Poppy is Sick

I brought Poppy home in August. He went to the vet, where I gave them every bit of paperwork I had received. They clipped his nails and removed his sutures for $35

Poppy had an upset stomach and a lot of vomiting in October, so we took him to the vet where he needed fluids for two days and some antibiotics. I felt like the most terrible doggy mommy in the world! I cried so much that my boyfriend had to hold Poppy until we got in the car. He finished every pill, as noted on my paper schedule and the problem seemed to stop. That was a total of $200

In late October/early November, Poppy was whining whenever he moved his tummy to jump r be picked up. He was also stretching his body a lot. The vet said that his glands were the size of grapes when they should be pea sized. She clipped his nails for us and did his glands for a total of $55.

Now it's the first week of November and Poppy is vomiting. It's a small pile of gray, mostly dry and occasionally a little sticky. He is also a little constipated. I've been feeding him 1/4 cup of Nature's Balance dry dog food 3 times a day. He also eats dime-sized pieces of Blue dried chicken or a half of a square Milkbone once between feedings and a little bit of grass on the weekend. His fluid intake is normal and he urinates outside regularly. His bathroom breaks are every 2-4 hours daily and he passes stool 2-3 times a day. He sometimes trys to mark trees with urine and nothing comes out. Poppy's vomiting problem happens mostly at night. It looks as though he's having a reverse sneeze, but it sounds like a gurgle.

In addition to the $290 I've spent on Poppy's unforseen medical issues, I've also been paying $20 a month for Triflexis heartworm and flea pills for a total of $370 in 4 months. I LOVE my dog and I know that something is wrong with him. I just can't afford to keep spending all this additional money on temporary fixes, especilly right before Christmas. I'm stuck in a place where I have to hope the problem passes, that I can tell if/when it gets worse. As long as he eats, drinks, and passes consistant stool I think we're ok. I just wish I could know what the problem is. Poppy is my baby, my shaddow, my muscular 8 pound Sweet Papa Bear! I'll look onlie, ask around, I'll figure something out, even if it means returning Christmas purchases.We'll do what we've got to do.


UPDATE:

I called Rockingham Animal Shelter and asked them if they offered a lower-cost consultation. They didn't. However, the person I spoke with suggested Poppy may have Pancreatitis. I was told a "Bland Diet" for one week would help if that were the case. I was also told that wet dog food may be better for my small dog's sensative digestive tract. Thanks be to them!

I then called Poppy's vet and told them what Poppy was doing. I explained that I'm not trying to be cheap, but Poppy's vet bills are way more than I expected. She said the bland diet would be a good idea for a week. This may solve our problem and thereafter I will try the dry small breed food and see if that isn't what's upsetting his tummy. Otherwise, I'll have to buy him wet food.

I am currently defrosting 2 giant leg quaters. One will be Austin's dinner. The other will be for Poppy. That piece will be divided into 2 equal parts, one slightly larger for the freezer and the other for the fridge. I will try to use the boiled rice once a day for Poppy's bland meal, but it may lat 1.5 days. The recipe I found online says 1/3 chicken and 2/3 part rice and I should use the stock for moistening the rice .