Dog Vomiting – Everything You Need to Know

Dietary indiscretion –This is basically eating something they shouldn’t have. For e.g. Macadamia nuts, raw This is the most common cause of vomiting in dogs

Change in diet – A sudden change in diet or a potential food intolerance to a specific food or some kind of allergy

Intestinal Parasites – worms including roundworms, heartworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms can be ingested a lot of times when food is not washed properly or eaten raw. These can cause a vomit

Ingestion of foreign bodies – these may include toys, sticks or bones

Car or Motion sickness – Just like in humans

Heatstroke – Usually caused by leaving a dog alone in a car or during long walk sessions under the hot sun

Reaction – Certain medication or anesthetics can also cause vomiting as a reaction

Viral infection – such as rotavirus

Bacterial infection – including leptospirosis, colibacillosis and salmonellosis

Organ Failure – Kidney failure or liver failure may result in food not processing properly and hence coming out of the body through the mouth

Pancreatitis – This is a condition where the pancreas get inflamed 

Bloating – Usually caused by eating too fast or overeating

Gastrointestinal disease – such as IBD or Inflammatory Bowel Disease

If the dog ingested a foreign body or something poisonous

There is blood in their stools or vomit

The vomiting seems more frequent than usual

Continuously retching is happening but there is nothing coming up

You can sense pain or discomfort in your dog

When your dog is demonstrating signs of depression and lethargy

When he/she is dehydrated

Loss of weight and appetite is seen

When their body feels feverish and has a high temperature

The vomiting is followed by seizures

Blood tests

Fecal tests

Ultrasound

Biopsy

Radiographs

Endoscopy

Starvation – A short period of starvation (approximately 12-15 hours) can help the dog’s stomach to settle things down within and can stop vomiting. 

Small and blended meals – Most of the dogs are lazy when it comes to chewing, just like the little human babies. The food hence does not get digested properly. When the meal fed is blended properly and given in multiple small portions rather than 1 big meal, it puts lesser pressure on the stomach to digest and is taken in easily. 

Bland food – Spicy foods are more of a reason for vomiting as compared to spicy foods. This is probably because of the acid reflux caused by spices. Bland diets are available in tins or alternatively you can give them plain boiled rice and chicken breast or white fish

Avoid Fat – When your dog is sick and vomiting, avoid giving anything which is fatty in nature. Fatty foods are usually more difficult to digest and won’t help at the time when the dog’s stomach is already upset.

Water Please – There is no better medicine than plain water. It keeps your dog hydrated and helps in compensating the water content lost in the body due to vomiting. Also, make sure the water is drank in small proportions and throughout the day. 

Rest – Rest is what doctors recommend us when we feel sick, and it is the same a vet would say for a dog. It is anyways unlikely that the dog may feel very energetic when he/she is in sickness. Resting helps organs recover back to normal.

www.pdsa.org.uk

www.purina.co.uk

pets.webmd.com.