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Deb_and_Ed_M's avatar
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Oct 24, 2017

Recreational Vomiting...

Bailey, my daughter's 12 yr old neutered-male Shih-Tzu is back living with us (daughter is moving in, too). He's kind of a miserable dog - he had to live back with us because he pees on the carpet to "punish" my daughter (he had a DOG DOOR to go outside 24/7), and she had to replace the carpet to sell the house. He doesn't pee in MY house because he knows better ;-) But he likes my 2 dogs and fits in with our routine; goes to work with us every day, etc. And in his defense - he's quite possibly the sweetest dog ever towards people.

But EVERY DAY, between 3:30 and 4 PM, he frantically needs to go outside to eat grass and vomit green foam and a few shreds of grass. Just like clockwork - whines and begs at the door. I guess it's nice that he at least feels a need to do this outdoors.... He eats twice a day on the same schedule as my dogs, about 12 hours apart.

I'm going to assume he produces too much stomach acid, and by 4pm his tummy is feeling kind of raw? Can I give him a "Tums"? He's a good weight - is active and pretty fit for an older guy. I can't leave food down for him all day due to my Jimmy's diabetes and need for consistent feeding times.
  • DownTheAvenue's avatar
    DownTheAvenue
    Explorer
    Oct 24, 2017
    Deb and Ed M wrote:
    He's kind of a miserable dog - he had to live back with us because he pees on the carpet to "punish" my daughter (he had a DOG DOOR to go outside 24/7), and she had to replace the carpet to sell the house. He doesn't pee in MY house because he knows better ;-)


    Dogs do not have the capacity to think of an activity to punish. You are putting a human quality into the behavior of an animal and that is called anthropomorphism. However, the indoor peeing at your daughter's house could have been stress caused by something there. Separation anxiety commonly causes unwanted behavior.
  • Pawz4me's avatar
    Pawz4me
    Explorer
    Oct 24, 2017
    Agreed that dogs don't do things to "punish" people. That's simply not the way they operate. The presence of an unused dog door certainly isn't evidence of anything. Many small dogs won't voluntarily go outside alone.

    As far as the vomiting -- I'd try giving him some famotidine (generic Pepcid). I'm sure his vet would give you the appropriate dosage, or you can probably find it online. Several of my dogs have needed a daily dose of it during their final few years.
  • dahkota's avatar
    dahkota
    Explorer
    Oct 24, 2017
    Try feeding him at 3 PM and see if it still happens. Sometimes, an empty stomach causes vomiting because of acid build up. If it does solve the problem, you might need to feed him three smaller meals per day.
  • doxiemom11's avatar
    doxiemom11
    Explorer II
    Oct 25, 2017
    Our dog randomly did the vomit thing, she had too much bile and an empty stomoach. Try feeding a snack at 3pm and see if the vomiting stops. It helped our dog to make sure she has a little something between breakfast and dinner.
  • Deb_and_Ed_M's avatar
    Deb_and_Ed_M
    Explorer II
    Oct 25, 2017
    Nutinelse2do wrote:
    Try Famotadine ( generic for pepcid ) otc. It made a world of difference in our lab mix.

    Famotidine Dosages


    That's good info - I would have my daughter take him to the vet to determine his dose.

    To those remarking on dogs not "punishing" their owners - OK, maybe that was a poor word choice. But he does a LOT of things at their house that he doesn't do at mine. I'm sure "disrespect" is also a bad word, but it's the best I can come up with to explain his behavior with her. She's a sweet girl who feels guilty because he gets left at home while she goes to work. I declared my Alpha status long ago. He runs if he gets loose at her house; is destructive by chewing; and is quite possibly the most miserable beast to have in the car because he paces and whines. For me, he's a perfect gentleman.

    I also understand that separation anxiety could be behind the upset stomach - except that he's not separated from anything when he's with me. He grew up with me - he and my daughter lived with us the first 4 years of his life. So he's in very familiar territory.

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