The doctor on dogs

Dear Dr. Forsythe: My middle aged Australian Shepherd mix, Kyle, has a problem with vomiting. He doesn’t do it all the time, but it seems like he vomits more often in the middle of the night. Sometimes if I am late from work, I come home to find he has vomited. Sometimes he vomits food, but most of the time it is just yellow fluid. He looks very guilty, but then he seems hungry. He is always ready to eat when I feed him. My old vet told me to let a dog’s stomach rest when they vomit, and not to feed the dog for 24 hours.

This seems cruel. What do you think? Sign me – Out of carpet cleaner.

Dear Out of carpet cleaner: Kyle should be seen by a veterinarian for an exam and diagnostics to make sure he does not have something preventing his stomach from emptying properly. Middle aged pets can have many reasons for vomiting. I don’t know how long this has been going on, but the sooner the cause is discovered and treatment started the sooner you and Kyle will be able to stop feeling guilty. Many dogs simply have a condition called “Bilious Vomiting Syndrome.”  It is caused by excess acid in the stomach and reflux of bile from the small intestine when the stomach is empty. Before Kyle goes on a prescription for an acid reducer, your vet should make sure he doesn’t have the other causes of vomiting, like eating too many unmentionables from the vanity wastebasket. – Dr. Forsythe

Dear Dr. Forsythe: Our older Golden Retriever has had arthritis for a few years. She gets lame after we walk the Overlook Trail. Lately, it seems like it is just her front leg. Do you think we should stop hiking? She seems to love the hikes, but I can’t stand the look in her eyes when we get back.  – Goldie’s Mom

Dear Goldie’s Mom: Most older dogs have some arthritis. The onset is usually so gradual that sometimes owners just think their pet is old.  The pet seems stiff in the mornings, especially this winter when the California sun has been largely replaced by pea soup fog. There are newer anti-inflammatories available from your veterinarian that are very helpful for this type of pain. Injectable Hyaluronic Acid is very helpful, especially for the overall stiffness that comes with arthritis in more than one or two joints.  What worries me about Goldie’s story is that now it seems that she has pain in just one leg. This may be a sign that she has something more severe, like osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Radiographs are needed to see if there is anything more going on than just arthritis. Hopefully, she just needs a cane. She can carry it around in her mouth when she’s not using it. – Dr. Forsythe