Reasons Why Your Dog is Throwing Up in Mishawaka, IN

It can be truly alarming the first time you hear and see your dog vomiting. You feel awful that they’re uncomfortable and sick and you’re worried about what could have possibly caused this. That helpless feeling starts to creep in, and you may even have a brief moment of panic.

First, take a deep breath. It could easily be no big deal. Most dogs will throw up at some point in their lives without it being any more than eating too much grass or eating something that didn’t quite sit right.

On the flip side, vomiting is a symptom for countless ailments, some of which can be fatal if medical assistance isn’t received promptly.

In this article, we’ll go over some of the most common reasons why your dog is throwing up in Mishawaka, IN. 

Dog Vomiting vs Regurgitation

Before we get into all of the reasons your dog could be throwing up, let’s talk about the difference between vomiting and regurgitation. Vomiting is a forced action where effort is used to bring food a liquid up.

Signs that your dog could be ready to vomit are similar to what you’d see in a human. Nausea, excessive drooling, retching, or contractions in the abdomen. You’ll notice that your pup definitely isn’t himself.

On the other hand, regurgitation is passive. It occurs when food comes back up undigested. If your dog regurgitates up his food consistently it’s probably because he’s eating too fast.

You might want to try a bowl that has a puzzle in it to slow his eating down and help him chew and properly digest what he’s eating. So, if your dog “throws up” a perfect cylinder of undigested food, your issue is not vomiting or an illness. He’s just eating too quickly.

When Your Dog Throws Up in Mishawaka, IN…

Like I mentioned above, your dog is probably going to vomit at least once during his life with you. If your dog vomits and then continues on his day as if nothing is wrong, it’s probably not a cause for concern.

You can, of course, call your vet and check with them but most will tell you that a one-time vomit with no other symptoms is no big deal. It’s always good to be extra cautious with your dog’s health and you should definitely call the vet if his throwing up could be considered continuous or chronic.

Also, if there’s a lot of vomit at once or there’s blood you should call the vet. Another reason to call the vet is if you notice other symptoms like lethargy, fever, weight loss, or bloody diarrhea. Occasionally vomiting can be accompanied by a seizure and you should absolutely call your vet if that’s the case.

Reasons Your Dog Might Be Throwing Up

There are a ton of reasons why your dog is throwing up running the gamut from minor to extremely serious. For example, a change in what food you’re giving him could lead to exposure to an ingredient that his body is allergic to or that hurts his tummy to the point where he needs to throw up.

More serious reasons for vomiting include heat stroke, poisons, liver failure, intestinal parasites, kidney failure, or a bacterial infection. While your vet is a great resource to assist in figuring out what’s wrong and how to fix it, you need to be cognizant of what could have happened.

For example, did you see him get into the trash? Was he outside in the heat for a long period of time? Has he completely lost his appetite? This kind of information is critical in helping your veterinarian diagnose the cause of the vomiting.

When Dog Vomiting is a Serious Problem

If your dog is experiencing chronic vomiting, meaning his vomiting is over a period of days, you do have reason to be worried. If your dog is vomiting and also has symptoms like lack of appetite, dehydration, weight loss, fever, or is acting depressed, this could be a sign of a serious condition.

The causes of chronic vomiting include cancer, parvovirus, kidney failure, colitis, pancreatitis, and uterine infection. Almost all of these health conditions are treatable with early recognition, but your dog will need to be taken into the vet as quickly as possible to begin treatment.

If it’s after hours, make sure to call an emergency vet in case you need to bring him in.

Don’t Withhold Any Info at Your Vet Visit

When you bring your dog in, your vet will ask you a plethora of questions about what’s going on so be prepared to answer a long list of them.

Your answers are critical in your vet’s process for diagnosing the health issue. Questions may be enough for the vet to work off of, but the vet may also need to order additional tests like x-rays, ultrasounds, and blood work.

For example, if you know your dog got into garbage and he vomited twice, it’s almost guaranteed that this is the cause. But if he hasn’t gotten into anything and his only other symptom is lethargy, it’s likely the vet will need to run tests to get a better idea of what could be going on.

Keep an Eye on Your Dog When They Throw Up in Mishawaka, IN

After seeing your dog vomit, the natural reaction is that you want to do something to help him feel better. You could prepare some homemade dog food of well-cooked chicken and rice and give him extra cuddles until you start to see him improve.

Other treatments will need to be vet-approved but could include fluids, antibiotics, or a change in diet.

It’s crucial to understand your dog’s regular behavior and to keep an eye on him in order to 1) prevent vomiting in the first place and 2) be able to assist the vet in diagnosing the health issue as quickly as possible.