I’ve just found this group and already searched through interesting info. I hope I can get advice to help my westie. Hes 11 and a half and generally very fit… Jan 2020 he started waking with and extremely noisy gurgly tum . It would last several hours. Eventually hed be hungry and Id give him some plain white fish… this occured every couple of weeks and went on from December to March when I started giving him the Pooch and Mutt Health and Digestion with a bit of cooked chicken and the incidents of gurgly tum stopped and he was fine for the next 8 months . Then in Jan 2021 the gurgles started again… I stuck with the P& M health and Digestion but in April added Chappie…and white fish. This stopped the gurgles right through to the end of the year. Then in January this year… the gurgles started again. Round about that time he got ear mites , which spread to his back paws but though that is clearing up now he has dermatitis on his back. The vet just says its “probably an allergy” I dont know what to feed him anymore
Hello and welcome to the forum. Although you don’t mention vomiting, the symptoms that your Westie has sounds like Bilious Vomiting Syndrome which is very common and occurs when the stomach has been empty for some hours. In many cases all that is needed is to reserve some of the dog’s food to give immediately before bed. One of my dogs has this and tends to bring up a small amount of bile. I’ve found that giving Dorwest Herbs Slippery Elm Tree Barks Powder before bed is very effective. This Easter weekend they are offering free p&p with use of code EASTER22 but IIRC it finishes tonight. I mix it with water and add some chicken. Slippery elm is a mucilage which soothes the stomach. You don’t mention how often you feed your dog but a dog’s stomach is very acid and in these cases smaller, more frequent meals might help. I divide the RDA between three meals for my two and then give a small amount of chicken and a biscuit at bedtime. That way, the stomach is not empty for long.
Regarding the dermatitis, I had Westies for some years and even then the breed was known for this skin problem. One of mine had it although I did manage to get it under control with Seleen shampoo but she did not have mites. Skin conditions are sadly quite common and it can be hard finding the cause. One of my dogs had a skin problem so I put together some information in this thread. You might find something useful in there.
Are the mites properly cleared now? Has the vet done a skin scraping? I think that is the first thing to do. The vet will also be able to tell if your dog has malassezia (yeast). Both of these conditions need vigorous and sometimes prolonged treatment. All too often the courses are too short. Antibiotics are also sometimes needed because the dog introduces bacteria into the skin by scratching. Again, a longer course is often required. I find that a suitable medicated shampoo used regularly is extremely helpful.
Diet wise, the first thing you need to do is to look for food that is low in carbohydrate. This takes out any kind of kibble. there are a few that are average carb but most are very high - they need to be to form the biscuit. Low to average carb diets would be fresh cooked food, raw or some high quality wet foods. If you need help with sourcing something, please ask. A good diet is essential for skin health and the immune system. In the case of my own dog I’ve found that since she has been a low carb, fresh cooked diet her skin condition has remained in remission.
That’s all for now but please post back if you need any help.