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anybody else have a mopey dog?

3K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  lyssa62 
#1 ·
I had Roxy into the vet 2 weeks ago just for a precaution. Every 2 weeks she will throw up about 2 meals of undigested kibble. Vet says she's fine...did blood work and took xrays to make sure there wasn't a blockage. Said we might just have a dog that's gonna throw up once in awhile.

So, if my calculations are right it's almost time for another puke-a-thon. Yesterday she hardly ate and today she walked past her bowl and took about 2 bites and has been laying down ever since.
I KNOW once she finally throws up she will be back to normal. Does anybody else have a dog that does this?

My daughter said her one cat is also just nibbling and laying around ...is it something in the change of the weather? I know humans get like that and I do know when we are in for a storm all the animals in the house get quirky...but this is just kind of different.

I really don't want to call the vet again. He gave her a clean bill of health ...he did suggest we switch to the blue buffalo lamb but also said that may or may not have anything to do with it. He said if she were throwing up once or twice a week he would be doing more tests but the fact it's almost clock work at once ever two weeks he's just thinking it's nerves.
 
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#2 ·
I moved to health because if it's nerves or a physical issue, that isn't normal. I would chart it for sure, like you've been doing, very clearly - and try to get a picture of her activity level before she regurgitates, after, all sorts of factors...

Is what she's been eating what she's always eaten?
 
#3 · (Edited)
yep same food...we've been on blue buffalo since we brought her home. Usually her activity level is the same..she's busy -- not bouncing off the walls busy -- but needs to be working all the time. This is really the first time this mopey thing has happened. She's almost acting like she is depressed but nothing has really changed. Same people, same work hours..same play time...etc.


this is the ONLY difference in the last couple of days....my husband and I are not on speaking terms right now. I think she has picked up on that and he scolded her the other day because she was too close to him. He's never acted like that towards her and I'm almost wondering if she still doesn't have hurt feelings over it???? He's acting like that cuz he's mad at me...that's his only defense mechanism..he would NEVER hurt her but now he's being all "get away from me" because he's mad at me and thinks he's getting "me" by acting like that with her.


and edited to add...one reason we aren't on speaking terms right now is because of his childish behavior.
 
#4 ·
GSDs are extremely sensitive to our own emotional states. Most of the time this is to our advantage,but sometimes it's hard on them. All of my GSDs have always shied away from me when I'm in a rage, lol. In my case, I don't believe in containing my wrath so if something is bothering me, it's out and over quickly. I'm sorry you're dealing with the silent treatment - yuck, that's a huge dealbreaker in any relationship I've ever had, lol. But he's your DH so you're a better person than me to be able to tolerate this :)
All this emotional turmoil could definitely be the cause of this. I hope it ends soon, for everyone's sake.
 
#5 ·
Men can be big babies sometimes lol. Since you said it happens every few weeks or so it may not be your current situation. Jot down daily notes and see if theres a pattern.
 
#6 ·
I would be concerned about something like IBD - Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Over time continuous gastric irritation can lead to thickening of the intestine walls, reduced nutrition absorption, even cancer potentially.

I like general practice vets for shots, annual wellness exams.... that's about it largely. If it was my dog I would seek a consult with a board certified internal medicine vet, someone actually experience and qualified to diagnose more in-depth disease processes. Chronic vomiting isn't normal, something is upsetting the GI tract. And as mentioned above, over time that can cause problems. It may simply be the food - blue buffalo tends to be very upsetting for a lot of dogs. I think it's a good food, but my dogs almost always had diarrhea on it.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Every 2 weeks she will throw up about 2 meals of undigested kibble. Vet says she's fine
My previous dog Ella threw up every 2 weeks about 2 meals of undigested kibble, and our vet continued saying she was just fine. And she was looking sad. She died of pancreatic cancer a year later. The vet who opened and euthanatized her said the reason was - kibble I fed her. I didn't feedher only kibble, and the kibble was a "good" kibble, but, only few dogs can live over 10 who were fed only kibble, and many die being fed synthetic food simply because they cannot take it any longer. In fact, dogs die of cancer much more often than humans, vet statistics say that '50% of all domestic dogs eventually will develope cancer and 20% of them will die of it' - according to Cat Warren: "What the dog knows".
Raw or cooked chicken and rice. Cooked fish and steemed bean sprouts or green beans. Raw or cooked beef and steemed pumpkin. Is it difficult to prepare?
Signs of Pancreatic Cancer in Dogs | eHow
Insist with your vet to do test with barium, ultrasound on its own wouldn't show much, blood tests are useless. Avoid feeding fatning food and provide bottled water only, chloride could be a reason to develop tumour as well, filters do not remove it.
 
