For the last few posts we’ve been talking about some of the reasons poodles vomit.  Since vets have identified about 70 possible reasons, you can see that we’re just scratching surface (and you can also see why your vet may need to do a lot of tests).

Let’s look at ulcers as a reason why your poodle might be throwing up…

Ulcer Symptoms

First, a warning: The symptoms that suggest your poodle may have an ulcer could also be symptoms of other illnesses.  So be sure to grab a vomit sample, a stool sample and head to your vet.

Now having said that, here are a few symptoms that suggest your poodle may have an ulcer.  Do note that your poodle may only have one symptom (such as vomiting):

• Vomiting: The vomit may or may not have blood in it.  If it does have blood, it could be specks of bright red blood. Or it may be partially digested, in which case it could look like coffee grounds or black or brown flakes.

• Blood in the stool: If the poodle has a stomach ulcer, then the blood in the stool will be digested – and that means it typically takes on a “tarry” dark appearance (e.g., blackish).  If you see red blood in the stool, then your poodle has an intestinal disturbance or an ulcer further down (in the large intestine rather than the stomach).

• Abdominal pain: Your poodle may show signs of pain or discomfort in the abdominal region.  For example, she may not want you to touch her stomach.

• Low appetite: If your poodle is experiencing some pain or discomfort in the stomach, then he’ll probably have a low appetite.

• Lethargy: If your poodle is vomiting and experiencing pain, he probably won’t be as active as usual.

These are the most common signs.  However, if the ulcer is severe and/or if the vomiting is severe, then your poodle could very quickly move from having a serious illness to a life-threatening emergency. That’s because your poodle can quickly dehydrate, collapse or show other signs of shock.

Obviously, you need to get your poodle to the vet NOW if you see any of these serious signs such as bloody vomit, dehydration or collapse.  And regardless of what you’re seeing – even if it doesn’t seem all that serious to you – call your vet so that you can come up with a treatment plan to put a halt to your poodle’s ill health.

What Caused the Poodle’s Stomach Ulcer?

There are many reasons a poodle can get an ulcer, including (but not limited to) the following:

-Drugs, especially NSAIDs (including painkillers like aspirin).
-Diseases (such as Addison’s disease — we’ll talk about this in another post).
-Infection (including bacterial infection such as helicobacter pylori).
-Foreign objects (e.g., your poodle swallowed a sharp bone or a nonfood item).
-Cancer.
-Ulcers secondary to other illnesses that cause prolonged vomiting (such as food intolerance).

And yes, stress may play a contributing factor as well.

How are Poodle Stomach Ulcers Treated?

Different vet’s take different approaches to stomach ulcers, depending on what they think is the cause of the ulcer.  These steps may include:

-Discovering the root cause of the ulcer.  To do this, your vet may need to do a blood panel, urine analysis, stool analysis, x-ray and/or barium study, endoscopic study, etc.  If a cause is determined, the treatment plan will include removing or treating the cause.  For example, if Addison’s Disease is the cause, then your poodle will be treated for Addison’s.

-Anti-vomit drugs.  Vomiting just creates more acid and more vomiting. As such, your vet may prescribe an anti-vomit drug (like Cerenia) to stop the vomiting so your poodle’s stomach has a chance to start healing.

-Antibiotics. If your vet suspects the ulcer is caused by a bacterial infection, then your poodle may be put on antibiotics to combat the infection.

-Stomach coaters.  Your vet may prescribe something to soothe and coat the stomach. These coaters may include things like Carafate or even Maalox.

-Acid reducers.  Your poodle may also need to take a medicine that helps reduce the acid in the stomach (which helps the ulcer heal).  These items include drugs like famotidine or cimetidine.  (The brand names for these drugs include Pepcid AC, Tagamet and similar.)

-Diet change.  Your vet will likely give you instructions for feeding a bland, easily digestible diet (e.g., a low residue diet).  You may get a prescription diet, or you may choose a home cooked diet.

Be sure to follow your vet’s instructions completely so that you can stop the vomiting and the ulcer can start healing.  It may take months to fully heal, so don’t “slack off” just because your poodle feels better.  Otherwise, you may end up exacerbating the situation and delaying healing time.