Understanding your dog’s health is one of the most important things you need to take care of your dog properly. Its diet, activity, and environment should all be optimal for your dog’s living. 

Our dogs spend all their time playing, running, and exploring the great outdoors, where all sorts of dangers exist. Monitoring their bodies should be routinely done to detect any sickness effects on their body, such as vomiting.

What Is Vomiting In Dogs?

Vomiting in dogs is a common issue our best friends face. It is the forceful ejection of any dangerous substances from the stomach. This reaction stems from several factors. Vomiting can manifest suddenly or gradually. For chronic cases, it can be quite concerning as veterinary intervention would be required.

What Causes Dogs to Vomit

Dogs are explorative. They tend to get themselves into situations that could pose a threat to their health. What causes dogs to vomit stems from several factors, including dietary changes, food allergies, exposure to toxins, gastrointestinal disorders, and environmental stress. A few causes are listed below:

Dietary Indiscretion and Changes

Dogs usually eat anything they get their nose into. These include food, garbage, debris, and other objects on the floor. By doing so, they can get irritations in their stomach, which can then cause vomiting. It is important to make sure your dog does not roam around in an unprotected environment. 

Concerning their diet, abrupt changes can also upset their stomach and cause vomiting. Although dogs can eat most things, it is important to stick to a strict diet. Change it gradually when needed. Small things, such as switching brands and food types, can disrupt their digestive systems and cause vomiting, diarrhea, and other digestive issues.

Food Intolerances and Allergies

Food allergies can cause dogs to vomit. Certain ingredients in the food your dog ingests may consist of specific proteins that can make dogs want to vomit it out. The proteins can be found in beef, chicken, and pork. 

These sensitivities and intolerances can develop over the course of a dog’s life. It is important to avoid these in order to prevent any gastrointestinal complications for your dog.

Infections

Infections from bacteria, viruses, or fungi can cause your dog’s stomach to get upset. These pathogens can come from their food, surroundings, and the debris that they eat. Vomiting is just one of the many symptoms they may develop once your dog gets infected. 

Due to the severity of certain diseases, such as gastroenteritis and canine parvovirus, immediate action should be taken.

Toxins

Toxins are the hazardous chemicals and substances your dog might ingest. These would immediately cause vomiting since their bodies need to expel the harmful substances before they can cause any further complications. Food can also be a toxin for your dog. These are chocolate, grapes, raisins, and avocado. 

Gastrointestinal Disorders

Dogs that suffer from gastrointestinal disorders may vomit as a reaction. Examples are pancreatitis, gastritis, and inflammatory bowel disease, which can negatively affect your dog's gastrointestinal tract. 

Motion Sickness

Just like us humans, dogs can get sick from the constant motion during car rides. This leads to extreme nausea and vomiting. Although this is not an issue to get worked up about, it still negatively affects your dog’s stomach. 

However, training and medication could help. However, it should be noted that some dogs might never outgrow this issue. Other indicators would be drooling and whining. 

Stress and Anxiety

Dogs can be easily emotionally distressed, which sometimes results in complications in your dog’s digestive system. The stress can stem from changes in routine, diet, and lifestyle. The stress and anxiety your dog feels can lead it to vomit as a response to the situation. 

Chronic Diseases

Other diseases can also contribute to your dog’s vomiting. Liver disease, kidney disease, and Addison’s disease can bring complications that would cause your dog to vomit. The liver and kidney are key components of your dog’s digestive system, and any disease that affects these can disrupt bodily functions and cause vomiting.

Bloating

Dogs are known to be greedy with their food. Whether it’s their favorite or not, dogs tend to eat their food fairly quickly. It also seems like they still want more, even after finishing their bowls. Eating too quickly and overeating can be the reason why dogs vomit. 

If too much food is ingested, their digestive systems might be able to keep up. Thus the vomiting.

How To Know What Causes Dogs To Vomit

To determine the cause of vomiting in dogs, veterinarians will often conduct a thorough examination and may recommend diagnostic tests. These include:

Physical Examination

Physically checking for signs of abdominal pain, bloating, and distress can help the veterinarian assess the dog’s current situation. This can also give your vet an idea of any clear symptoms of illness.

Medical History

A medical history is great for allowing your vet to get in on your dog’s health history. This will allow them to trace the reason for your dog’s vomiting, which can be diet changes, toxin ingestion, or behavioral changes.

Blood Tests

Blood tests can help assess your dog’s hydration levels, immune system response, and if there is any presence of infection and inflammation.  These are crucial for examining how your dog’s internal organs are doing and may lead to finding the main cause of vomiting.

