Hi All

I have got a 5 month old westie who seems to be sicky quite a bit, we usually get up to a bit of sickness about 3-4 times a week, usually it happens overnight but this week he has been sick a couple of days during the day, i have put this down to the very hot weather we have been having but i just thought i would ask. We have got a couple of westie's that live near us and both of the owners say that their westie's get sickness and their vets have told them that westie's are prone to sickness as they have got sensitive stomach's.
What i cannot understand is as soon as he is sick he is running around playing so he cannot be feeling poorly, it is just that i have never had a dog before and i didn't think they were sick as often as this. I just wondered whether there were any other westie owners or breeders perhaps on the board that could give me some info, i am seeing my vet mid August to get him 6 monthly checked so i will ask him then but would have liked to have found out from some other westie owners beforehand. If he seemed poorly i would take him to the vet now but he charges around playing afterwards and eats and drinks fine that i cannot seem to think there is a lot wrong with him.
Hope somebody may be able to help.
Thanks
Helen

What are you feeding him, and when?

Is he bringing up his food, or is it froth or bile?

Hi

sometimes he brings up his food but usually when he is sick overnight it is just like bile.

Helen

Helen,

If it's bile he is probably throwing up from an empty stomach. My Cairn does this and I identified the problem from another site dedicated to Westies and Cairns. I now give my Cairn a couple of treats late at night and she is fine until morning.

Stacey

Hi

I am feeing him 3 times a day at the moment and he has Eukanuba that the breeder was feeding him on when i got him, i just add a little bit of chicken to it.

Helen

I have 4, none of mine are ever sick.

What is you feeding plan..?? IS it just water for drink??

Pam

i've been worrying about a very similar thing with my 11mth old border terrier. i took him to the vets 11 days ago because he was really 'out of sorts' and had been bringing up froth and bile for 2 days (after doing this he went back to his normal little self). on the 3rd day he had a bit of diarrhoea which was bloody so i rushed him to the vet. he wasn't too sure what had caused it but the treatment seemed to work immediately. since than his stools have been absolutely fine and he is eating and drinking well. however, last thursday and this morning he has bought up bile again. any ideas ?. i will take him back to the vet but at the moment he seems perfectly well and full of beans.

This is just a hunch but the heat has a lot to answer for. not the blood though.

Puppies eat some of the most terrible things.

I had to literally help one of my pups poop recently as she was passing something big, I washed it ( sorry everyone) but could not identify it. She was fine after a bum bath and trim LOL.

If it continues more than a few days off to the vet, or even call them.

Pam

As its an on going problem and he is basically well and happy it could well be the diet. Eukanuba is not tolerated by some dogs and is too high in protein imo for a westie puppy. I would seriously consider changing his food - at this age his very fast growth is slowing now and it will not be detrimental to his development. I would try him on Burns mini bites. Burns is very easy to digest and made from natural ingredients and is lower protein than most puppy foods, at no expense of correct development - I just get the feeling his system cant handle the very high protein of Eukanuba. Too high protein levels can start off skin problems - so beware!!

I was having a thought and a common cause of blood that most people are not aware of or may forget is over eating causing bleeding in puppies also.

I was talking to a very experienced breeder yesterday and she was saying when she is asked for advice about this 1 out of 2 cases the over eating seems to appear the cause.

Dogs ....

Pam