Not serious vomiting

Question
Hi Patti,
My 4 year old Cocker is a high-strung animal at times. He also has a very sensitive stomach. If I give him a new treat, he will throw up for a few days (always on my rug of course). My vet told me to give him a half a tablet of Pepto Bismol. My question is, why is it only treats that affect him? I give him Wellness treats (apple, banana) he throws up for 2 days. I give him Iams Bisquits he doesn't throw up. Is this normal? My vet only shakes his head. I worry about this. Am I wrong? Thanks so much.
Lorraine

Answer
Hi Lorraine,

It's hard to say why a dog (or person) won't tolerate a particular food.  There's obviously an ingredient in the Wellness treats that doesn't agree with your dog.

If you really want to pin-point the reason why your dog isn't tolerating the Wellness treats, you could try a "feeding trial", and  experiment with another flavor(s) in the line of Wellness treats to see if another kind is better tolerated. If your dog doesn't throw up another variety, look at what ingredients are different, and you'll have a good idea of what ingredient your dog isn't tolerating. If your dog continues to throw up, look at what ingredients the two flavors share as the possible cause of the problem.

I'm familiar with the Wellness treats,  they're a super premium product and I know you must feel good providing your dog with high quality treats, but your dog has the final word on this, and he's already cast his vote (all over your rug!).

One of my dogs has irritable bowel syndrome, and he also tolerates Iams Biscuits (both regular and lamb) better than other brands. I don't know what in them, but they seem to be well tolerated by dogs with stomach issues.

You don't need to worry about this, just stick to the foods your dog tolerates the best, and you'll be doing the best thing for your dog. It's not wrong to want to provide your dog with foods that are the absolute best, that's really quite commendable. But because your dog has a sensitive stomach, you need to taylor your concept of what's "the best food", to what's the best for YOUR dog.
If the Wellness treats make your dog throw up, then they aren't the best, no matter what's printed on their ingredient panel.

There are dog treats available for dogs with sensitive stomachs, such as Nutro Natural Choice Sensitive Stomach Dog Biscuits.

Best of luck,

Patti