Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Lexi (11 weeks old) will throw up clear bile in the mornings if she doesn't eat. The breeder said this is "normal" for Shepherds, and to give her some kibble or a dog biscuit to settle her stomach enough so she will eat her food. Well this morning she puked twice (clear) and I tried to give her some kibble and a biscuit but she wouldn't eat it. She just went on her merry way, was playing and having fun, eventually I did get to eat some and she hasn't thrown up since. I know it might be considered "normal" but it still bugs me, I hate to have her go through that, but how do you get someone to eat if they feel like puking, LOL?? (reminds me of my morning sickness days!)

Are there any "nutritious" treats out there I could use to tempt her with that still wouldn't spoil her into not eating her regular food? We've been giving her Iams puppy biscuits, she doesn't seem too impressed, always looks sad when I give her one, LOL!

Thanks for any advice!

Beth

Beth as you have probably noticed I don't have a GSD so I'm not specifically up on the breed. What I can tell you with my adult Shiba Inu's is that from time to time they will vomit clear bile or every once in a while a little yellow bile. I don't think it should be to much of a concern.

As for treats I use Wellness biscuits... in fact I have fed my three Wellness food for a number of years now. You could try feeding Lexi some vegetables pieces... my three love carrots for instance.
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

Feed her before she throws up bile. Basically, feed her more often. Three times a day, every eight hours, will likely work. It does no harm, and can do a lot of good. Yes, I've had dogs throw up from having an empty stomach. It's pretty normal, but it's not good for them to do it too often.

Keep her food the same. She will get used to it. Really! An only dog doesn't feel another dog eyeballing that food, so you have to think about ways to convince her that she needs to eat on schedule. One thing is not to leave food out. Offer it, give her a few minutes, and then take it up.

If you are feeding three times a day, she will get less at a time, and be more hungry. It also reduces the risk of fatal gastric torsion.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

A lot of dogs do this, so it's common in that sense. However, I don't think it's optimal, and, in my opinion, it's a sign that something is not right -- either the feeding schedule is off, or the food that your feeding isn't agreeing with her. I would suspect the latter considering how frequent it is.