 |
 |
|
vancouver animal wellness hospital healing as nature intended homeopathy | nutrition | acupuncture | chiropractic | full-service surgery | physiotherapy/rehabilitation |
|
|
 sitemap |
|
|
|
› about us
› site map
› home
|
|
|
› articles by michael goldberg, dvm
Vomiting After Eating Dear Dr, Goldberg, My 12-year-old dog has been having episodes of vomiting right after eating for the past three months. His appetite is very good and even better since we got a new puppy. Is there anything we can give him for vomiting? RD, Vancouver Dear RD, There are many causes of vomiting after eating. As with any older pet in this circumstance, I would recommend a thorough physical examination with your veterinarian and he/she may elect to do some tests to make sure there is nothing physically wrong. Twelve years old in dog years is generally for a medium size dog, the equivalent of about 80 human years. At that age, there are a number of possibilities that should be explored as to the potential cause of vomiting. The list of possibilities includes: infectious agents such as bacterial, viral or parasitic; metabolic problems such as liver, kidney or hormonal diseases; functional problems such as motility abnormalities in which the stomach fails to push the ingesta properly; degenerative problems involving the stomach lining or the overproduction of acid in the stomach; obstructions such as a blockage from something he's ingested (bones, rocks, parts of toys etc.) or some type of growth that may be acting as a blockage (a tumor). Although homeopathy as a system of medical treatment relies on symptoms as a guide to the correct remedy, I find that in order to effectively and accurately describe the symptoms, it helps to know the pathological process that is going on. In this manner, I feel I can more accurately prescribe the correct remedy. It sounds like you have recently gotten a puppy and there may be more competition around the food. For a twelve year old to contend with a puppy at this point can be challenging. If this is the case, then your older fellow may be eating too quickly or there may be stress surrounding the dinner hour. I would first try to separate the dogs when it is mealtime. This may serve to slow down the time it takes your older fellow to eat. There may also be less stress in this situation and secondarily less vomiting if stress is the underlying cause. Rescue Remedy (a Bach flower remedy) may help in this case as a calming effect. I would try giving a dropper about 20 minutes before the meal. Aconite may be used if there is an overwhelming sense that your older guy is fearful. Arsenicum album: this is an excellent remedy for dogs that have vomiting after eating. There may be restlessness before the episode. The pet will often be thirsty but for small amounts of water quite often. The pet may also seek heat and feel hot to touch. There may also accompany diarrhea with the vomiting. Ipecac may also be useful if there is vomiting after which your dog feels worse. Nux-vomica: this remedy is a good remedy for the dog who seems sensitive. The pet will generally be thirsty and may be irritable as well. This may be seen as being short tempered with family or with other dogs. Chamomilla is a good choice if there is irritability with vomiting. The pet may need constant attention and if he doesn't get it, he may be whiny. He may also be short and snappy to other family members. Silica may be helpful if your dog is timid and shy and chilly. Staphysagria may help if the puppy seems overly aggressive and your older dog seems to be upset by the aggression. For all these remedies, I would suggest using a low potency of 6c on a daily basis until there is any perceived improvement in the condition or the frequency of vomiting. At the point that you feel there is some improvement, I would then discontinue the remedy until there is a slight relapse at which I would begin the dosing again. I would however recommend some initial testing such as x-rays and blood testing that may rule out anything serious. Read more Articles by Michael Goldberg, DVM... |
|
|
vancouver
105 east broadway |
 photo by Heidi Zutter |
|
k9phodography.com fine art pet photography |
|
|
|
vancouver animal wellness hospital Michael Goldberg, DVM; Sue Hughson, DVM 105 e. broadway, vancouver, bc v5t 1w1 / phone: 604.738.4664 / fax: 604.738.4694 Hours of Operation: Monday, Thursday & Friday: 9am - 6pm, Tuesday & Wednesday: 9am - 7pm, Saturday: 9am - 5pm © Copyright 2004-2006. vancouver animal wellness hospital. All rights reserved. › Contact Us › Privacy Policy › Sitemap › Home |
