New canine owners are often alarmed over dog vomiting, but those of us who have owned dogs for some time know that this is rarely cause for concern. It's fairly easy to tell if your dog is really sick or simply reacting to a hairball from terrorizing the cat all morning.
Dogs are able to throw up easier than humans and most other mammals. You know this if you have had the experience of walking your dog when he stops to eat a fresh patch of grass, throws up, wags his tail, and proceeds on the walk.
It is suggested that this unique ability is a defense mechanism to the dog's scavenger nature.
After eating the leg of the dining room table or the flip-flop that couldn't be resisted, their body realizes that it was not edible so it reacts by throwing up. While there are unfortunate circumstances where dogs end up with a blockage from something they ate, these occurrences would be a lot more common if dog vomiting wasn't such an easy and natural reaction.
That being said, there are also times when the vomiting is a symptom of an illness or some type of underlying disease.
Reasons for Vomiting
If a dog only throws up a frothy, yellowish fluid, he could have acute gastritis, peritonitis, pancreatitis, an intestinal obstruction or some other type of stomach problem. However, there are dogs that simply have tummy trouble that do this once daily like clockwork. Even if you think there is no cause for concern and that your dog is healthy, this still warrants a trip to the vet.
Dogs will often vomit due to stress, worms, motion sickness, eating too fast, overeating or eating something indigestible. It should be noted that if you have a dog that devours their food for too fast, there are pace bowls that will slow them down.
Vomiting can be a symptom of a serious condition as well, such as kidney or liver failure, distemper, ulcers, parvovirus, peritonitis, cancer, diabetes, intestinal obstruction, poisoning, acute gastritis and severe food allergies.
Does it Warrant a Vet Visit?
The majority of the time, vomiting is nothing to get panicked over. If you actually knew how often your dog throws up, you would probably be quite surprised. However, if the vomiting is accompanied by other symptoms, it should be treated like an emergency. Some of these include:
- Vomiting several times a day
- Blood in vomit, generally looks like coffee grounds
- Projective vomiting
- Lethargy
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal bloating
It is important to understand that dogs can get dehydrated very quickly if they are vomiting a lot, especially puppies. Be on the lookout for changes in weight or behavior, and be prepared to supply the vet with this information.
Treatment
A bland diet will help settle the stomach. Plain rice and chicken breast is often recommended, but if the vet thinks that there may be a small blockage that needs to be passed, bread and pumpkin may be encouraged to stimulate digestion. If dog vomiting is due to something more serious, permanent dietary changes, medication or other treatment options may be necessary.
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