symtom of dry heaving

Question
My 60 lb. 10 yr. old female coonhound was diagnosed with a heart murmur and enlarged heart. She had a slight cough, but no other symptoms. She is still eating and very strong, but her cough turned into gagging and in Nov. 08 the vet put her on Enalapril 1 1/2 tablet 2 times daily. I will also mention that during this time she had a steady diet of one of the the biscuit products that was recalled for possible peanut butter salmonella poisoning at least two 32 oz bags monthly. Since Nov. when she was put on the Enalapril she has started gagging more, she did want her food unless it was doctored up with something and she went through a very bad few days of diarrhea, but now she is also dry heaving from her stomach and it becomes much worse at night. I was concerned that the recalled product had made her condition worse. Today, my vet just to be safe put her on Chloramphenicol 500mg 2 tabs 3 times daily and tonight she had heaving that came in waves lasting 5 min over a half hour period.  How long can she heave like? Will heaving like that make her heart worse? Do you think there is something else? I have asked my vet, who I consider very good and he says the only way to know would be to get an ultra sound done.  For this I would have to drive a long distance and she does not travel well. Thank you in advance for any additional information or suggestions you might have especially about how long is too long to let her heave?

Answer
Hi Bonnie,

I doubt heaving with make your dog's heart murmur worse. Obviously heaving that comes in waves lasting 5 min over a half hour period is a severe reaction to something. You should contact your vet as soon as possible (if you haven't already done so) to alert him of this, and to let him decide what to do next.

The side effects of Enalapril include changes in urination, decreased appetite, vomiting, sudden lethargy or weakness. These symptoms should be reported to your veterinarian, and another medication should be used. Reducing the dose might be all that's required.
Vomiting, lack of appetite and diarrhea are possible side effects from Chloramphenicol.
So, just by being on Enalapril, it wouldn't be unusual to see some decreased appetite, and some vomiting. It sounds this all coincides with when you started the Enalapril.

It's also possible that your dog isn't tolerating whatever food you've changed to. Try using another brand of dry food, or switch to a canned food, which might be more appetizing to her, and not require any "doctoring". A mixture of canned and dry is another option.
When a dog is ill, and won't eat, it's okay to add a little something to her food to "jump start" her into eating. Try crumbling a little hard boiled egg into her food, it's very nutritious and most dogs really love egg.
Also, try feeding your dog several small meals during the day, rather than one or two larger meals. If her stomach is irritated, smaller meals might be easier to keep down.

Dry heaving, or attempting to vomit with or without any food coming up, can indicate a stomach ache, but it can also mean a food allergy, a blockage, or a problem with an internal organ, such as the liver, kidney or pancreas.

If your dog continues to wretch, and is not able to eat, then a diagnostic exam with an ultra sound or endoscope needs to be done. Perhaps your vet can give prescribe a mild sedative for the car ride, if you must travel for the ultra sound.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti