller or anti-inflammatory.
However I think if your dog is on Rimadyl and is vomiting quite frequently, the vet ought to take more notice. It could be a side-effect?