Dog sicking up froth

Question
Hi Shelley,  I wonder if you can help.  My dog has a very sensitive stomach.  She often gets an upset tummy (when this happens her poo can be bright orange or runny sometimes with lots of mucus and some blood in it).  She is often sick as will with this.  Normally I starve her for a day or so and then introduce small amounts of plain food (like pasta, fish or chicken) back into her diet and gradually add her normal food (IAMS).  I have noticed that she normally has a bad poo or is sick if she has had fat (eaten tinned dog food, real meatlike beef or sausages, milk or finished off my other dogs dinner when I wasn't looking)so I try to make sure that she doesn't get these things.  When I have taken her to the vet they haven't given any reason for her upset stomach - sometimes they have given her something to help like an antibiotic if there has been blood in the poo - but mainly they tell me to give her a bland diet for a while.
This time however she has been on the bland diet for over a week (I have introduced a handful of IAMS into it) but for the past three mornings she has been sick at 7.30am.  The sick is white froth.  Her poo is fine now (not orange, runny, full of mucus or with any blood in it) and she seems fine in herself - happy - up for a walk - cold wet nose etc.  Have you any idea why she might be being sick and if I need to take her to the vet again for this or not worry.  She is a cross breed - we think alsation and collie.  She is 5 years old and has no other medical issues. Many thanks in advance

Answer
Hi Andrea,

Thank you for writing to me. I am so very sorry to hear of your dog's tummy upsets.  

Have you had you dog tested for worms and parasites, including Giardia?  Have them do the one that tests for antigens.  There are certain worms and parasites that will rear up when a dog's immune system is compromised either by illness or stress.

I would also venture to guess that your dog may be suffering from allergies, so my recommendation is to switch her food from Iams (which has food additives and bi-products in it) to something like Soldi Gold Fish & Potato or Orijen 6 Fish.  Do this very gradually and see how she does on this type of food.

I would also recommend adding some digestive enzymes to her food bowl.  Something like Prozyme from J-B Wholesale Pet Supply would help her thoroughly digest and assimilate her food.

An herb like Slipery Elm bark will coat her digestive tract.

In addition to the fecal w. Giardia, you might want to run a full blood panel just to see what is going on inside her.

I wish you and your dog the very best.

Shelley Davis