postpartum depression

Question
i read someone else's blog about postpartum and saw that you answered part of it. you said they can get it, but thought it was more the age of the dogs than anything. my huskies had their second litter 7 weeks ago. for the last 2 weeks all of them have been going outside (supervised) with the mother and my other dogs and learning how to play and socialize. it has been wonderful since it wears them out and they sleep better in their room.
i want to know more about postpartum and can't find much on the internet about it. for the last week, the mother has been vomiting almost everything she eats.  she'll keep down some chicken and rice and will keep down a very small amount of dog food. however, she sometimes/somehow finds her way into "their" room and eats their food or finishes the food my other dogs may not have finished. saturday was the first day she didn't vomit at all and i walked her to examine her poop (they have a dog door, so i don't always know which poop is which dog). i took her temperature and it was 102.2 (normal), felt her abdomen (soft, not hard and didn't seem to be in pain), and checked her gums (pink) so i knew she wasn't dehydrated. sunday she was fine, but kept me up all night crying and pacing and digging at my floor. she then puked 2x EARLY monday morning so i took her to the vet as soon as they opened. they did everything i did and tested her vomit, her poop, and one of the puppies' poop. all negative. the vet is as perplexed as i am. i reminded him that she didn't get her annual vaccinations b/c she was pregnant and then nursing. he said if it was anything like that, the puppies would be dying left and right. he gave her 2 medications (flagyl and one that starts with a C to calm her stomach). she did great the rest of the day and had a solid stool. monday morning i woke to 3 piles of vomit around the house. i'm a little upset that i dropped $110 for the vet to tell me what i already know and to not have solved the issue. maybe she can sense this is her last litter (they are both getting fixed at the end of the month)??? i know this is a long explanation for a question, but i wanted you to have all the facts before giving me advice. i really want to knwo the signs of postpartum in a canine. thank you.

Answer
I will admit that I know about as much as you do about postpartum depression in the canine. I do not think she 'knows' this is her last litter. You're giving her a bit too much credit on that one. ;^)  

I do not think your girl is experiencing postpartum depression. If she were, then she would probably be trying to 'mother' things, even inanimate objects. My first thought would be a blockage, or partial blockage, in the intestines, based on what you've told me. Is she throwing up >>only<< after she eats? Does she also throw up water? Is she throwing up all of her food, or is it predominantly  yellow bile? Is she straining to have a bowel movement at all?



As for the vaccinations, at her age, she really does not need any more. I do not vaccinate my dogs after they turn 1 year of age, except for rabies every 3 years because it's required by law. I do blood titers every 3 years, beginning at age 4, and have never had a problem with diseases that they were vaccinated against as puppies and 1 year of age.