Question:
I have a wonderful Yorkshire terrier who is now 15 months old. The problem is that she seems to have a delicate stomach. About once a month she will have an episode of vomiting, for no apparent reason. Usually, before the vomiting, there will be a few hours when she acts a bit lethargic or tired. The most recent episode was this morning, before she had even eaten. I wonder if taking her to the vet to have her nails trimmed has anything to do with it -- she gets very nervous and frightened when I do this. I had taken her yesterday afternoon, and all evening she acted tired, slept all night and then vomited this morning. My need for reassurance comes from an episode that occurred when she was about six months old. I thought she had ingested something (a small rubber band) and I called my vet, who said it was OK to give her some hydrogen peroxide to make her vomit. I did that and then really regretted it -- she hadn't ingested anything and the peroxide made her vomit until she vomited blood! That scared me.
S.M., High Point, NC Jan 30, 2005
Answer:
Your dog could have a food allergy that can be corrected with the help of an informed veterinarian. Her stomach and perhaps her small intestine were possibly damaged by the hydrogen peroxide treatment. Only the most diluted peroxide should be given to induce vomiting, otherwise the lining of the digestive system may be destroyed and seriously scarred. Stress (as when she has her nails trimmed) could also upset your dog's appetite and digestive system. I advise a bland, homemade diet (for a homemade dog food recipe, visit my web site at TwoBitDog.com/DrFox) before going through the dietary regimen to identify and eliminate possible ingredients in her diet that might upset her system. Certain byproducts in commercial dog (and cat) foods could also be a factor.
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