my dog is a 14-year old westie. He never barks. he never complaints. He ate some pizza and now he is making sounds like a cat in pain. What can I do? Please help! Thank you!
Optional Information: Type of Animal: westie Gender: Male Age: 14 Name of Dog: Charlie Already Tried: a 20-minute walk; water
Welcome to JustAnswer! I am a licensed veterinarian and would be glad to help!1) When did he eat the Pizza?2) Was this just cheese pizza, or were there toppings?3) Is there vomiting or retching?4) Diarrhea?5) Is he stretching his belly?-
He ate it about 40 minutes ago. It was two-day old cheese pizza. Retching. No vomiting yet. No diarhhea yet but when I took him for his walk he pooped a good sized pile. His belly is very distended but I don't see any other type of stretching.
Weight: normal;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;text-decoration: none;">Using history alone it is difficult to rule-out other causes, but the history would support a gastroenteritis (LINK HERE).Therapies to consider include:1) Removing food for 12 hours - then starting a bland diet. One option would be a veterinary prescription bland diet called Hill’s I/D (LINK HERE) The second option would be a home-cooked bland diet. A common bland diet is boiled white rice and either boiled white meat chicken or boiled hamburger. Whichever protein source is chosen (chicken or hamburger) it is recommended to offer a mixture of 2/3 rice and 1/3 of the protein source.If the diet is tolerated, and once clinical improvement is seen, it is recommended to SLOWLY transition back to the normal diet. 2) Antacids for stomach upset (often one is chosen of the 3 choices below):- Famotidine (Pepcid A/C) - LINK HERE (The typical dose administered is 0.25 to 0.5 mg per pound (0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg) every 12 to 24 hours.)- Prilosec OTC (Omeprazole) - LINK HERE (The typical dose administered to animals is 0.25 to 0.5 mg per pound (0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg), every 24 hours or once daily.)- Rantididine (Zantac) - LINK HERE (The typical dose administered to animals is 0.25 to 1 mg per pound (0.5 to 2 mg/kg), every 8 to 12 hours.)3) Prescription medications for nausea from your veterinarian such as:- Cerenia (LINK HERE)- Zofran (LINK HERE)4) Probiotics can also be considered - LINK HERE or LINK HEREHopefully this is just more of an upset stomach (gastroenteritis) and will resolve with a little supportive care and time.If you have any follow-up questions - please do not hesitate to ask!Otherwise - please remember to click ACCEPT/SUBMIT and RATE/FEEDBACKFind me any time if needed: http://www.justanswer.com/veterinary/expert-criticalcarevetYou can always request me through my profile, bookmark my page for future help, or beginning your question with “For CriticalCareVet”____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Please click the "GREEN ACCEPT" button if the information I have provided has been of help so I receive credit for helping you. Bonuses are always welcome and appreciated.This is necessary so that I can get credit for assisting you and compensated for my time.Once you click accept, your question will not close, and you will still have the opportunity to follow-up if needed.Also remember, sometimes the medical information and recommendation may not be what you want to hear, but it is being made in the best interest of your pet - please be courteous in your response, even if this is not exactly what you wanted to hear - we are only making the best and safest possible recommendations for you and your loved ones.Please keep in mind that if you do not list all the important information above (medical history, current medications, previous illness, etc) it is harder for me to give you the most complete information.With this communication - we are here to guide you in making the best decision for your pet. This is for informational purposes only. We are not allowed to diagnose and prescribe medications - rather provide a course of action to speak to your veterinarian about - and any medical therapy and treatment should only be performed after an in-person examination with your veterinarian as a professional-client relationship has not been established on the site. While information may be discussed, this is not intended as an encouragement for you to self treat your pet, rather information online, and any treatment provided should only be performed after consulting your veterinarian.
Experience: Emergency and Critical Care Specialist