Fecal Tests

Fecal tests for dogs can help check for parasites and infections. These can be used to find the main cause of problems in your dog's gastrointestinal system. These parasites and microbes could be the cause of your dog’s vomiting.

Imaging

Imaging by X-rays and ultrasounds can be used to get a closer look at your dog’s abdomen. Visualizations can be a big help, as can taking a look at your dog’s organs to search for any abnormal issues. Foreign objects and abnormalities can be easily discerned from these images.

Endoscopy

An endoscopy is the best way to determine any internal issues your dog might have. Any foreign objects and signs of abnormalities can be visually seen through the camera attached. By doing so, any obvious signs of the issue can be diagnosed to be the root of your dog’s vomiting.

Treatment for Vomiting in Dogs

The appropriate treatment for vomiting in dogs will depend on the nature and cause. Different measures will be taken, and some can be taken at home. Here are ways we treat vomiting in dogs:

Dietary Management

For mild cases, it is advisable to stop feeding your dog for at least 12 hours. This allows the stomach to settle and relax. Gradually feed your dog with bland and nutritious food such as boiled chicken and soft white rice. This allows your dog to gradually recover from the strong effects of the food or debris that caused the vomiting.

After a few feeding attempts, monitor your dog’s reaction, and if it starts getting back to its normal state, you can start to reintroduce its regular food. The most important step is to keep it hydrated starting from the point you withhold its food.

Hydration

Hydration is the best way to improve your dog’s wellbeing. Your dog can be dehydrated due to constant vomiting since it forcefully ejects the stomach’s constant. This is why it’s important to supply your dog with a good amount of fresh and clean water to help it recover from dehydration, which can cause more problems the longer it goes on. 

Medications

Medications and antacids may be used to help treat nausea, but only when prescribed by your veterinarian. These drugs can help relieve your dog from nausea and stomach pain by relieving your dog’s upset stomach and reducing the amount of stomach acid present. 

Some medications help improve the dog’s stomach linings and increase protection. These medications usually come in the form of tablets that can be easily consumed.

Other medications tackle the microbe part of the cause. Antimicrobial agents should be used when infections from microbes prove to be the cause of your dog’s upset stomach and vomiting. However, it is always important to wait on your veterinarian’s approval and recommendations when using medications.

Surgery

In extreme cases, surgery might be needed to help relieve your dog and stop the vomiting. These scenarios are needed when your dog has ingested some foreign objects or when it has gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV). 

GDV is another term for bloating in dogs, and because gas is trapped inside the dog’s stomach, other nearby organs can be affected by the expanding stomach.

Behavioral Therapy

Dogs are emotional creatures who need our love and care to function properly. Therapy starts with you as the owner, and showing it enough attention can go a long way toward improving its condition. Stress might be the main reason your dog vomits, and behavioral therapy might address this cause. 

Preventing Vomiting in Dogs

Preventing vomiting in dogs can mean reducing the risk of several dangerous conditions. Here are some of the ways you can do to prevent vomiting in dogs:

Consistent Diet

Maintaining a consistent and high-quality diet for your dog can help prevent complications in its digestive system. Dogs may react negatively to sudden changes due to the effects of the food. If needed, gradually introduce the new food to your dog in small and controlled amounts. Making sure it does not ingest it immediately is key to keeping its stomach sound.

Prevent Access to Toxins

Safekeep household cleaning materials, medicines, chemicals, and chocolate out of reach of your dog’s explorative nature. Keep note of the possible areas where your dog might reach and take the necessary measures to prevent them from accessing it. Toxins are incredibly dangerous for your dog, and keeping them away from it saves you trouble.

Regular Checkups

Routine checkups can make a big difference. Expert care is always a good idea when talking about your dog’s health. Schedule monthly check-ups to determine any outlying diseases without waiting for severe complications. Veterinary visits are key in preventing vomiting as well as other conditions.

Waste Management

Spoiled food and debris might be ingested by your dog, which causes vomiting. Keep your trash and garbage bags in places where your dogs can’t get to them. Debris and foreign objects on the floor should also be kept to aid in this regard. When bringing it outdoors, make sure to be with your dog and keep an eye on what it explores.

Stress Reduction

Provide a stable, calm environment and address any behavioral issues. A predictable routine, positive reinforcement training, and a safe, quiet space can help reduce stress in dogs. Identifying and mitigating stressors in the environment is crucial.

Conclusion

Vomiting in dogs can be caused by various agents, microbes, and factors. But these mainly stem from what your dog ingests. Understanding what causes vomiting in dogs and what measures to take can help improve your dog’s health. 

As your dog’s caretaker, it falls upon you to take the lead in maintaining its health and happiness. A consistent diet and regular check-ups go a long way in keeping your dog safe.