Being a dog parent, it is quite difficult to watch your furry baby fall ill. And if your dog is vomiting, you might get worried about what is wrong with your pet.
Well, not every vomit is a reason for worry. Dogs vomit due to multiple reasons and they may range from bad canine decisions to serious illnesses. Often dogs eat grass to force vomit some foreign object that they have eaten. So, before you decide to call your vet try to understand the reasons behind your dog’s vomiting and act accordingly.
ALL ABOUT GASTROENTERITIS IN DOGS- SYMPTOMS, HOME TREATMENT, MEDICINES, RECOVERY TIME
How to Determine – Your Loving Pet Suffering From Vomiting or Regurgitation?
It is not an easy task to determine whether your dog is suffering from vomiting or regurgitation. If you are also confused with the same query then follow the below points which will help you to understand it easily.
1. Vomiting
When your dog is trying to put extra effort into bringing food/liquid up. Vomiting is an active process that can occur at any time. At the time of vomiting, it is seen that the food gets ejected from the pet’s stomach and upper intestine. Your dog may drool or retch before vomiting.
2. Regurgitation
On the other hand, regurgitation is when your pet does not require any effort to throw up. It is a passive process. Regurgitation tends to happen shortly after eating. In regurgitation, undigested food comes up from the esophagus of a dog. It mostly happens due to your dog wolfing down on its food.
If you observe the above symptoms with your pet then it will be easy to determine the scenario whether is related to vomiting or regurgitation.
Why is My Dog Vomiting? Reasons Behind the Discomfort
Before moving on to the treatment phase, let us first understand the reasons behind a dog’s vomiting. Below mentioned are some causes of this discomfort in dogs:
1. Dietary Indiscretion
This is more common in puppies who have a habit of eating from the trash. Eating a foreign object or a toxic substance can lead to vomiting.
2. Contagious Disease
Parvovirus is a common culprit behind your dog’s vomiting. It can turn into a serious illness. If you have pet breeds like Rottweilers, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherds then you should know that such dogs are more reclined towards the suffering of Parvovirus.
3. Bloating
If a dog’s stomach fills with air and then the stomach twists into itself, the dog can go into shock due to the circulation being cut-off. This condition is more common in large-breed dogs such as German Shepherds, Great Danes, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, and Poodles. Bloating can be seen in dogs who try to eat or drink plenty of food and liquids in a fast manner which can lead to an urgent care situation.
3. Intestinal Parasites
Parasites such as tapeworms and ringworm can also cause vomiting. Often these parasites are present in the dog’s body but we are not aware of it.
5. Contaminated water
Bacterial imbalances can upset your dog’s stomach. Drinking contaminated water is one of the culprits behind your dog’s vomiting.
Some other important factors of why your dog is suffering from vomiting are cancer and Kidney or liver failure, uterine infection, constipation, food intolerance, and ingestion of toxic materials.
However, there are cases where your dog is simply vomiting due to eating too fast, is on a new diet, or riding in a car. Yes, you read that right, dogs can also get motion sickness.
HOW TO STOP AND WHY MY CAT IS PEEING ON THE BED?
When is Dog’s Vomiting Worrisome?
Before vomiting, dogs feel nauseous just like us humans. They can drool, lick their lips or swallow excessively. Always keep an eye on your furry pet’s symptoms once they have vomited, so that you can be assured that they are not ill or have eaten something toxic.
Go through the below-mentioned symptoms. If you observe any of the below signs in your loving pet then try to meet your veterinarian immediately.
- Vomit includes blood or bloody bile.
- Presence of mucus and the absence of food in the vomit.
- Vomiting several times within an hour.
- Lazy after vomit.
- Showing symptoms such as pain or discomfort.
- Diarrhea.
- Loss or lack of appetite.
Blood in vomit is a serious cause of concern and hence needs immediate medical assistance.
Require Home Treatment for Your Dogs to Suppress Vomiting?
Why is My Dog Vomiting? What steps can I take at home to soothe them? Do these questions also trouble you? Do not worry.
If your pet is active and playing without any trouble while vomiting a couple of times. In such circumstances, you can follow the below points to take care of your pet at home.
- Drinking large amounts of water after vomiting causes more throw-ups.
- If your pet has vomited then try not to feed them approximately for an hour.
