Vomiting in dogs can be caused by any number of problems, illnesses, diseases, or issues. But how should you handle it and when’s the time to get to the vet? This article gets down in the nitty gritty of dog vomit (ewww… sorry, but it’s necessary).
When to worry about your dog’s vomit.
Let’s face it, every now and then your dog is going to vomit. It happens. And if it is a one-off and doesn’t repeat itself any time soon, chances are you probably don’t need to worry about it.
But…
If the vomiting comes with other symptoms that could be indicative of any illness or sickness, you should probably visit the vet.
Or
If your dog vomits more than once in a 24-hour period, or regularly vomits throughout the week (even if not on the same day). Then these are times when you should definitely get your dog checked out by a vet.
Basically…
Imagine your dog was a human child. If he or she vomits some time during the day, but otherwise seems “OK” and isn’t experiencing any other symptoms, one might be “OK” waiting to see what happens next.
But if this same child…
Repeatedly vomits throughout the day, or is also suffering from a fever or isn’t feeling better after an hour or two, well then, it’s probably time to call the doctor… right?
Well…
The same thought process should be used when determining how you should treat your pet. After all, for many of us, they are just our four-legged children so why shouldn’t they be treated the same!
Causes of Vomiting in Dogs
There are many reasons a dog could vomit. Here are some of the more common ones:
Related to Eating
- Dog Food or other food didn’t agree with stomach.
- Change of food (brand, type) or treats.
- Too many treats.
- Ate too fast.
- Dehydrated and drank too fast.
- Foreign object (ate a toy, bone or something else).
- Eating something like hydrogen peroxide which is given in small doses to induce vomiting.
Related to Sickness
- Intestinal parasites or worms,
- Bacterial infection in the digestive system,
- Viral infections,
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome,
- Inflammatory bowel disease.
Major sicknesses or health issues such as:
- Pancreatitis,
- Cancer,
- Tumors.
Other possible causes
- Summer heat (heatstroke),
- Travel sickness / car sickness.
This is in no way a full list of reasons why a dog might vomit. If you notice, vomiting is a symptom of many, many diseases and sicknesses.
Chronic Vomiting Vs. Acute Vomiting
Chronic always means “often” or continues to happen. This is also called cyclic vomiting syndrome. This could happen for hours or days at a stretch. Also referred to as CVS. This can lead to a damaged esophagus or even esophageal cancer if your dog vomits too often for too much of his or her life.
Acute vomiting…
Usually means very intense but in a one-off situation. This can happen as the result of a foreign body, viral infection or other cause.
Symptoms that can accompany vomiting
If your dog has other signs and symptoms while vomiting, you should take note. The more you can describe these to the vet, the easier it will be for the vet to know what’s wrong with your dog. For example:
- White foam at the mouth,
- Sweating or panting,
- Upset stomach/ pain in the stomach or body,
- Weight loss,
- Regurgitation,
- Diarrhea.
All of this will be very important to your veterinarian. Take notes if necessary.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis that your veterinarian gives will totally depend on the symptoms. He might just tell you to let your dog eat a bland diet for a few days or weeks and everything will be fine. On the other hand, the vet might say your pet needs blood tests or even an ultrasound of the stomach to see stomach contents or small intestine for a diagnosis. She may want to see the whole gastrointestinal tract to determine the cause.
Really…
We are talking about one symptom with a thousand possible outcomes, hence what veterinarians need to determine the cause of vomiting is really going to vary from case to case.
Please note:
Whatever the cause of the vomiting, a result will likely be dehydration. The more liquid comes out of the body, the more it needs to be replaced. In many cases, this can be done without medical intervention, but in severe cases your dog may need an IV drip to rehydrate. It’s also likely that no matter what the cause, your dog will be on a diet of bland food for a while. Any dietary indiscretion could cause the vomiting problem to continue.
Which brings us to…
Were we like to remind folks that we here at IndulgeYourPet are not doctors, veterinarians or medical professionals. All we are is a bunch of folks who just happen to be passionate about animals and only want what’s best for them.
This is why…
If you feel like your pet may have vomiting (or any other health issue for that matter) the first thing that you’re going to want to do is have him or her check out by a vet ASAP!
Because…
The truth is, an early diagnosis will often lead to the “best” medical outcome for your pet regardless of what is bothering him or her, but beyond that diagnosing a medical condition early could save you a bundle in medical costs!
Costs
Just like with the diagnosis, it is literally impossible for us to tell you how much it will cost to treat your dog’s vomiting. Remember, the vet won’t treat the vomiting, he or she will look for the cause of it and treat that. Depending on the cause, the vet bills could be as cheap as $100 or as expensive as $8000. That’s a huge range!
This is why…
We here at IndulgeYourPet also recommend that any new pet owner take a moment and see what it might cost for you to purchase a pet insurance policy for your new animal.
Now will a pet insurance policy be right for everyone?
No, probably not. But until you fully understand what these policies “will” and “won’t” cover and how much these pet insurance policies cost, how will you know if one might be right for you?
For more information on who we feel currently offers the “best” pet insurance policies out there, we would encourage you to check out our Best Pet Insurance Policies article.
