My dog has a history of IBS. She vomited once 3 days ago and had diarrhea. i treated it as i normally do. tested her gut

Thank you for reaching out to Just Answer. This is Dr. C and I have extensive experience as an ER veterinarian. I know how important your pet is to you and I appreciate you entrusting me as part of their care team. The phone call prompt (for an extra fee) is automatically generated by the website so feel free to decline. I cannot make a diagnosis or prescribe medications without an exam, but I can make my best recommendations based on the information you give me.

It will take me a number of minutes to type out a response to your question since I try to be very thorough in my recommendations based on your unique issues, so please bear with me.

May I ask some questions so I can best help you?

Is Lyla acting weak (wobbly or unable to stand)?

Does she have any dietary restrictions?

Is she on any medications?

Vomiting is a common cause of dogs being seen at the vet during an emergency appointment. The simplest cause of vomiting is gastritis, or upset stomach from eating something that didn't sit well. This issue can oftentimes be treated at home as long as the pet isn't getting too dehydrated.

The more serious causes are

-intestinal blockage

-pancreatitis

-kidney disease

-liver disease

-metabolic disease

-infectious disease (like parvovirus)

-toxin

-intestinal parasites

Especially since she has a history of a sensitive stomach I am not too worried she is having a few bouts of vomiting.

Since the issue has been going on for a relatively short period of time and as long as she is not too weak you can try some things at home to see if you can settle her stomach before heading to the vet.

Does her stomach look bloated along with the spasming?

Are her gums nice and pink?

Is she breathing normally?

It does sound like there is a chance she would respond to some at home treatment since she is not weak and her gums are pink.

I would recommend the following to try until you have her seen by a veterinarian:

1) Do not feed her for 6 to 12 hours to rest her GI tract and after a few hours of no vomiting start offering her frequent and small amounts of water or pedialyte of any flavor (so she doesn't gulp down a large amount of water and make herself sick).

2) After at least 6 hours you can start offering a small amount of a bland diet like boiled chicken and rice or canned chicken or meat baby food (without onion powder). If she holds that down you can start feeding her during her mealtimes but use the bland diet and give her small amounts at first.

3) After several days you can transition her back to her normal diet.

4) Start giving Prilosec OTC (omeprazole). Give 0.5mg per pound once every 24 hours for the next several days. This can help settle her stomach. You can purchase this antacid over the counter at a Pharmacy or grocery store. Pepcid AC (famotidine) is also an option if that is what you have in the house. You can start this as soon as possible and it works better on an empty stomach.

5) Metamucil (Psyllium) can be added to her diet. Sprinkle 1 tsp/10 pounds twice a day in the food. This fiber can help firm up the stool and can soothe the GI tract. Make sure it is unsweetened and does not contain xylitol as an ingredient. Several tablespoons of canned pumpkin is an alternative.

6) If she is not currently on a heartworm preventative consider deworming her. You can purchase dog dewormers over the counter, Bayer Quad Tabs is a good one you can find on Amazon.

7) Purchase a dog probiotic and start administering this with her meals. Purina makes a good over the counter option called Fortiflora. Some plain yogurt added to meals is an alternative.

If Lyla vomits more than 3 times in a 24 hour period without being fed, or if she continues to vomit for more than 24 hours she should be seen by a veterinarian. If she becomes weak, very painful, or is losing a lot of fluid through vomiting and/or diarrhea she should be seen sooner at an emergency vet.

If she is having nausea this could cause the stomach to spasm. I would be more concerned if her whole body is spasming. You can start the antacid now and then fast her and see how she does with the bland diet with fiber and probiotics.

Given her history it is still a good idea to have her seen at her vet in the morning, but as long as she does not start looking more painful or weaker vomiting is not an emergency tonight.

Bloat is the only reason vomiting is a true emergency, but this would cause a very bloated belly, retching with nothing much coming out, a very distended belly and pale gums, so that does not sound like what is going on at this point.

Have I answered your question? If any part of my response is unclear, please let me know. It’s my goal to deliver excellent service, so please let me know if there is anything more I can do. I would love to explain anything further that seems confusing or doesn't make sense to help ease your mind. Thank you for using our site. I also can continue to answer any further questions you might have over the next few days here on this chat thread. I hope Lyla starts feeling better soon!

I hope her visit goes well and she is feeling better soon.

You're welcome