Archie's stomach gets rock hard and it hurts!

[Dianna]

My 6 year old boxer has always had bouts of what I believe to be colitis with really loose stools, he won't eat, and lots of gurgling and terrible gas.

But lately he'll come to be with his tail plastered down and the hair on his back up, sometimes he's even trembling. When I rubbed him to soothe him, I noticed his stomach was rock hard as if he was having a long-lasting muscle cramp. It was ROCK HARD. After I massaged it for a little bit, it loosened up, but would spasm every so often. Each time it tightened up Archie would pick up his head and jerk his leg in pain. The gurgling was very loud and often.

As I don't like the added ingredients in processed dog food, I've always cooked his food, mostly pork as he has allergy problems with chicken. He rarely eats vegetables. He will, however, eat Blue or Nature's Recipe canned food.

Any ideas or suggestions. This has been happening more and more lately, usually lasts for about a day, and then he's fine again.

 

[Dianna]

I also forgot to mention that when he has these episodes sometimes he throws up. It's bright yellow and very slimey - not very pretty.

Thanks.

 

[winn dixie]

i do not want to alarm you,but i would consider a hard as a rock hard abdomen,with vomiting,and pain a medical emergency,please take him to your vet...sending healing vibes...keep us posted,but strongly suggest he needs medical attention....

 

[ELubas]

Agree with Winn Dixie. You need a professional vet eval to determine what is up with your pup and how to help him. He is clearly distressed. How long has this been going on?

 

[Gruntsmom]

Sending healing vibes for your boy, and keeping him in my thoughts. Please let us know what the vet says.

 

[Dianna]

Thanks for all your replies. When he was young, Archie's stomach would occasionally get tight and hard. I did take him to the emergency room the first time as I thought it might be bloat. The xrays showed that his stomach was empty, and that's when the vet suggested it might be colitis. Having IBS myself, I symphasized with my puppy and knew how painful that can be.

Now at 6 years old, it seems like lately he's had this problem at least 3 times a week, and his stomach is getting tighter and tighter. After I massage it for about 15-30 minutes it eases up and he goes right to sleep.

Today, however, it is just hanging on. He's very stressed now because his dad is away, and he absolutely hates it when Dad is gone.

Could it be just all stressed related? If so, what can I do to help him?

 

[ELubas]

Could be stress. Was it ever confirmed that it was colitis? If is is not going away this time I really think I would have him vet checked...

 

[winn dixie]

agree with elubas ...i think he needs to be seen by your vet...something is not adding up...continue with healing vibes your way..keep us posted

 

[silly24boxer]

Please take him to the vet

He sounds like he has the same thing Gauge had. Tight stomach, some vomitting or trying to vomit it last 15-20 mins starts happening more times a week in the morning mostly. Gauge is 10 months old and he had bloat so many times that we did not even know it. They can bloat on a empty stomach too. Each time I guess we were so lucky because his stomach would twist back to normal. Well one week it happened really bad twice and he was in pain. I called my vet out of bed she met me at the office we did xrays and used the tube down the stomach but she said the car ride made the stomach twist back lucky. She recommanded a gasoplexy surgery. They sew the stomach too the ribs so it cannot twist he can still bloat but the stomach cannot twist. So I left him there and I am glad I did. I kept thinking he just had stomach aches so I would pet him and calm him down until it passed and he would be fine again. During the surgery it turns out poor Gauges stomach muscles had no elastic left in them at all so one day the stomach would not go back and we would have a very short amount of time to get him to a vet. She said she has never seen anything like this in her 20 years of being a vet. Please get him checked out some dogs are not text book cases as my vet says. Gauge is doing great now but I still get scared!
Darlene

 

[winn dixie]

how is archie doing?