Sep 08 2010
Why Do Dogs Throw Up?
Dog owners are exposed to the vomiting bouts of the pet one time or another. There are several reason why a dog would expulse the food from its stomach. Dogs are not unlike humans that commonly vomit if something that does not agree with the stomach was eaten. Being voracious eaters, dogs would eat spoiled food as well as inedible objects thus it is common for dogs to have an upset stomach.
Nature is truly amazing as it has given dogs a way by which it can remove unwanted things from its stomach. A dog simply needs to eat grass and after a while the bile and the unwanted contents of the stomach such pieces of plastic, cloth, stones or pieces of wood will be chucked out by the pet. A vomiting bout will occur if the dog has consumed considerable amount of food and has drank a lot of water too quickly. Switching to a new dog food can also make the dog vomit. Not many dog owners are aware that stress can make a dog vomit.
A dog that was taken to a new home where there are already other pet dogs will vomit. The situation becomes highly stressful if the nervous or shy newcomer is introduced to a large and dominant old pet. This kind of vomiting can be a passing inconvenience and normally does not need any treatment. The dog will be its normal self after vomiting. Thus the owner should not be too concerned with the vomiting bouts of the dog especially if the pet is healthy. Occasional vomiting bouts can be managed at home. To prevent the dog from vomiting repeatedly, food must not be given for 24 hours.
Aside from the above mentioned causes, the vomiting of the dog can be due to other reasons. Actually, vomiting is not a disease but a symptom of an illness. A pet parent should be vigilant and carefully observe the condition of the vomiting dog.
A dog owner has to act at once if the repeated vomiting is accompanied with diarrhea, fever and the dog is noticed to be lethargic. A pet may be vomiting because it has eaten something poisonous. Infectious disease like parvovirus and internal parasite infestation are other causes of canine vomiting. Vomitus that is tinged with blood is a symptom of stomach ulcers, intestinal obstruction, pancreatitis and kidney problem. The pet must have immediate medical attention if vomiting has been going on for 24 hours especially if the dog is lethargic and unresponsive.
