Thank you Sue,
Now this isn't an uncommon situation to see in a dog her age. If we had any doubt about it, your wee lass reminds us that pups will put all sorts of things in their mouths and challenge their naïve immune system (including bacterial loaded poo from other dogs). And often we can see GI signs like hers arise because they have done so. That said, while bacterial causes (like bacterial gastronenteritis) would top out list, we also have to consider that her signs could arise due to dietary indiscretion (eating something she shouldn’t have), ingestion of a foreign body (ie toys, bones, trash, etc.), toxins, viral infections (ie parvo, distemper, etc), and intestinal parasitism.
Now while eating bacterial laden poo is not going to have done her any good and likely the root of our problem, we can at least breathe one wee sigh of relief if you are sure there was nothing non-edible that could have eaten that could be lodged in her gut (since that would require an urgent vet visit if we had any doubt).
With that aside, you can consider trying to settle her stomach at home. First, I saw you were withholding food to settle her stomach. I would say that this is fine but we don't want to do it for too long with her being so wee. Therefore, I tend to say no more then 6-8hours since the last vomit (if she does still keep vomting then its a red flag we likely need an anti-vomiting injection from her vet to get her settled). She should have access to water at all times, but in small amounts since over drinking can induce vomiting as well. (if she does have a reasonable amount of water and cannot keep that down, then we'd have to again consider having her seen sooner so that she can be treated with anti-vomiting/sickness medication.)
If you haven’t seen further vomiting by that point, then I would advise giving her a small volume of a light/easily digestible diet. Examples of this would be boiled chicken with rice, boiled white fish and pasta scrambled eggs (made with water and not milk), or cottage cheese with rice. There are also veterinary prescription diets that can be used in cases of gastroenteritis, (ie Hill’s I/D or Royal Canin’s sensitivity). You want to offer a small amount (1 tbsp) and if she keeps that down, a bit more can be offered about thirty minutes later. If no vomiting is seen, then you can increase the volume you are feeding. I usually advise that the diet be continued until the vomiting is settled, and that they are then slowly weaned back to their normal diet over a week.
To address her likely nausea, you can try her with an antacid. There are a number of antacids that are available over the counter and pet friendly. I would advise only treating with one, but the two I tend to recommend are Pepcid (LINK) or Zantac (LINK). This medication of course shouldn’t be given without consulting your vet if he does have any pre-existing conditions or is on any other medications. Ideally, it should be given about 30 minutes before food to ease her upset gut signs.
If you are concerned that she is become dehydrated, then you do want to check her hydration. When checking a pet's hydration status, there are a few things we can test. One is whether the eyes appear sunken, if the gums are tacky instead of wet/moist, and whether the pet has a "skin tent" when you lift the skin. To see how to check these parameters for dehydration, you can find a wee video on this HERE. If she is already showing signs of dehydration, then we’d want to have her seen urgently since this often requires more then just home treatment to get them back on track.
If after resting her stomach, the vomiting has settled, you may be able to offer or even syringe feed her pedialyte. A typical maintenance rate for hydration in an animal is 48 milliliters per kilogram of body weight per day. This value will give you the total she needs for the day (though doesn’t take into account vomiting losses) and is a good starting point to give you an idea of her daily requirement. If she vomits when you have given pedialyte, I would discontinue this as a therapy. (since we don’t want her vomiting more because of our intervention). As well, if her vomiting hasn't settled, then syringing won't be an option without anti-vomiting medication from her vet.
Furthermore, there are some anti-diarrheals that can be used in dogs to slow things down for their gut. As I am sure you appreciate, these would not be a cure (since cures would depend on the culprit and might include antibiotics or anti-parasitics, etc.) but would slow the diarrhea to aid the body potentially absorb more water/nutrients then it would have if the diarrhea were unchecked. In regards XXXXX XXXXX options for your wee one, the one we most commonly use in dogs is Kaolin/Kaopectate (More Info/Dose) available from your local pharmacy. Furthermore, Protexin Pro-Fiber (which is available OTC at vet practices; example) would be another option. All will slow diarrhea and the Pro-Fiber has the bonus of providing support to the delicate good bacteria of the GI.
If you initiate these treatments and do not see improvement over the next 12-24 hours (especially as she a younger with little body reserve) or she cannot keep water down, then I would advise following up with her vet so that they can address possible causes of vomiting. The vet can have a feel of her stomach and just confirm something is not stuck. As well, they can treat her with injectable antibiotics (since she has a history of self dosing her with bacteria) and anti-vomiting medication to settle her stomachs and help her get back to feeling like herself.
I hope this information is helpful.
If you need any additional information, do not hesitate to ask!
All the best,
Dr. B.
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