Advice for stomach problems before going to a specialist

Last year our cockapoo had reoccurring episodes of vomiting, it was usually in the night and we’d come downstairs most mornings to vomit even when she was being fed rice. We took her to the vets and they wanted to rule out an obstruction, she had surgery where they took out her intestines and were happy that there was no obstructions but what they did find is that her intestines were not contracting like they should be and were completely still, hence why she was vomiting as her food was just sitting rather than passing through. She was put on some medication for a few days to get things moving again which worked. Since then she has had a few episodes of vomiting which resulted in us going back to the vets, they have done X-rays, scans and blood tests and are none the wiser about what’s going on so have said we’ll have to go and see a specialist. Currently she can go weeks seemingly fine then she will start not wanting her food and doing the prayer downward dog pose. Since her surgery last year she has been on royal canin hypoallergenic food and this is all she has, we stopped giving treats and we keep a food diary but there is no obvious pattern. Money is tight so any advice on something we could try before going down the specialist route would be so appreciated. Obviously if she was showing signs of being in a lot of pain or discomfort then we would get her seen but currently it just seems to be the occasional prayer position so it still seems like there is something going on. Thanks for reading.

Hello and thankyou for this interesting question.   I, like your vet, have carried out plenty radiographs for acutely (suddenly) vomiting dogs, ruling out such emergencies as a foreign body or, occasionally, a dilated / twisted stomach (the latter especially if no vomit actually comes up).  But it sounds as though this problem is no longer sudden / out of the blue, but recurring.  Negative radiographs don't completely rule out a foreign body, but there may by now be more likely possibilities.   Dogs and cats dont always show mild to moderate niggling pain in the way that owners expect and for me, a downward-dog pose is a classic sign of trying to relieve pain at the front of the abdomen, even in dogs that don't 'look painful' by human standards.  It makes me wonder about inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) which can be secondary to underlying problems involving the liver and bile duct and also to cancers.  Pain releif and fluids are important treatments in these cases, although pancreatitis can be difficult to test for, requiring a combination of methods.  It's definitely worth asking your vet about - treatment may include drugs, good pain releif, fluid and to identify any causative factors.  Diagnosis of pancreatitis often includes ultrasound and advanced specific blood-tests.  I hope that something here is helpful.

I would reccommend talking to your vets about money in advance of any specialist consultation; we are practical people and find it helpful. Pancreatitis can continue throughout an animal's life and while we can so a lot of clever tests, it may be worth your vet being aware in advance that funds are limited in order that they can maximize the usefulness of any money spen, in orfer to have the greatest possible positive impact on your dogs' wealfare.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. Pancreatitis was also what our vet thought it was but they have ruled it out twice after test results came back clear which is why they are puzzled and have said there’s no further tests they can conduct at their surgery.