Not eating

[calsmum]

Hi. I have an 8-year-old grey/saluki cross. Over the last month and a half I've noticed a pattern where he suddenly stops eating for a day, then his tummy makes terrible noises and he gets us up several times during the night to go outside where he'll then be hunting around looking for grass. Then, he either vomits up the grass, or not, before going back to his normal self.

This pattern has been going on for a while now, so last week we took him to the vet. The vet diagnosed him with heartburn and said he probably needs more fibre in his diet. He gave us some pills and said it should hopefully do the trick. He was okay for a few days, and ate the pills as prescribed, but then yesterday stopped eating again... as per the usual pattern. He's not eaten today either, and looks really forlorn, and I'm getting worried.

I'll be taking him back to the vet tomorrow first thing if there's no improvement, but I just wondered if anyone had any experience of these symptoms and if the heartburn diagnosis seems possible? (I'm keeping fingers crossed that it is)

Thanks! Calsmum

[vickyb]

My girl was like this for a long time. She'd throw up bile in the night or early morning and be desperate to eat grass. She had acid reducers and metronidazole. She had food allergy tests which came back with a whole host of foods to avoid. We stopped giving her kibble as it seemed to cause problems and fed her on wet food, mainly forthglade and naturediet and fish and potatoes. She had buscopan for when her tummy was terribly noisy, it sounded like fireworks whizzing, popping and squeaking. Eventually the vet scoped her and found her stomach lining was very delicate, as the scope touched it it bled. Inflammatory bowel disease was diagnosed, I didn't realise it affected the stomach lining too. We carried on with simple food that suited her and got her off omeprazole and just onto ranitidine. She has gradually improved. Splitting her food in 3 has helped, her last meal at 9 has made a difference, she has quite a lot and it seems to give the acid/bile something to work on. I was advised to switch her to raw by a specialist but much as I love her I can't do it and tbh don't believe in it and nor does my vet. I guess if it was life and death I would but she's improved a lot without kibble or biscuits, only soft things.

[vickyb]

My vet did say not to let her eat grass as it irritates the stomach as it can be quite sharp. Hard when she's desperate to chomp it. She's had low vit b12 for a few yrs which is a sign of gut disease so has monthly injections of it. 

[calsmum]

Thanks for responding vickyanne! It sounds pretty much the same as is happening to my boy. The stomach noises are really loud, and as you say - they sound like fireworks whizzing around!

He's eaten food overnight and looks brighter this morning (as per the pattern that we've had each week). I'll try your suggestion of soft food only and take away the kibble to see how that fares with him this week. It does sound like it could be the same thing as your girl though.

[calsmum]

We usually feed him half kibble half nature diet. So I'll try just nature diet this week. You mentioned adding fish... what kind would you recommend?