She has black tarry stool and is coughing or sounds like she is trying to cop some thing up. 7 year old pug. Female.

Good afternoon, I’m Dr. Gates and I’m happy to assist you this today.

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Black tarry stools are generally termed melena and can be caused by serious issues like stomach ulcers and internal bleeding. You can read about this condition here:

https://www.petplace.com/article/dogs/pet-health/melena-blood-in-stool-in-dogs/

Prednisone is a steroid and can lead to stomach ulcers and stomach bleeding which can show up as melena. I would discontinue giving any Prednisone and follow-up with your vet as soon as possible. Never give any NSAIDs like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc. to dogs, especially with Prednisone.

You can try giving Pepcid AC (famotidine) or Prilosec (omeprazole).

The usual dosage of famotidine or omeprazole for dogs is 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg per pound of body weight given twice a day and is sold as over-the-counter medication.

Pills usually come in a strength of 10 mg, though they also come in amounts of 20 mg. This will decrease the amount of hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach in the event that Winnie does have an ulcer. Ulcers can quickly perforate and lead to peritonitis, so I would not delay in having her seen.

I hope this information was helpful and that Winnieis back to normal soon. You can provide updates and ask follow-up questions by picking up the chat in the window and I will answer when I am next online. Thank you for using Just Answer and have a wonderful day!

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