There are many different reasons for why a dog may become sick! From eating their food too quickly, to a foreign body getting inside them such as a toy or a bone.
It may be nothing to worry about, but it is always good to know what you should be on the lookout for. As all of us dog owners know, they certainly know how to keep us on our toes.
In This Blog We Cover:
Does The Type Of Sick Have Any Correlation?
As much as we don’t really want to examine our dogs sick, this can be a good start for finding out the reason as to what has made them sick.
Before you start panicking about your dog vomiting, make sure that they haven’t just regurgitated their food. As they tend to do this if they have eaten too quickly, or they have become excited or stressed when eating.
When they are regurgitating food, you may notice them not heaving from their abdomen. The sick will usually look like a pile of food, sometimes covered in saliva…basically unprocessed.
Once you are certain that they haven’t regurgitated their food, it is important to know what each type of sick means and how worried you should be when you see it.
Yellow/Green Sick
Don’t worry if you see this on your kitchen floor when you wake up in the morning. This is usually because your dog has an empty stomach, and it’s just a build-up of bile or a symptom of acid reflux.
White Foam Vomit
White foamy vomit can be a cause of excess air in their stomach, and it is commonly seen when they do not have much food in their system, or they have indigestion.
Due to their stomach being empty, the mucous lining can become irritated and creates the frothy liquid you see when your dog throws up.
Don’t be alarmed by this as it is normally not serious, but if it continues or becomes more serious. You need to contact your vet as this can be a sign of bloat, kennel cough, or pancreatitis.
Red Vomit
This could be very serious as it may point to internal bleeding, or that they have a stomach ulcer.
No matter what problems caused it, blood will always be thrown up when it collects in the upper gastrointestinal tract as it makes dogs feel nauseous.
If there appears to be blood clots, fresh blood, or what looks like coffee granules in the vomit, you should be concerned and get them checked out by a vet as it could be a sign of bleeding in the stomach or intestine.
Worms In Vomit
If your dog is bringing up worms in their sick this can be a sign of a high parasite count in their intestines, or the worms are causing a blockage in the gastrointestinal tract.
Either reason is a serious threat to your dog’s health, and they should be seen by a vet immediately and prescribed the right course of treatment.
What Can Make My Dog Sick?
Sickness in dogs can be relatively mild and easily treatable. It may be that they have just eaten too quickly or exercised straight after eating. However, there can be more serious reasons as to why your dog may be vomiting.
Firstly, it is important to note if they are throwing up lots over time or is it just a one-time occurrence?
It is then crucial to try and recall if your dog’s had access to any leftover food, poisonous plants, or toxic chemicals.
This can help narrow it down as to why your dog is sick and help your vet to diagnose them. If the answer to all of these questions is ‘No’, you may want to start thinking about illnesses.
Vomiting can be a sign of cancer, gastroenteritis, parasites, or organ disease. By being informed as to what the colour of their sick means can help you better understand what is going on.
A common reason a younger dog may vomit is a disease called parvovirus. This is very serious and needs to be treated by a vet immediately.
If you have travelled with your dog and they have become sick, this can be due to travel sickness like some humans get.
To help keep your dog calm and happy when travelling, try one of the many tested natural remedies, allow them to see out of the window, keep a window slightly open, and avoid feeding them prior to travelling.
How Can I Care For My Dog Whilst They’re Being Sick?
When your dog is being sick, remove all water from their bowl for two hours and withhold food for six to eight hours from the last time they threw up.
If this helps and their sickness subsides, start to introduce small, bland meals like white chicken and rice, one to three tablespoons at a time.
Keep this going for one to two days and if all’s well, start to reintroduce their regular diet slowly until they’re back to their old selves.
When Should I Contact My Vet?
If your dog is throwing up blood or showing other concerning signs like seizures, lethargy, or diarrhoea, then take them to your vet as soon as you can as vomiting can be a symptom to something more concerning.
Puppies throwing up should always be discussed with a vet due to their age as they are more vulnerable to infections and diseases.
Whilst older dogs throwing up bile or foam may not be as concerning, it’s worth mentioning to your vet the next time you speak with them so they can make a note of it.
We always want what is best for our canine best friends and that is why It is always so worrying anytime we hear them retching and see them vomiting.
If you are in any doubt about your dog vomiting, always consult your vet. There is never any harm in asking or being too safe. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to our furry friends. They can’t tell us what is wrong, so it’s always best to keep up to date via our informative blogs.
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