This morning my dog started retching and occasionally threw up. Mostly it was stomach fluid. This he had also done about 3 time about 5 days ago. Then I figuured it was because Ihad given him a small rawhide chew snack... and he was muching that on and off that day. I took away the snack things and it seemed like he was OK. But this morning he was retching frequently and only able to bring up a foamy.. slimy fluiid. He was also not his playful energetic self... but did go outside but just stood in the yard. Usually he flies out the door like a crazed pup.. hopinng to get at a squirrel or rabbit.
I noticed he had not eaten his dry food from the night before and he didn't want (or had not taken any water since last night either.
In the AM he usually expects a treat when he comes in... but he ignored that as well. The retching happened again and he seemed ill.
He did played catch a while 9something he always wants to do in the morning).. but then he was mostly laying about with occasional attempts to throw up... with no results.
He wanted to hide under the bed... not usual. I took him to a vet this afternoon... the vet gave him an antibiotic shot and told me to take away his food for the rest of today and most of tomorrow. He gave me some liquid with volcanic ash (I believe it's a form of charcoal) to put in his water. He said it would detox his system if he'd eaten something toxic. And to try to get him to take as much as I could. Said I could either squirt it in his mouth... or put in with his water. The dog wants no water... so I am squirting it in his mouth occasionally.
He has spend the rest of today laying under a bed (uncharacteristic of him). It's like he wants darkness.
After the vet trip , befoore we went into our house... the dog had one event of almost liquid stool. Then he walked around the yard and he kept digging in the dirt He crawled under a chair in the yard and started to dig. I took him in the house. Later I put him out and he went to dig in the ground again... under another chair. This is not normal for him. After he dug a little he'd just stand still. Once he retched into the small hole he'd dug.
I brought him inside again. He went back under a bed. He's been under the bed about 2 hours now. I plan too get him out after this e-mail and try to squirt some water into his mouth.
The vet said... if he looks better tomorrow I can feed him again... but to start with just a little (he's on;y 9 pounds so he eats only a little anyhow). He said if he's still sick on Thursday (day after tomorrow) I should bring him back.
I wonder if Ihe vet has looked seriously enough at the dog. If he won't eat today and is drinking no water... wouldn't it be dangerous to let things go to Thursday?
I am concerned how long he can get by without drinking water or eating.
Anyone with experience?
If he's eaten something sharp.. (because he did chew up a plastiic thinng on two occasions) what would be the symptooms of a problem from that?
He's 9 lb 8 oz... 16 months old. And usually full of play and energy.

Among the things that could cause that is intestinal blockage either from the plastic or rawhide. It is one of the worst things. I hate to kibitz a vet that has seen the dog. If there is no improvement tomorrow, I would call the vet. If you don't like the answers and don't feel the vet really looked at the problem, maybe try another one.

Thanks labman for the reply.
I continued to worry about Bentley through the night. He did rally once when my daughter came into the house. He was up a bit and even wagging his tail a little. He took a nice drink of water... but then disappeared back under a chair where he lay for about 5 hours. Around 2:00 AM I woke him up and encouraged some water... actually squirted it into his mouth. By 6:00 AM... when I was getting up for the day... I saw that he was still feelling very poorly and had not moved from the spot where I'd left him. I really felt he was sicker... he felt warm and I assumed he was now suffering f44om dehydration. I decided he was very ill and needed to see a vet as soon as a clinic opened. And I was thinking he may need surgery for an obstruction... so I didn't try more water. It was too earlly to call a clinic yet so I started getting myself ready to take him somewhere and anxious to call as soon as one opened.
Over the next hour or so... Bently got up... went outside and peed. Then he came in and drank some water. He started acting like himself quite quikly... and within the hour was out the door barking at a squirrel and playing with his favorite rake.
He continued to improve as the day... but I didn't offer foood till later... he took a ouple naps and seemed fine by the end of that day.
And he's fine now as far as I can tell.
So I won't know if it was the rawhiide or plastic. Perhaps the antibiotic helped him... or even the volcanic ash?
When he was sick I noticed that his entire abdomen felt tight... his muscles were ridgid... On the morning he felt better his abdoomen was no longer ridgid.
I'm glad I found this site in case I have other questions about my dog in the future.