- Allow them to sip small amounts of water.
- Try normal foods after fasting and if they vomit again consult the vet.
- However, if no further vomiting ensues, give them food in small portions every 2-3 hours.
- And in the next two days, gradually increase their food intake to normal.
However, even after taking all these measures the vomiting does not stop, it is time to visit the vet. But wait, before that you also need to understand what your dog’s vomit looks like.
Analyze the Dog’s Vomit Color
Determining the type of vomit can help the vet in determining the cause of vomiting. Your dog’s vomit can look like any of the following:
1. Yellow Vomit
- Fairly common when a dog’s stomach is empty.
- Bile causes yellow color.
- Mostly occurs early in the morning or the middle of the night.
- Caused by reflux, acid buildup, or any other condition that causes nausea.
2. White, Foamy Vomit
- The acid build-up is the reason behind this type of vomit.
- Once the vomit particles meet the airy particles, it will make a foamy mixture.
3. Clear, Liquid Vomit
- Liquid vomit is basically due to water retention in the stomach.
- A nauseous dog may throw up clear liquid if they are drinking water.
4. Slimy Vomit which feels like Mucus
- Caused due to the pooling of drool in the dog’s stomach.
5. Bloody Vomit
- If your pet is vomiting with traces of blood, it is an urgent care situation.
- Pooled-up blood in the gastrointestinal tract causes nausea.
- Pink blood does not require urgent intervention.
- Bleeding can be due to an ulcer, tumor, or eating poison.
6. Brown Vomit
- Traces of blood may appear brown.
- It might also be indigested food.
7. Green Vomit
- Caused by eating grass.
- Often times during vomiting, the gall bladder contracts which can give green color to the vomit.
When Is the Right Time To Visit the Vet?
Whenever you are unsure about your pet’s symptoms, you should visit the vet. And make sure you have made a list of the vomiting color, frequency, and other symptoms. This helps the vet in diagnosing your dog’s symptoms easily. Be prepared to answer certain questions about your dog’s vomit.
- When did your dog start vomiting?
- How many times did the dog vomit?
- How much did the dog vomit?
- What did the vomit look like?
- Did the vomit include any foreign particles?
- Has your dog vomited like this before?
A thorough understanding of the history in case of vomiting is a must. This enables fast diagnosis and swift treatment. Diagnosis alone can help you out if your dog is vomiting due to eating grass or any inedible items or too much food.
However, if vomiting is not due to common reasons it might signal some underlying serious illness. In that case, the vet will order a couple of tests to determine the disease.
- Blood tests
- Stool tests
- Biopsy
- Ultrasound
- Radiographs
- Endoscopy
Or in some cases, exploratory surgery may be performed. Exploratory surgery in simple terms is a diagnostic method that enables doctors to look inside the body to diagnose a disease.
WHY DOES MY CAT PEE SMELL SO BAD – SOLUTIONS TO BE FREE FROM NASTY SMELL?
Treatment of Vomiting in Dogs
- Once the vet has determined the cause behind vomiting, he/she will determine a treatment plan based /on your dog’s condition. Vomiting might cause dehydration and acid-based disorders. The vet might prescribe anti-nausea medications.
- Certain injections and medications may be prescribed. Along with medications, the vet will prescribe easily digestible and plain food for your pet.
- More serious conditions require hospitalization where injections, medications, and fluids are prescribed.
Why is My Dog Vomiting? Preventive measures you can take
Always focus on preventive measures so that a visit to the vet can be avoided. Taking a few necessary measures can protect your dogs from vomiting and help you to remain stress-free.
- Always use a steady approach when changing your dog’s diet. Introduce new foods slowly.
- Many dogs cannot digest bones.
- Dog toys that can be chewed into pieces or swallowed cause gagging and gastrointestinal tract irritation.
- Consuming scavenged items increases the risk of toxin exposure.
- Avoid giving your dog scraps from your table. Certain high-fat food items can also be indigestible to their stomach.
- Grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions, garlic, etc. are not suitable for dogs.
- Always keep an eye on your dog if they are of the curious type. You may even make them wear a muzzle during walks.
This article has hopefully answered your question “Why is My Dog Vomiting”?
In conclusion, treat your dogs just as you treat your toddlers, and keep an eye on their eating habits.
