Can anyone offer help with my dog's illness?

Early this a.m. our dog woke us. My husband took him out. He peed and had a normal bowel movement. My husband fed him.

Later in the morning, he began to show signs of gastric distress. Lying down in odd places and positions, moving his back feet and legs restlessly, changing position, groaning and whining.

He is ½ Dalmatian and eats anything and everything including things he finds on the ground.

When we got some small relief (his abdomen got less tight) after giving him Gas-X, we thought we could just ride it out.

When he was still in distress after several hours, we took him to the emergency vet. The vet said it does not look like bloat, his abdomen can be palpated, x-rays did not show anything, but some gas and maybe liquid in his stomach. He has no diarrhea or vomiting.

He sent us home after giving him a pain shot and pills. That gave him no relief.

It is horrible watching him suffer. I have given him Pepto Bismol, and we have given him some activated charcoal capsules.

(All in proper dosages and time frames.)

He is not getting worse, but he is not getting any better either. He is so uncomfortable he has not been able to sleep all day.

I am a wreck, wishing I could take on his pain, feeling helpless to help him.