How has your dog been feeling lately? As veterinary staff, we know how worrisome it can be to see our fur babies get sick. It’s bad enough when we notice that they seem fatigued or lethargic, but when that starts to be accompanied by a symptom like chronic vomiting, it is a bigger concern.
In this veterinary medical guide, we’ll be looking at chronic vomiting in dogs, its definition, its causes, and what your dog needs to get back to feeling their usual self again.
What Does Chronic Vomiting in Dogs Look Like?
Some dogs will vomit from time to time. Your dog might eat their dinner too quickly and get an upset stomach or get a sudden taste for grass or other plants, leading to vomiting. While occasional vomiting isn’t necessarily a big concern, chronic vomiting is.
In veterinary medicine, chronic vomiting is generally defined as:
- Vomiting that occurs intermittently or continuously over a period of seven days or longer.
- Vomiting that recurs over weeks or months, or does not respond to initial symptomatic treatment.
Not only does chronic vomiting mean a lot of unpleasant mess for pet owners to deal with, but it often points to underlying health conditions that must not be left untreated.
Besides the obvious symptom of constant or frequent vomiting over a week or more, there are other symptoms to be on the lookout for, including:
- Excessive drooling or salivation
- Decreased appetite
- Lethargy and fatigue
- Excessive swallowing
One key note is that vomiting is not the same as regurgitation. Vomiting is considered an active process, which means muscles in the abdomen contract and exert themselves in order to force up stomach contents, water, and other substances. Regurgitation, on the other hand, is a passive process. This means that food and other stomach contents simply come out of your dog’s mouth, usually shortly after eating.
If your dog is experiencing long, repeated bouts of vomiting as well as showing signs of low energy and low appetite, it’s considered a medical emergency. Contact your veterinarian right away if you see these symptoms in your pet.
What Causes Chronic Vomiting in Dogs?
Chronic vomiting can be caused by many, many different health conditions in dogs. The only way to be certain about the underlying cause of chronic vomiting is to have your dog examined by a trusted veterinarian. With that said, there are a few causes of chronic vomiting that are more common than others. These include:
- Food allergies
- Gastrointestinal intolerances or sensitivities
- Repeatedly eating unsafe food (e.g. eating out of the garbage or off the ground)
- Excessive changes to diet and feeding schedules
- Bilious vomiting syndrome (i.e. vomiting when everything else is completely normal)
- Systemic diseases (e.g. pancreatitis, liver disease, kidney disease)
- Gastric foreign bodies (inedible objects in the gastrointestinal system)
- Parasites
- Toxins (e.g. poisonous insects or plants, chemical toxins, etc.)
- Addison’s Disease (affecting the adrenal glands)
- Side effects of some medications
- Stomach ulcers
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Stenotic pylorus (narrowing of the stomach opening)
As you can see, there are a lot of potential causes for chronic vomiting. It’s most common to see this symptom in younger puppies, as they may not yet know rules such as not eating out of the garbage and leaving unfamiliar plants and insects alone. Younger animals also tend to be more vulnerable to parasites. On the other hand, older animals are more prone to systemic diseases, and dogs may develop food allergies and sensitivities over time, leading to chronic vomiting later in life.
How a Vet Diagnoses the Cause of Chronic Vomiting in Dogs
If your dog is experiencing chronic vomiting, it can be a worrying situation. The best way to ensure the health and safety of your pet is to bring them to your veterinarian as soon as possible. This gives your vet the chance to thoroughly examine your dog, conduct tests, and find out what’s at the root of this troubling symptom.
The process begins with a complete history of your dog’s health, including any medications they are on or have been on in the past, any illnesses they have had previously, and other important information. From here, they’ll gather information about what’s been going on more recently. They might ask if you notice the vomiting at a certain time of day, such as a couple of hours after each meal. You can help your vet by keeping track of your dog’s vomiting, making a note of the times, frequency, and appearance of the vomit itself. All of this can be invaluable in making an accurate diagnosis.
From here, your vet will conduct a physical exam. This likely means palpating your dog’s abdomen (feeling it with their hands to look for abnormalities) and checking the rest of the body for other signs of illness. They may also recommend diagnostics like X-rays, fecal exams, and blood work to rule out certain illnesses and get closer to an answer. Based on initial baseline testing, your vet might recommend additional tests like abdominal ultrasound, endoscopy, and/or other procedures.
How is Chronic Vomiting in Dogs Treated?
Treatment varies greatly depending on the diagnosis. The answer may be simple, such as switching to a new kind of food that is easier on your dog’s sensitive stomach. This might include incorporating novel proteins and fiber-rich formulas to help your pet digest their food more easily. Sometimes, simply feeding your dog a late-night snack can help them avoid vomiting due to an empty stomach.
Beyond diet therapy, certain medications might also be necessary. If your dog has a parasite, you’ll need to administer dewormers or antibiotics to help eliminate the infestation. Ulcers can be treated with oral medicines that help repair the lining of your pet’s gastrointestinal tract. Antacids can also be used to help reduce vomiting in certain cases. Other issues like cancer or infection may involve more complex treatment, including a combination of prescription food, medication, and other treatments. In certain situations your veterinarian may refer your pet to an internal medicine specialist.
Keeping Your Dog Safe
While chronic vomiting can sometimes be prevented by ensuring a healthy, consistent diet and keeping your dog away from things they shouldn’t eat, it can also be caused by genetic factors, which can’t be prevented. This means it’s up to pet owners to ensure proper management of these symptoms with the help of a trusted veterinarian.
If you’re concerned about chronic vomiting in your dog, it’s time to have them examined by a qualified veterinarian. They’ll run a comprehensive exam to learn the root cause of this troubling symptom, and will help you develop a thorough treatment plan to help them stay safe and healthy while addressing the underlying issue.
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