Tagamet and Lucy

We have a dog that suffered from what we were told was a 'sensitive stomach' for years. She would vomit yellow bile a couple of times per week early in the morning before she ate. Through an online forum and visiting with long-time breeders, I learned just how prevalent H. Pylori bacteria (the nasty stuff that causes ulcers and some stomach cancers) is in dogs. To top it off, studies now prove that H. Pylori is contagious. If a member of your family suffers from ulcers, your dog may as well and vice versa. If one dog has it, others who share bowls, water, food or close contact may also be exposed. My (former)regular vet laughed at the idea. Another vet (who is now my regular vet!) tested the dog, placed her on a course of antibiotics and Tagamet, and no more problems in over two years. She felt better than she had in a long time. I can't believe how much more energy she had-- what we thought was a minor inconvenience could have killed her if we had not looked into it. A friend's dog died suddenly from what was later determined to be a ruptured stomach. Upon necropsy, his stomach lining was bright red and riddled with ulcers. The only sign something was wrong was occasional vomiting of yellow bile. Her other dog was promptly treated for H. Pylori and has stopped vomiting yellow bile as well.
A dog shouldn't be bothered by skipping meals or going several hours without food in his stomach. Many dogs actually benefit from fasting a couple of days a week; dogs did not evolve eating several meals a day and never having an empty stomach. In the wild, dogs eat large meals of fresh meat a few times a week. Don't be fooled into thinking that your dog is ill because his stomach is empty. Feeding a couple of biscuits to 'keep something in his stomach' could only be covering up the symptoms, not causing the problem. Also look at what food you are feeding-- many dogs are unable to digest food containing corn or flours of any sort.

 Please be aware that yellow bile vomit can be a sign of a SERIOUS problem. I KNOW . . . my chocolate lab is now in the animal hospital due to PANCREATITIS. This can cause DEATH if not caught and treated. There are many different causes and Harley, our dog, has had now around 5 bouts of this since we got her years ago . . she is now 7. This is an inflammation of the pancreas and the digestive enzymes are affected. If not treated, the digestive enzymes can build up and start digesting other tissue around the pancreas. This can cause death . . so . . . if you have a dog who is throwing up yellow bile, won't feel like eathing, may have diaharreah (sp), you need to get them to a vet. The sooner you catch this, the less expensive and damaging it is. I learned the hard way . . I just thought she had an upset stomach and let it go for a few days . . we almost lost her. So . . be very careful if your dog has these symptoms . . it is best to get it checked out than pay the consequences of NOT getting it checked out.