my dog 1 day from kennels was sick today quite a big vomit

Hello John, I'm Dr. Deb.

I recently came online and see that your question about your dog hasn't been answered. I'm so sorry that you've had to wait for a response,but if you still need assistance, I'd like to help if I can.

If I'm understanding you correctly, your dog was at the kennel and one day later he's now sick.
If this is correct, then it's quite possible that he picked up a viral or bacterial infection there (similar to day care for kids). There are other possible causes of vomiting, however, which range from Inflammatory Bowel Disease to dietary indiscretion to a foreign body, etc. Dogs can develop allergic reactions to their food but it usually takes several weeks on the new food for this to happen.

It's possible that you'll be able to treat him symptomatically at home and can avoid a vet visit. If this were my case, I'd suggest the following:

1. Withhold water for 8-12 hours; just give everything a chance to settle down. Then offer small amounts of water or pedialyte through the day.
2. Withhold food for 12-24 hours and then offera bland diet of 1 part boiled chicken (or hamburg) to 4 parts 20-minute white rice. Feed only a small amount at one time, 3-4 times through the day. I would not feed any regular dog food.

3. You can give Pepcid AC (Famotidine) which might help with the nausea although this drug may be difficult to find in the UK. The dose would be 0.25 mg/lb twice a day.For example, the dose for a 50 lb dog would be 10 mg twice a day.

Other options include Omeprazole at a dosage of 1/2 mg/lb once a day. For example, a 50 lb dog could be given 20 mg once a day.

Ranitidine can be given at a dose of approximately 1 mg/lb which would be 75 mg for a 50 lb dog twice a day.

However, if your dog continues to vomit or becomes lethargic or doesn't want to eat or had abdominal pain, then a vet visit might be prudent.

I hope this helps; again, my apologies for the delayed response.

John:
Thanks for the additional information and clarification.

I have seen dogs who weren't able to handle certain brands of dog foods; as soon as they eat it, they vomit. When the food is changed, then they don't. I usually suspect Inflammatory Bowel Disease in these cases since this condition is frequently triggered by certain foods which can cause inflammation in the stomach and intestines.

Dogs can be lactose intolerant similar to humans but it typically causes diarrhea issues rather than vomiting...but it's possible I suppose that dog could also vomit if given milk. I have to wonder if perhaps your parents fed him something else perhaps that they haven't told you about???? Deb

John:
I'm not certain that I think you're necessarily overfeeding Lucas. How much he should be getting depends on the calorie count of the current food.
If he's still got some growing to do and he's not altered yet, by my calculations, he should be eating around 1300 kilocalories a day, give or take 100 kilocalories.

You'll have to do some research online to find the calorie count of dog food since this information is not included on the label.

But, if he's eating the bland diet ONLY, small meals through the day and still vomiting, then it may be time to have him seen.
If he's not vomiting on the bland diet but starts to do so when you slowly, gradually start to reintroduce his regular kibble, then he may have Inflammatory Bowel Disease which I mentioned above. If that's the case, then you'll want to change the protein and carbohydrate in his diet. Take the label of his current food to the pet store and purchase something completely different.

I know you're concerned about him but from the sounds of it, he's not lethargic, he has a good appetite...all of these things are good signs but if he continues to vomit, then clearly something is going on.

Dogs yawn for a lot of different reasons just like people do so I wouldn't read too much into this. And, his reacting to you when you leave the room ...well, my dogs do this to me all the time! Could there be something wrong? It's possible, of course, but other than his vomiting, I wouldn't be too terribly concerned about this other behavior....not yet, anyway.

It sounds to me like Lucas is fortunate to have you in his life; you're doing the best you can for me so I hope that you'll take some comfort in that.

Deb