#8 ·
here is a new discovery --- sores on her. NOW I have it narrowed down to the two new things were her first trip to a groomer....is it the shampoo? The cologne? OR is it an allergy to the antibiotics she was put on as a precaution ????
I am not going to start going down the doom and gloom road yet. I do appreciate the "heads up" ..but any pet has chances of getting the same diseases we as humans do.
Now that I see sores and there are no fleas ...it's which one of the two did it. I stopped giving the antibiotic just in case and will consult the groomer.
 
#9 ·
ball has been brought to me and dropped at my feet...1/2 a container of wet food has been eaten. I think we may be on the road to recovery. I am hearing from several people that we know that have pets...same scenario on this mopey stuff. I wonder if they all are feeling the change in the weather??? BUT the sores are still concerning me and I'm going to see if I can find some cream to put on them. I am thinking whatever shampoo was used we have had a reaction to it.
 
#10 ·
have been told to try Benadryl for what appears to be a skin allergic reaction to SOMETHING. Now we have to figure out which it was. I discontinued the antibiotic just because it was more of a precaution. Is there any kind of ointment I can put on the sores to help them heal?
 
#12 ·
****Never**** discontinue the use of an antibiotic without doing the full course. That is how resistant strains of bacteria are created. Finish the antibiotics.

I agree with keeping a journal. Does your pup run around a lot after meals? That might cause some vomiting (plus is a bloat risk) I try to keep my dog fairly quiet for an hour or two after eating.

Perhaps a change of food is in order? It might not be working for her.
 
#13 ·
the sores are like when a human is allergic to something...just scaly and red and oozy. I am almost Certain whatever was used at the groomer did it. I don't blame her..she's a good friend of mine ..I just think whatever it was might not affect another dog EVER and Roxy just has sensitive skin.
She is digging at them which to me is why they are all oozy. I have her on .25 mgs of Benadryl 2 times a day for now and saw where a chamomile tea mist might help with the sores. If it's not better in 2 days I will be calling the vet to have him look at them.
She is eating again... so that's a plus

there is no rhyme or reason to the puking other than it's been about every 2 weeks. I get one episode and then it's back to normal. The activity level is kept to a minimum before eating and nothing for 1 hour after. That's our "quiet" time.
I brought the elevated bowls back out to try that again and may start soaking her kibble again.
I really thought this mopey thing was the start to a puke fest because we are about due...but now I think her skin is just so irritated she doesn't feel good.
 
#17 ·
She is digging at them which to me is why they are all oozy. I have her on .25 mgs of Benadryl 2 times a day for now and saw where a chamomile tea mist might help with the sores. If it's not better in 2 days I will be calling the vet to have him look at them.
She is eating again... so that's a plus
If they are open sores I would not be misting them with unsterilized liquid, herbal or not. Keep them clean and if she is really bothering them she might need socks or an e-collar.

I agree with others that this doesn't sound normal to me, and I have had experiences with my own dog where the vet brushed off certain symptoms and we went months and months without a clear diagnosis. Also what kind of bloodwork was done? Some of the tests available in the office are not the best you can get. You will probably have to be very firm about wanting to solve this issue.
 
#15 ·
Yeah that's a whole nother' issue. I had just switched her to Blue Buffalo adult food ...and then the vet had me switch her to lamb and rice. SO , there we have a 2 food change in a matter of 2 weeks.
So ...we have change of food, grooming shampoo or medication ???? She has dog class tonight. I am going to have the trainer and one of the girls from the shelter look at the spots and see what they think. The one girl has shepherds herself so maybe she has seen something like this before.
I started giving Benadryl 2 times a day and also made up a chamomile tea spray ...at least she is eating and playing again. And I imagine the sores will take awhile to heal.
 
#18 ·
called the vet and the first thing they said was allergy to shampoo is probably what happened...they see it ALL the time. I guess I wasn't giving enough Benadryl so we have upped that. Which seems to make her tired..but I guess that keeps her from scratching. If it's not better by Tuesday we will probably need to take her in to be looked at.
She is back to eating normally and the energy level ( minus about an hour after the Benadryl) is back to normal. Looking at them today the sores seem to be healing up.


ps -- yes she is spayed :)
 
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