You are here:

Ask the Veterinarian/dog throwing up white foam &slime

Advertisement

Expert: - 3/23/2011


Question
My dog is a pitbull ,4yrs old, about 45lbs., female and no health problems. Although for about a month now every so often she wont eat for the day and will throw up this slimy substance, with white foam in it. It happens about once a week. She will puke 2times in a matter of mins. and then she lays back down. My vet keeps tellin me its just a upset stomach it will pass but i find it odd that for a month or two, once every week is odd! IS this normal? Should i find a new vet? It also seems that the day b4 this happens i have given her a dog treat called Dentastick. IM not sure if thats is the reason or not. After puking she wont eat anything at all. Not even people food which she never turns down. It is a very small amout of vomit but sounds like she is dry heaving alot in between pukes. What should i do. I dont want to take her to the vet if its nothing, but dont want to let it go if she needs medical attention! Please help...Thank u.

Answer
The process of deduction would say that if she vomits after eating a dentastix that you should stop giving them to her. She is not able to digest them apparently and they are causing a gastritis in her stomach.

She shouldn't eat after vomiting for at least 24 hours and she knows this so she is letting her body rest.

Stop giving her these treats and see how she does. Don't give her any treats. If she stops then you will know that's what was causing it. If she still vomits, it could be what you are feeding her.

It's a process of elimination.

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.