Harley's Stomach Emptying Problem

[iluvk9]

Poor Harleybird. It started again.

I didn't know he was puking because it was either outside or one of the others were....yes...eating it. I noticed he looked thin and saw him gacking last week.

I tried rice/boiled chicken and that either came up within a few minutes or 3 hours later, digested. He's been on probiotics for years. (Prozyme)

Went to Vet. Records show he does this on/off since 2005-ish. Blood test will be in today. Xrays showed nothing unusual in digestive tract.

He's on Reglan, Pepcid and Flagyl. Seems this combination helps most of the time.

But now he is on Hills Prescrip. I/D canned food. I went over the ingredients list with my Vet and he knows I am not thrilled with it. But he really wanted to keep Bird on it so he stops gacking. He lost ten pounds. Everything else is normal...water intake, activity level, etc.

So far, 24 hours and food stayed down.

Anyone dealt with this or have any other ideas? I don't let him eat grass and don't use chemicals on my lawn. No topical flea meds.

[Pit♥bull]

If you didn't already know http://www.sokolovelaw.com/case-types/r ... iAodRTwlJA

Come on Harley, stop scaring mom.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Poor kiddo.

[BullyLady]

Do dogs get colon cancer? In people you can get strictures in the bowel (small or large) caused by a tumor which basically blocks the lumen off in that section. This often presents as motility issues. If so, a gastrographin follow through could help diagnose that. Sorry, that's not a happy suggestion.

[TheRedQueen]

No thoughts other than good ones headed his way...

[TinaMartin]

Poor Harley.

[Natalie]

Poor guy! Does the kibble come back up whole, chewed, or is it just bile? I'm wondering if maybe he needs several small meals instead of one or two larger meals.

[LMM]

Lots of good thoughts coming Harley's way!

[HappyChick]

No ideas or advice, but lots and lots of good thoughts for Harleybird.

[Malli]

Anyone dealt with this or have any other ideas? I don't let him eat grass and don't use chemicals on my lawn. No topical flea meds.

I don't understand the connection to the motility issues, can you explain?

[iluvk9]

I don't understand the connection to the motility issues, can you explain?

I am just throwing "everything" out there. When it first started years ago, we tried to rule out grass eating problems.

Today was good. No gacking after 4 small meals.

Natalie, I normally feed 3 meals a day and 4 on weekends when I am home more. When he gacks it all up, it is undigested if within a few minutes (obviously) and brownish, and stinking to high heaven when it has been in there for 3 hours.

[Malli]

Just throwing this out there, the ID is designed to be easy to digest (which I believe means lower on protein and fat, not postive...), so maybe for Harley, its just what he needs

[iluvk9]

Thanks, Mallika.

Unfortunately, he barfed at 6:30pm, 2.5 hours after his last small meal.

Does it take "awhile" for the body to adjust to Reglan and Pepcid? I am hoping I am just expecting everything to be perfect right away.

[Malli]

When did he start on it? I assume it's pills he's taking?

[plebayo]

Have they x-rayed his throat?

We had a dog who we did a bi-lateral hip surgery on, the dog got really sick on morphine, went home, was sick on rimadyl, they stopped giving pain meds. Dog is fine, then starts vomiting. Cerenia didn't stop the vomiting, we ended up scoping his throat and he had a stricture - so tight the scope couldn't pass through.

Now a stricture won't show on x-ray but I say x-raying only because could he potentially have a mega-esophagus problem too.

These are the best ideas I can think of. If they didn't do barium already that may be another option just to have them do a barium series and watch how the barium passes - it might give a clue as to why he's barfing.

[call2arms]

Poor Harley... Cerenia can be a good option to help stop the vomiting if Reglan isn't working well. Sucralfate is also good for stomach issues... I hope the blood test results give an answer... Did the vet consider chronic pancreatitis, I know my sister's lab is on special food for that, and it took them a while to figure it out since it was an on-off thing for a long time.

Are you giving several small meals a day, as opposed to 2 larger meals? It's easier to digest small portions.
Is he puking undigested food, or bile/foam? Is it close to every meal, or random troughout the day?

[PoodleMaMaKat]

Does it take "awhile" for the body to adjust to Reglan and Pepcid?

It shouldn't take to long. The Pepcid decreases the acid in the stomach while the Reglan helps the food get through the stomach faster. If he is throwing up undigested food after over 2 hours I think the Reglan is going to help more.

[Ino]

Aww- poor Harley! I hope they figure out the cause of the puking and get him feeling better soon. One of my kitties had a vomiting problem and was put on Hills hairball formula, which I wasnt thrilled with but it was worth a try. After a few years of the puking- he finally got diagnosed after a lab test showed he had bartonella henslae (cat scratch fever disease) and he was diagnosed with asthma. He was put on antibiotics and a human inhailer and seems to be cured. He hasnt needed the inhailer for a few months now. Sometimes it is the most unusual diagnosis that ends up being right. Hope they figure out Harleys problem soon!

[BullyLady]

Does it take "awhile" for the body to adjust to Reglan and Pepcid?

It shouldn't take to long. The Pepcid decreases the acid in the stomach while the Reglan helps the food get through the stomach faster. If he is throwing up undigested food after over 2 hours I think the Reglan is going to help more.

Isn't Reglan one of those "compounding" drugs or whatever it's called where it takes a few days to reach full efficacy though?

[Malli]

When I worked with it, that isn't the impression I got - usually we gave it via intravenous, and it would start working within I'd say 1-4 hrs depending. We just didn't give it often orally, because most of the patients that we gave it to were vomiting, and lots, so you can see why that wouldn't work

Joyce, I'd think that both of those drugs would work within a few hrs or perhaps a little more for the Reglan (aka Metaclopromide FYI )