Ask the Veterinarian/dog problem

Advertisement


Question
My 7 year old cocker spaniel has on occasion loose stool after a normal BM    very occasionally he vomits yellow bile and again on occasion has a grumbling stomach. Otherwise he is very active . No other problems

Answer
I am not sure what your question is here but it sounds like your dog is eating things now and then that don't agree with his digestive system.

Yellow bile and a grumbling stomach are signs of pancreatitis which is a condition where the pancreas becomes very inflamed and essentially starts to digest itself. As you can imagine this is very painful and can be fatal very quickly.

Dog's are not 'made' to eat bits and pieces of human food and when they get a piece of ham or cheese etc that is when they get sick like this. The loose stool is also from the digestive issues.

Cut out ALL people food and put him on a high quality diet, no Purina, no Old Roy etc
He needs a diet that the ingredients do not change in from batch to batch.
Talk to your vet about getting him on a prescription diet for a while then get him on Science Diet light. It has 50% less fat than other foods but is nutrient dense so he won't need to eat as much as he has been either.
Science Diet is made with a fixed formulation unlike other diets on the market nowadays and what that means is that the food stays exactly the same, batch after batch.

So no more treats, no more bites at the dinner table.
If you do this and he continues to have problems then you need to get him into the vet's for a good exam and some blood work.  

Ask the Veterinarian

All Answers


Answers by Expert:


Ask Experts

Volunteer


Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.