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Is it safe to give a dog "Cerenia" to stop vomiting every month?

I have a 3 year old Shepherd mix female. I got her from a animal shelter when she was 2 months old, and have had her ever since. She has always been a "special needs" dog though. Meaning, she gets sick more than an average dog from different causes--everytime I go see a vet it's just something minor and they fix it. However, now, she is starting to vomit (food/bile/water) out of no where. It happens once a month (for about 3 months now), and she vomits, then her stomach gets irritated so she keeps vomiting. When it started I took her to the vet; they did x-rays--which were perfectly normal. So the vet concluded maybe she ate something that disagreed with her stomach, and she got in the cycle of vomiting. She gave her a pepcid shot, and a Cerenia shot. Everything cleared up. Last month, this happened again. I took her to the vet again, and they had no idea of the cause. Nevertheless, I asked the vet if I could be prescribed some Cerenia tablets to give to her at home so that I don't have to rush her to the vet everytime she throws up and can't stop. The vet prescribed me 4. During that visit as well, the vet gave my dog a Cerenia shot, I gave her pepcid tabs at home, and she was fine once again. Now, this month, she threw up twice yesterday. So i gave her a Cerenia tab (as instructed), and a pepcid tab, and put her on a bland diet. So far she is normal again. So here is my question. The vet told me the next time I came in she couldn't give my dog Cerenia bc she doesn't want to just treat the symptoms. However, she wants to do a Berrium X-ray (sp?). I did some research and a berrium x-ray is only if there is an object (such as cloth) stuck in her stomach. I know that's not the cause because it's too coincidental that it happens every month--and I looked up reviews for my vet and people say they try to charge you an arm and a leg for useless x-rays. So, I am probably going to switch vets. But, would it be okay for a vet to prescribe me Cerenia tablets for my dog, and I just give her them when she can't stop vomiting (like once a month)? Also, any ideas on the cause? It started around December 20th; I live in a big city, and it was about the same time they started to salt the sidewalks and streets. She also has a habit of licking her paws; so I wipe them after she goes outside, but could it be the salt? Any other ideas? Thank You for your input! I also wanted to add that I have another dog (1.5 yr old puggle) who lives with me, and does everything my shepherd does. He is perfectly fine, never a problem.

Public Comments

1. Do not feed your dog for 1 hour before giving CERENIA. The best time to give CERENIA is 2 hours before traveling, with a small amount of food. Do not wrap the tablets tightly in fatty food such as cheese or meat, since this may keep the tablets from dissolving and delay the effect of CERENIA.You can give your dog CERENIA once a day for up to 2 days in a row.CERENIA has been given with many other commonly used medicines. But before treating your dog with CERENIA, be sure your veterinarian is aware of all medicines your dog is receiving. The safe use of CERENIA has not been tested in female dogs that are breeding, pregnant or are nursing, dogs that have swallowed foreign objects, and dogs that have eaten poisonous substances. Caution should be used in giving CERENIA to dogs with liver problems.CERENIA is recommended for dogs 16 weeks and older. The most common side effects seen with CERENIA are excessive drooling (5-13%), lethargy (9%) and vomiting not due to motion sickness (5-9%). For more information, read the full prescribing information. CERENIA is non-sedating, so most dogs won't feel tired or drowsy after taking it.
2. You need to follow your veterinarian's advice. While Cerenia is an excellent medication, it is just treating the symptoms. Your dog could have a serious illness and you would just be masking the symptoms by continuing to treat her with Cerenia. Throwing up on a regular or frequent basis is not normal and points to something wrong. Your dog could very well get worse and even die by just treating her nausea.
3. Might be some form of acid reflux. This link helped with my dog's acid reflux, and no it's not breed-specific to a westie. http://en.allexperts.com/q/Alternative-Medicine-Pets-3721/2009/9/Westie-vomiting-bile-constantly.htm
4. I agree with your vet. You need to figure out why this is happening. If it were my dog and xrays were unremarkable, I would have a gi panel done (tli, pli, b12, and folate) to check for pancreatitis, pancreatic insufficiency, ibd, and sibo. Dogs can vomit for a variety of reasons: toxin, food intolerance, parasites, gi issues, dietary indescretion, etc. I would also have this dog dewormed for whip worms (panacur once daily for 3 days, repeat in 3 weeks, and 3 mobths). Depending what the gi panel showed, I would take my dog to an internist to have an ultrasound and possibly an endoscope done to help determine the cause. A barium series may be useful to help see the integrity of the gi tract and maybe help determine megaesophagus, stomach ulcer, or partial obstruction.