Exam may be needed to find cause of beagle's barfing

Tina Neel

Published: February 11, 2008

Q:For seven to eights days, I have awakened to the sound of my 4-year-old neutered beagle wretching and then throwing up either bile or frothy stuff. Twice, there was food in it. Once was on a day I gave my dogs carrots as a snack, so part of a carrot was in it, and the other was a bit of dog treats when I was out of dog food. He goes right back to sleep, and he doesn't do it in the evening when we are here. I don't think he does it during the day, because I don't see any spots in their kennel.

A:Vomiting can be difficult to diagnose without a physical examination, history and some diagnostics. The examination would evaluate all body systems, including your pet's hydration status. By feeling the abdomen, the veterinarian will be looking for clues to determine whether there are masses or painful areas. Your veterinarian will want to check the feces for intestinal parasites and a bacteria overgrowth. If your pet has not been recently dewormed, a prophylactic deworming medicine may be prescribed because only 37 percent of pets with intestinal parasites test positive on a fecal analysis. Many parasites such as tapeworms can be harbored for months or years without being seen. Additionally, a urinalysis can reveal many things about your pet's health status, including early kidney problems and hydration levels. Diabetes and other metabolic disorders can show up. Many of these disorders can cause intermittent vomiting, at least initially. A basic blood test may be requested to be sure there are no underlying diseases. Although you have to consider many causes for the vomiting, given the patter of once a day and only in the early morning, this does not sound like a foreign material problem. One of the conditions that would produce vomiting in the morning is called bilious vomiting syndrome or reflux gastric syndrome. Most pets with this syndrome will vomit early in the morning, sometimes before the owners wake up. The general treatment is to give an acid blocker or antacid such as Pepcid, Tagamet or Zantac. A late-night snack of the pet's regular food and treatment of metoclopramide or Reglan generally will help remedy the situation. Your veterinarian may want to prescribe a special diet that is bland and may even be hypoallergenic. This will help eliminate dietary issues as the cause of the problem. In the beginning, you would want to eliminate treats, which can cause stomach irritation and even aggravate underlying pancreatic problems. Inflammatory bowel syndrome or IBS can also cause some intermittent vomiting, although it is more frequently associated with diarrhea. Diet changes can help with IBS treatment, but other medicines for inflammation are generally needed. If the vomiting persists, other diagnostics may be needed, including specialized blood tests and radiographs. Pancreatic problems as well as liver disease can cause intermittent vomiting, which may get progressively worse. In the case of both of these diseases, specific blood tests beyond basic chemistries, electrolytes and blood counts are often needed to arrive at the correct diagnosis. It is sometimes necessary to have an ultrasound or endoscopic examination of the stomach and intestines. It is important to remember that beagles are generally big eaters and sometimes swallow things they should not have eaten. Even older dogs can begin eating and swallowing things such as sticks, twigs, mulch, socks or hose. These items can cause intermittent vomiting as long as they stay in the stomach. After they start moving into the small intestines, the real trouble may begin. It is particularly dangerous when fabric or other stringy objects are partially left in the stomach with some of the material attempting to pass though the animal's intestines. This causes the intestines to bunch up on the material like curtains on a curtain rod. As the intestines attempt to move forward over the material, the intestines are cut, and some areas turn black and die. In these cases, the affected intestines often have to be surgically removed and the ends sutured back together. Tina Neel is a veterinarian and owner of Neel Veterinary Hospital. Submit your pet health questions online at NeelVet.com.

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