Vomiting dog! Please help!

[Ringwench]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the forums and I really hope someone can help me.

My 15 month old dog, Beans (he's a male Boston Terrier/Pug mix) has been vomiting a couple of times a day for about a week now.

It's usually about an hour after he eats and consists of food and mucous.

He's been otherwise fine, he's playing and he's as active as he usually is (aside from one day last week where he seemed a little lethargic but he's recovered from that).

This started as soon as I bought a new bag of food for him. I'm feeding him Purina Pro Plan Chicken and Rice adult formula and he has been on the same food for about 4 months now and has never had a problem with it before.

Is it possible this is a bad batch of food? The problem started the day we bought the new bag of food, so I'm thinking it's probably not just a coincidence. I'm 100% positive he didn't eat any garbage or anything as we make sure the garbage is never placed anywhere where he could get to it (as he WOULD try to eat it!).

He didn't vomit today but as soon as I put his food out for him this morning he sniffed it but refused to touch it. And this is a dog who is usually CRAZY for his food. He's behaving normally otherwise.

I'm picked up some new food for him today (I got a few sample packs of a different brand to see if that makes a difference) but haven't given him any of it yet.

I have insurance for him (through Petcare, I have mastercare 100% coverage) but have never had to file a claim before. Anyone who has this plan do you know if they cover diagnostic tests?

I have very little money right now and really hope that any care he would need would be covered by insurance.

Do you think I should take him to an emergency vet clinic or just make an appointment with my regular vet for early next week?

Obviously if his behaviour changes and he becomes lethargic again or takes a turn for the worse I am taking him straight to the emergency clinic. The only problem is I have no car and his pet carrier is broken so I'm not sure if a taxi will let me take him!

Has anyone else had any experience with this before? Could he have developed a food allergy? Can a whole new bag of food be bad?

Please help, I'm getting very worried about my dog.

Thank you!

 

[Tail_Chaser]

you are supposed to change their food gradually

 

[showpug]

Have you taken him to the vet to have a fecal test done for worms? Tapeworms cause vomiting with mucous on occasion. I would put him on Innova EVO food, and don't worry about switching him gradually now, just put him on the EVO. I know from experience that my many pugs have never done better on a food than they do on EVO. It's ideal for toy/small breeds.

 

[Buckshot]

He probably gave up on eating it because he knows that something isnt right. Have you tried feeding him any human grade food?

 

[showpug]

I forgot to mention that yes, of course you should take him to the vet!

 

[Ringwench]

I know you're supposed to change their food gradually and I would do that if I didn't think the current food he's on is the main problem (at least that's what I'm HOPING is the problem!). Considering the vomiting only started after buying him a new bag of food (same kind he was on before, just a new bag).

I'll go to the store tomorrow and see if I can find any EVO, hopefully he responds better to that.

Do you think he would be OK if I made a regular vet appointment for early next week (assuming he doesn't take a turn for the worse) or do you think I should take him to an emergency clinic ASAP? Because aside from the vomiting after eating he seems perfectly fine.

I am definitely going to take him to the vet (he's due for his vaccinations anyway) but am not sure if this warrents a trip to the emergency vet or not.

Any help would be appreciated. And thank you to those who have replied already!

 

[Tail_Chaser]

oh my bad, i thought you just switched.

has he been eating grass outside possibly?

 

[Ringwench]

oh my bad, i thought you just switched.

has he been eating grass outside possibly?

No, he hasn't. I'm 100% positive he hasn't had anything to eat but his regular dog food for the past week.

 

[showpug]

If a puppy refuses to eat and/or vomits for 24 hours or more, he/she needs to go to the vet right away. Puppies are at a greater risk for becoming dehydrated and that can become a problem all in itself, not to mention weak from not eating. Is your puppy drinking and otherwise acting normal?

 

[Ringwench]

Is your puppy drinking and otherwise acting normal?

He's been drinking fine and he's acting perfectly normal, there was one day last week where he was a bit listless but since then he's been perfectly fine and acting the way he normally does, aside, of course, from vomiting an hour or so after he eats.

 

[Saje]

I'd say take him to the vet right away. A week of vomiting is a LONG time. Has he been keeping down any food? If he hasn't he's essentially been starving for a week and that's just wrong. He needs to go to the vet.

You're probably right about the food. But if you already knew this why didn't you take the bag back? Get a new bag? Switch foods? You need to do that right away.

 

[Ringwench]

I'd say take him to the vet right away. A week of vomiting is a LONG time. Has he been keeping down any food? If he hasn't he's essentially been starving for a week and that's just wrong. He needs to go to the vet.

You're probably right about the food. But if you already knew this why didn't you take the bag back? Get a new bag? Switch foods? You need to do that right away.

I honestly wasn't sure if it was the food at first. I didn't buy the bag, my boyfriend did while I was out of town and I only realized yesterday that the day he bought the new food was the same day the dog started to get sick.

He has had a day or two in the past week where he hasn't been vomiting so he has kept some of the food down.

I really didn't think it was possible for an entire brand new bag of dry dog food to be bad, so at first I just thought the dog may just have a stomach irritation (as this is not the first time he's vomited after eating, he does it maybe once a month--usually because he eats too fast).

I feel absolutely horrible about this whole thing.

 

[Tail_Chaser]

hmm....check the expiration date?

a trip to the vet will clear your mind, check into your insurance coverage to help with the fees.

 

[Saje]

Yup, dog food can go rancid. Particularly the lower quality brands. Cheaper oils or something. take it back. They should give you a refund. And take him to the vet. If you want to know more about high quality brands of dog food check out our dog food forum or go to Mordy's website. She knows everything! www.mordanna.com/dogfood

 

[Ringwench]

Thank you for the link, I'll check it out.

And I'm going to make an apointment with the vet for monday or tuesday next week, unless, of course, he gets worse in which case I'm going to rush him to the emergency clinic.

 

[Saje]

I guess you're getting him new food too? If he keeps vomiting you'll have to take him to the vet. It can get quite dangerous.

 

[Ringwench]

I guess you're getting him new food too? If he keeps vomiting you'll have to take him to the vet. It can get quite dangerous.

I've already bought some new food for him. I'm going to either take back or throw out the bad food. I'm not going to try to feed him any more of it.

 

[Saje]

Does he like the new stuff?

 

[Ringwench]

Does he like the new stuff?

I haven't given him any yet, I had to pick it up on my way to work today and will give it to him when I get home.

I'm really really hoping the problem was just with the bag of dog food (it would make sense) and that he won't have a problem once I start him on some different food.

 

[Saje]

Yeah, I'll feel better once he's eating.