dogs tummy

Question
On the day after thanksgiving a toy manchester terrier came and adopted us.  We have not gotten him to vet yet so I don't know how old he is, I do know he is not a puppy.  anyway, a few weeks ago he started throwing up.  He was only doing this when on our bed..so we thought was allergic.  put him in crate at night (he hates it and I hate it) and it stopped.  we thought maybe he just wasn't feeling well for a while ..so we let him back in room in his own little bed.  He did it again.  I changed his food to purina sensitive system.  tonight he did it again only in the living room.  and again in his crate a bit later.  am very confused and since I have always been a cat owner I am at a loss.  Could you please give advice.  Yes I know we have to get him to a vet but financially not feasible at this point.  he is not fixed so that also has to be done.  Thank you for any help and advice that you can give.

Answer
Hello Stacey -

I am very sorry about not getting back to you sooner, it seemed as though the Allexpert site was experiencing technical difficulties. I had tried for 2 days to respond to you.

Without knowing a general history of your pet it may be difficult to determine what may be his underlying cause for vomitting. You don't know if he has received all of his vaccinations and if he has a medical history. I know a visit to the veterinarian is costly but I highly suggest this. Your vet will be able to run tests and do a thorough check up to make sure you pet is in optimal health.

I cannot make a definite diagnosis without more information. It does sound like either an allergy, bacterial/viral infection or could be something more serious.

The best advice I can give you at this point is to begin to add Garlic powder to his food. Garlic is an anti-microbial and will help to rid the body of bacteria and/or infection. Don't be afraid to sprinkle with a heavy hand, dogs love Garlic and he should eat it up right away. The only draw back to adding Garlic to the food is flatulence. It may be a little stinky but the Garlic is working to push the bacteria through the system. Also add a little Thyme, it will also help fight bacteria and act to settle the stomach.

You could also begin a supplement of Probiotics such as Acidophilus. These good bacteria are found in yogurt and they help to strengthen the good bacteria of the gut and help fight infection and imbalance. You can purchase this from your local pet shop. It is completely safe for your pet to take daily and will really help his immune system. You can keep your pet on this even if he is put on antibiotics, in fact, it is always best to be on a Probiotic when on antibiotics. The Probiotic helps maintain the intestinal flora (good bacteria) while antibiotics kill off all bacteria causing other problems and infections.

Watch the food you are giving him, he may have a food allergy. A lot of dogs are allergic to beef, chicken, corn and animal by-products. Without taking him to a vet this will be difficult to determine and will take a little trial and error in  food purchases.

I hope this information has helped you and your pet.

If you would like further information on natural and herbal remedies for human and animal concerns please contact me at wintersaurora@yahoo.com and I will be happy to assist you and send you a catalog of my home made herbal remedies.

If you have additional questions to my response you may contact me at the address I have provided above as well.

Thank you and best wishes to you and your pet.

Sincerely,
Sharon Hubbs, AHG
Certified Natural Health Consultant & Herbalist