Vomiting bile

I would bet that it's because of the meals being spaced so far apart.  Two of our guys vomit if they go too long without food.

A blockage is always a possibility, but if he's otherwise normal, I'd look toward meal spacing.

 Is someone available to toss him a cookie, in between? Mine eat 12 hours apart, but even at almost 6 years old (so not wild and growing, like Kes), Emma needs a cookie at bed time. She does the same thing. A smidge of foamy bile. A cookie, a bite of kibble, a spoonful of canned, even a peice of fruit is enough to stop it from happening.

Yea the large spacing was a one time thing, usually they get fed at about 10-12 hour intervals.  I'm going to try giving lunch today and seeing if that helps; if needed I can continue to do that indefinitely since I usually come home for lunch even during the work week.

What are blockage symptoms, btw?  I'm assuming vomiting related to that would contain undigested food and pooping would be greatly reduced or stopped.  Correct?

The first thing I'm gonna say is JUST because I've got a dog who survived IMHA (and the **only** symptom Billy showed outwardly at first was about a teaspoon of bile he vomited just a couple of times in a week).

Look at the gums -- are they nice and pink and great looking?  If pale -- vet now.  (I wish that disease would just go away so I could stop having to feel mild panick when someone says something like this.)

stardog85

Yea the large spacing was a one time thing, usually they get fed at about 10-12 hour intervals. 

Frankly thjat will do it to any dog -- particularly one *used* to eating at 12 hour intervals.  (If a dog is USED to eating once a day -- that's fine if it's what works for them - and I've had dogs like that)

But yeah, if you know the schedule just isn't going to work any other way -- even a few "cookies" or whatever will usually assuage that "overly hungry" thing.

stardog85

What are blockage symptoms, btw?  I'm assuming vomiting related to that would contain undigested food and pooping would be greatly reduced or stopped.  Correct?

Sorta kinda but often not that simple.  Because the intestinal tract is Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong.  The whole theory of an obstruction is that ***somewhere*** along the entire digestive tract  there is an obstruction -- that means it can be in the stomach itself *all the way** to the anus.  So .... *somewhere* everything stops.

Then ... food stops getting thru -- so whatever is the shortest distance -- between the mouth and the obstruction or between the obstruction and the anus -- usually one side or the other is quicker to show problems -- usually not at the same darned time.

Let's say for ease of illustration that the blockage is in the intestinal tract just past the stomach.  So -- the dog  eats the next meal ... but ... really quick the unblocked part of the intestine filles up and spills back into the stomach.  ugh ... then because there is something IN the stomach digestive juices keep pouring in .. and in and  in ... because that's the body's response.  If there's something STILL in the tummy must be it's not digested.so the body just keeps pouring  digestive enzymes in and in and in and eventually that makes the dog majorly nauseus and they vomit.  HOWEVER -- the blockage doesn't move but it may be 36 hours for the intestine to empty. 

So you've got a dog who vomits now every time he eats but he's still pooping so everyone things "No, he's pooping so it's NOT an obstruction.  Wrong!"

Same thing if it's at the other end pretty much -- they'll eat and eat and eat like nothing's wrong but they haven't had a dump in 2 days.  Now SOMETIMES that obstruction can be eased by various meds -- but ... sometimes not. 

Rarely it is truly in the "middle".  But roughing sometime between 8 hours and 40 hours you'll have no poop and vomiting at the same time.  But often by then they're pretty debilitated.

More than you wanted to know ... but .... that's what causes the wole problem.

Going for x-rays can help cos at least you can see where  the digestive process has stoopped -- and sometimes it looks danged suspicious that the intestine is FULL to ""XX"" here -- but EMPTY thereafter.    But you have to  be suspicious enough to go to the vet.

 Thanks for the feedback Callie!  His gums look great, normal refill time and everything.  I'll be giving him "lunch" about 3pm and then dinner around 9ish so we'll see how he does today with a more normal eating schedule.

You know ... many of we dog owners really don't KNOW that looking at your dog's gums is truly "Step #1" in first aid.  So if all my screeching about it even helps folks remember to do that .... *sigh*