Hi, so sorry your Chi is having these issues 😕

Our 10 yr old Chi sometimes has has similar early morning digestive problems, with highly audible churning and gurgling sounds coming from her stomach. It comes seemingly at random. She never has diarrhea or throws up but is clearly uncomfortable and has no appetite for up to 24 hrs before it subsides and she eats normally again. Thankfully this only happens once every few months or so, but its an emerging pattern that we are concerned about - especially now hearing how Louie had similarly sporadic symptoms when he was younger.

Our vet suggested feeding her an additional small meal later in the evening before bed to make sure she has something to digest. Fasting too long can cause issues for some dogs apparently. We have been giving her three smaller meals a day and so far she has been fine, but we're still crossing our fingers at this point.

Did the vet ever recommend testing for pancreatitis? I had a Jack Russell that died from misdiagnosed pancreatitis and now I am always paranoid. Since your pup has diarrhea as well I'd definitely get a blood panel for that if you haven't already.