I am wondering what's wrong with my dog which is a miniature Doberman pinscher. He has not been eating at all and he acts like he is scared of the food that we try to give him. He will back away from food when we try to give it to him. He also acts like he is vomiting in his mouth when he gets too excited. He hasn't pooped in days and he doesn't drink much water. We have taken him to the vet and they gave him an x-ray and they said they couldn't find anything. So they said they would have to cut him open and that is money we don't have. And even then they might not find anything. Anyone think they could help?

Lauren

There are some things that will not show up on x-rays. It sounds as if your vet is thinking that your dog is obstructed and if so the way to deal with that is what you have already been told, an exploratory surgery.
Has your vet mentioned Endoscopic exam? Even with that as an option he still may not be able to escape the actual surgery but it's worth discussing and see if your vet sees it as a valid thing to do, after all he/she is the one who knows your pets status at the moment.
I'm gathering that your vet feels the surgery is his best chance for survival, and if nothing is found in the digestive tract they can look for abnormalities in other internal organs.
There is absolutely nothing any of us can do from the internet, trust me, if we could we would would reach through your monitor and do it.
Would your vet accept a payment agreement?
Friends, family?
Ask if your clinic offers Care Credit, it's basically a credit card that will pay the bill for medical expenses specifically and then you make the payments to them. Of course there is interest involved, but what's new?
Think of things you can sell to raise the money, but he will need this surgery SOON.
If you absolutely cannot raise the money then you may have to make a very tough choice in the near future.
I truly hope you can work it out and it doesn't come down to that.