Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 2/18/2009

Question
This is going to be sorta long so please hang with me!  Okay, so my daughter has a 3 month old mini-daschund.  About 10 days ago she became very sick- vomiting escessively and eventually vomiting blood.  She also became very thin and lethargic. No diarrhea though. We took her to the vet and he thinks she was sick as a result of getting into the bathroom trash and eating something.  She stayed overnight and was given meds for the vomiting and a laxative to help her pass whatever it was.  She also tested negative for parvo.  She came home the next day and slowly started getting better although she continued to have occasional vomiting which we attributed to her irritated stomach.  After several more days of continued vomiting (2-3 times a day) my daughter called the vet and he prescribed her something for the vomiting.  (I should mention she was also on an antibiotic)  Even with the new medicine she continued to vomit.  We tried feeding her a bland diet (rice with chicken) but it didn't help.  Today she became worse.  She would not eat and began vomiting more often.  The vomit was clear and watery.  When she vomits she shakes her head and slings vomit everywhere!  We took her to the vet again (a different one this time as our vet was out of town).  They did another parvo test and it came up negative again.  They didn't find anything else other than her stool was very dark so they deduced she is bleeding from somewhere.  She was given more meds for the vomiting and one to increase her intestinal motility.  Her diagnosis was not definite and could be any of the following:  a viral infection of the intestinal tract, an obstruction somewhere along her digestive tract, or megaesophagus.  We are at a loss as to what to do with her.  I was very concerned when the doctor mentioned megaesophagus.  She has never had any problems before 10 days ago.  Is there anything I should look for?  Anything else we should be doing?  Is there anything in particular we should be asking the vet?

Answer
Maradith-

You did not mention whether or not radiographs were taken or a barium series was done.  Both aforementioned diagnostic tests can be very beneficial in diagnosing why the puppy is vomiting.  Fluid therapy can be beneficial in helping to repair the fluid/electrolyte imbalance that occurs when an animal (or  person) experiences continued vomiting.  

Barium is a thick opaque liquid that is swallowed by the patient and then its passage thru the gastrointestinal tract is radiographed as it travels though the GI tract. The doctor takes several radiographs as the barium goes through the GI tract to determine if your pup ate something it should not have eaten.  Barium is extremely useful in diagnosing foreign items in the GI tract. It also can calm the irritation that occurs with constant vomiting.

Megaespophagus can be managed.  That also sounds like a strong possibility.  It can usually be diagnosed with radiographs.

You must be aggressive in determining why your pup is vomiting.  Bloodwork can help to determine why you dog is sick. Ask your veterinarian for the those tests  - you will be glad you did.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM