# Sick stomach issue/strange behavior



## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

I have this issue with Pip every once in awhile. He's generally fed the same, so I can't pinpoint it on a new food or a snack, it's just very random and has happened maybe 4 times in the year I've had him. Roo has done it once, and previously my Pom did every so often as well. 

It happens more with Pip though. He does this thing where sometimes at night where he starts licking his lips and after awhile I can hear his stomach start gurgling (maybe because he's licking his lips and swallowing air?) then he frantically wants to go outside and gobble down grass. The odd thing is, before he gets outside he will frantically try and sniff the floor and grab any little bit off it, even things that aren't edible, like a piece of carpet fluff and eat it. (He never tries to eat non-edible things other then when he's feeling sick like this.) He acts really anxious/frantic all the while. It's obvious his stomach is feeling sick and it usually resolves after he gobbles down the grass. He never throws the grass up. Sometimes after eating the grass, he continues to seem sick for a bit, sometimes not. Poos are always normal and there are no other signs, and it quietly resolves and months pass without another issue. I looked online and found a bunch of people that have the same issue with their dogs from time to time, the lip licking, frantically grabbing for non-edible things off the floor, wanting to go outside quickly and eat grass. 

My main question is, is there anything I can give him to help his stomach when this happens so he feels better more quickly? Sometimes this can go on for over an hour. Is it safe to give them something like Pepto Bismol? Or is there something better that might help?

Also curious if anyone else's chi does this sometimes?


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## ExoticChis (Jun 20, 2010)

Sorry I have no advice for you, but I do hope for everyone's sake you can sort this out 
How horrible!


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

angelbaby said:


> Sorry I have no advice for you, but I do hope for everyone's sake you can sort this out
> How horrible!


Thanks hun.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

On occasion Laurel has done this, very infrequently though. My remedy is 1 tablespoon of yogurt and 1-2 tablespoons of NaturVet Anti-Diarrhea medicine, its basically pepto for doggies and removes any toxins from their systems, you can get it at petco for pretty cheap, its berry flavored, Laurel and Trig eat it but O & B both have to have it with a medicine dropper. I have no idea what causes them to get the upset tummy though ?? Sometimes I think its they eat a bug or something we don't realize and that's what causes it?? But that stuff is amazing that I mentioned, everyone should have some on hand, it cures diarrhea like nothing else I've ever used, and calms tummy gurgles down too.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Maybe a probiotic how horrible I hate that feeling when you dunno if your gonna puke or poo awful


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Thanks for much, Kristi. I'm going to get some tomorrow and keep it on hand. He's totally fine now, but it happened the other night and I really wanted to have something on hand to give him to help resolve it sooner. It generally comes and goes quickly. This is the first time he's had it in months now and it passed within an hour, but I felt so bad for him during that hour as he obviously felt sick to his stomach. I'm baffled by what could cause it when it happens. 

I wondered if maybe he swallowed some hair on his blanket or something. Seems to happen when he's shedding. (which he is now) I know he's not getting a hold of anything "bad". I'm too careful for that. 

Anyway, I'll definitely pick some up at Petco. About how long after giving it to Laurel does it take for her symptoms to subside?


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Daisydoo said:


> Maybe a probiotic how horrible I hate that feeling when you dunno if your gonna puke or poo awful


Thanks Sarah, probiotic packets are always something I have on hand too.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

foggy said:


> Thanks for much, Kristi. I'm going to get some tomorrow and keep it on hand. He's totally fine now, but it happened the other night and I really wanted to have something on hand to give him to help resolve it sooner. It generally comes and goes quickly. This is the first time he's had it in months now and it passed within an hour, but I felt so bad for him during that hour as he obviously felt sick to his stomach. I'm baffled by what could cause it when it happens.
> 
> I wondered if maybe he swallowed some hair on his blanket or something. Seems to happen when he's shedding. (which he is now) I know he's not getting a hold of anything "bad". I'm too careful for that.
> 
> Anyway, I'll definitely pick some up at Petco. About how long after giving it to Laurel does it take for her symptoms to subside?


Really it seems to resolve it pretty fast, within an hour or so, because she stops being so dramatic about needing to go outside to get at the grass lol.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

flippedstars said:


> Really it seems to resolve it pretty fast, within an hour or so, because she stops being so dramatic about needing to go outside to get at the grass lol.


Excellent then. Thank you!


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

Maybe if you keep him brushed while he's shedding, he won't lick and swallow all that hair that seems to be upsetting his tummy. What do you feed him? Plain yogurt does wonders for the belly and they like it. Glad he's feeling better.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

woodard2009 said:


> Maybe if you keep him brushed while he's shedding, he won't lick and swallow all that hair that seems to be upsetting his tummy. What do you feed him? Plain yogurt does wonders for the belly and they like it. Glad he's feeling better.


Thank you. The thing is I brush him daily, but the hair just keeps coming, it's so frustrating. :/ He's like this with the shedding a couple times a year. I feed him The Honest Kitchen. He's done this same thing on other foods as well though, such as Fromm, so I don't think it's his food. I'll definitely keep some plain yogurt on hand. Thanks for your reply.


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

foggy said:


> Thank you. The thing is I brush him daily, but the hair just keeps coming, it's so frustrating. :/ He's like this with the shedding a couple times a year. I feed him The Honest Kitchen. He's done this same thing on other foods as well though, such as Fromm, so I don't think it's his food. I'll definitely keep some plain yogurt on hand. Thanks for your reply.


Yea!! I agree that it doesn't sound like the food once you said about shedding. He's not a long hair, is he? If it is the hair he's swallowing, you'll just have to brush him several times a day. Why would he be shedding with winter? My chi doesn't seem to be loosing to much hair. I know that dogs loose hair all year long, but not so much in the fall to winter.
Oh, I see you're from NY. Something else might be going on with him if he's shedding that much.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

woodard2009 said:


> Yea!! I agree that it doesn't sound like the food once you said about shedding. He's not a long hair, is he? If it is the hair he's swallowing, you'll just have to brush him several times a day. Why would he be shedding with winter? My chi doesn't seem to be loosing to much hair. I know that dogs loose hair all year long, but not so much in the fall to winter.
> Oh, I see you're from NY. Something else might be going on with him if he's shedding that much.


No clue why he's shedding so much really, but it generally stops once Winter settles in. He does have allergies, but his food is grain free, so that rules some of that out, I'm not sure really. I just assumed he was shedding to get ready for his Winter coat, getting it in thicker maybe? He shed last year around the same time and then also in the Spring. Seems to last over a month too. He is a short coat but his coat is quite thick and double layered.


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

foggy said:


> No clue why he's shedding so much really, but it generally stops once Winter settles in. He does have allergies, but his food is grain free, so that rules some of that out, I'm not sure really. I just assumed he was shedding to get ready for his Winter coat, getting it in thicker maybe? He shed last year around the same time and then also in the Spring. Seems to last over a month too. He is a short coat but his coat is quite thick and double layered.


You said that you feed tHK; I do too. I feed Preference and Force. Which THK do you feed. The Pref. and Force contain alfalfa. I'm not trying to scare you; I just want to make you aware that if the THK you're feeding contains alfalfa, you have to be careful leaving the food down for them. As soon as they're done eating, you need to pick up their bowls and wash them. Alfalfa can grow a fungus if left sitting out to long after hydrated which causes Listeria (a disease that causes animals to walk around in a circle). My vet made me aware of this as this was her only concern with the food, otherwise she really loved the food for Midgie who suffers from severe environmental and food allergies.
Does pip act like he's trying to halk up hairballs or do you see him licking his hair a lot?


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

woodard2009 said:


> You said that you feed tHK; I do too. I feed Preference and Force. Which THK do you feed. The Pref. and Force contain alfalfa. I'm not trying to scare you; I just want to make you aware that if the THK you're feeding contains alfalfa, you have to be careful leaving the food down for them. As soon as they're done eating, you need to pick up their bowls and wash them. Alfalfa can grow a fungus if left sitting out to long after hydrated which causes Listeria (a disease that causes animals to walk around in a circle). My vet made me aware of this as this was her only concern with the food, otherwise she really loved the food for Midgie who suffers from severe environmental and food allergies.
> Does pip act like he's trying to halk up hairballs or do you see him licking his hair a lot?


I feed Force, Embark and Zeal. Thanks for the info on the alfalfa. I never leave it down (they scarf it all down anyway so there's none left to leave :lol and I always clean their bowls afterward. He does hack once in awhile, yes, which is what makes me think sometimes he gets hair in his throat. I'm pretty fanatically about vacuuming, but he does shed on his blankets etc. and might get some that way. Plus he licks his toys and sometimes they might have some stray hairs. Not sure if that would make him sick to his stomach, but it seems possible?


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## Reese and Miley (Jun 24, 2010)

Poor little Pip! Our lab Ben does the lip licking thing before he is going to throw up. Sounds like Pip's tummy is hurting him so he's trying to eat something to make himself throw up and feel better. Glad he's already feeling better


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Reese and Miley said:


> Poor little Pip! Our lab Ben does the lip licking thing before he is going to throw up. Sounds like Pip's tummy is hurting him so he's trying to eat something to make himself throw up and feel better. Glad he's already feeling better


Thank you, Katy.


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