Possible stomach disorder

Question
Our neighbor rescued a standard poodle and a chihuahua that grew up together last week. A week ago Sunday he stopped and asked us if we wanted the Chihuahua. he said he was taking him back to where he had just gotten him. We took the little guy and he gets to see his poodle buddy periodically. Whe he does, he is extremely happy but when he is around other dogs he won't interact at all. We wonder if he has some stomach problems. His belly is very tight and he weighs 10 pounds and is approximately 8 years old.His appetite is not real good, his bowel movements appear to be healthy ones. He spends most of his time sleeping and seems very depressed and vomits from time to time. His tummy seem to be tender and he will yelp a bit when we pick him up. Any ideas? Thanks for helping

Answer
Hi Ken...

I don't think it's uncommon at all that your little guy is very happy to interact with his poodle buddy but is stand offish and refuses to interact with other dogs.  That seems to be a very common trait of the breed - Chis are very devoted to those they love and not all that "welcoming" to strangers, be it four-legged or two- legged.

Ken, the problems that you mention with his belly concern me and I think that you really need to have him evaluated by an experienced veterinarian.  The fact that his appetite isn't good and that he occasionally vomits and has tenderness enough to yelp when you pick him up brings up all kinds of red flags for me.  Truly, you need to have him examined and at least have a blood panel run to see if he has any elevations in liver enzymes or other indicators of a problem that could get worse over time if left untreated. Most dogs should have a blood panel done at this age and he really NEEDS one due to the symptoms that you've described.  No one over the internet can diagnose him and there's no "magic cures" or supplements that are going to remedy what you're describing.  Even if his problems end up being as simple as the need for a diet change or a certain medication, it's well worth having a professional diagnosis.

If I can be of any help in another way, please let me know.  I'd like it if you kept in contact and let me know what the veterinarian says.

Jo Ann