Vomiting in dogs

Vomiting is convulsive contraction of the muscles of the stomach, as a result of which its contents are expelled through the mouth. But why do situations arise when the body tries to get rid of what it has eaten?

Why does a dog vomit

If you notice that your tailed friend is sick, you should not panic, because vomiting is not always a symptom of a serious illness. Often it is just a consequence of overeating, because most dogs, to be honest, do not really know the measure in food. And, if the owners do not monitor the amount of food that their pet eats, but give him as much as he asks, and then also treat him with goodies from his table, it is very likely that the excess eaten will be sent out after some time.

The greed with which some dogs consume food can also lead to vomiting: trying to quickly deal with their portion of food, they swallow a lot of air, which is then also excreted from the body.

It also happens that foreign objects get into the dog’s stomach: for example, the dog played with a toy or stick, chewed it up and swallowed part of it. In this case, inedible things are also thrown out with the help of a gag reflex.

But still, vomiting cannot be ignored, since it can also signal serious problems in the pet’s body. Especially if it has a yellow, black or red color. In the first two cases, we can talk about diseases of the liver and biliary tract, and in the second – about problems with the stomach: acute gastritis, ulcers, gastroenteritis (1), etc. Also, vomiting can signal the presence of helminths in the dog’s body, the waste products of which poison its body, and occur with bordetellosis (2).

However, the causes of vomiting can lie not only in problems with the digestive system. This reaction is also characteristic of severe stress, heat stroke, motion sickness, problems with the central nervous system and allergies. But one way or another, if the cause of vomiting is not overeating, it is worth contacting a veterinarian who can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

What to give a dog for vomiting

If the vomiting is very strong, the first impulse of any loving owner will somehow alleviate the condition of the four-legged friend, but you should not give the dog any medicines, especially human ones – this can not help, but seriously harm the animal. Also, do not feed the dog, but the animal must have access to clean boiled water.

In the case when vomiting is caused by overeating, it will quickly stop itself, as soon as the stomach facilitates its work. If you suspect poisoning, you can give the dog a little absorbent, but activated charcoal, on the contrary, is better not to offer it – it can irritate the walls of the stomach. To relieve spasms, a no-shpa tablet is well suited.

It is very important that the dog does not eat anything until the vomiting is completely gone, so try to keep all the food out of his sight. Yes, and after an attack, keep your pet on a diet.

And in no case do not scold the dog if nausea caught her on the carpet or on the bedding. She is already so bad, and all she needs now is your support and care.

Diagnostics

Do not try to diagnose yourself. Even if you are a veterinarian or a human doctor, without special equipment and tests, you are unlikely to be able to make an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, if the dog’s vomiting does not stop, and she herself looks lethargic, lies all the time and refuses to eat, take the pet to the clinic. You can take a sample of vomit with you – this will facilitate the diagnosis.

The veterinary clinic will conduct both an external examination of the animal and take all the tests, including a blood test. In addition, the dogs undergo an ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity.

Therapies

Treatment will depend on the diagnosis. In case of severe poisoning, gastric lavage may be done, in milder situations, absorbents and a strict diet are prescribed. If the dog has lost a lot of fluid, droppers are put on it.

It should be understood that vomiting in itself is not a disease, therefore, the cause should not be treated, but the cause.

Once the diagnosis is made, the veterinarian will usually give the dog’s owner a list of recommendations on what medicines to give the dog, what foods to feed (this can be veterinary food, or, if the dog is used to natural food, diet foods such as chicken breast or lean boiled beef, rice porridge , kefir, etc.), but if overheating became the cause of vomiting, the dog simply needs to be covered with cold compresses and placed in a ventilated room, in case of helminthic infestations, deworming should be carried out. In a word, the method of treatment will depend on the cause that caused the vomiting.

Prevention of vomiting in a dog at home

Knowing the reasons why a dog vomits, everything can be done to prevent this unpleasant phenomenon for both the dog and its owner. And here are some recommendations that may help you and your four-legged friend:

• do not overfeed your pet, no matter how unhappy and hungry eyes he looks at the dining owners (and pets are masterful at giving such expressions to their faces);
• do not feed the dog fatty foods, and especially pork, which is generally contraindicated for them;
• if your dog is allergic, try to exclude any contact of the animal with the allergen;
• do not keep the dog for a long time in the scorching sun and do not lock it in the car in the summer;
• in early childhood, teach your puppy not to take anything in his mouth on the street;
• do not give your dog toys with small parts and those that are easy to tear or chew;
• regularly carry out the prevention of helminthiasis;
• try to keep your dog from getting into severe stressful situations.

If the dog eats very greedily, get a special bowl that will not allow him to swallow large portions of food.

How to induce vomiting in a dog if necessary

There are times when it is necessary to induce vomiting in dogs rather than stop it. Most often, this is required if the dog has swallowed a foreign object or some kind of poison, and the sooner the dog is freed from this, the better. It is easy to achieve this with improvised means.

For example, it is enough to pour half a teaspoon of ordinary table salt on the tip of the dog’s tongue or let the dog drink a saline solution in the ratio of 4 teaspoons per 0,5 liters of water (if the dog weighs more than 30 kg, the concentration can be slightly increased). As a rule, this causes an immediate gag reflex.

You can also fill in ordinary warm water, but it will take quite a lot, which is technically difficult to implement (only a very well-mannered dog will tolerate it).

Hydrogen peroxide diluted 1:1 with water is also suitable as an emetic, but this remedy does not work instantly, but after about 5 minutes (3).

It should be remembered that there are cases when it is absolutely impossible to induce vomiting. For example, if an animal has swallowed an object with sharp details, it can only be removed surgically, otherwise the esophagus will be injured. It is impossible to provoke vomiting in pregnant bitches, and also if the dog is unconscious or has bleeding.

Popular questions and answers

About why vomiting occurs and what to do in such cases, we talked with veterinarian Reshat Kurtmalaev.

Sources of

1. Chernenok V.V., Simonova L.N., Simonov Yu.I. Clinical and hematological aspects of gastroenteritis in dogs // Bulletin of the Bryansk State Agricultural Academy, 2017, https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/kliniko-gematologicheskie-aspekty-gastroenterita-sobak
2. Belyaeva A.S., Savinov V.A., Kapustin A.V., Laishevtsev A.I. Bordetellosis in domestic animals // Bulletin of the Kursk State Agricultural Academy, 2019, https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/bordetellyoz-domashnih-zhivotnyh
3. Dutova O.G., Tkachenko L.V. Silantieva N.T. The effect of hydrogen peroxide on the gastrointestinal tract of rats (pathological and morphological studies) // Bulletin of the Altai State Agrarian University, 2019, https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vliyanie-perekisi-vodoroda-na-zheludochno-kishechnyy-trakt -krys-patologo-morfologicheskie-investigation