@NickNack wrote:
Thank you @Sammycat1 . I know you've had a lot of experience with this. I mentioned omeprazole (Prilosec), and I'm definitely going to discuss switching her to this. I can understand trying Pepcid first, but it doesn't seem to be working completely. It seemed to really help at first.
It's not normal for dogs or cats to vomit this much--too often, they start throwing pepcid or omeprazole at it, hoping that it does the trick without knowing what really is going on. Make your vet find the cause and not throw the medicine at the problem without a diagnosis that involves blood work and imaging. Sounds like a lot of money for some upchucking, but it will save you future heartaches. It's no good for an animal (or a human) to be on these ompeprazole every day long term (i.e., 14 days at a clip) without identifying the true cause of the problem. Sometimes a different medication is warranted.
Maybe you know this, but I'll throw it in here in case you don't. Pepcid is an H2 blocker that decreases the amount of acid released--often used to treat gastritis and minor peptic ulcers. Omeprazole is a proton-pump inhibitor--BIG difference. Shuts down the pumps that produce the acid in the stomach. Often used to treat true reflux, coughing because of reflux, damage to the esophagus, and food getting stuck in the esophagus.
I've been on both of them (so have our pets over the years!) but omeprazole is not long term because it's not great to totally to inhibit acid production in the stomach. Bone fractures, kidney problems, stomach cancer are side effects of long-term use.
Good luck with little Ava! She has the best care possible in your hands.