Treating Vomiting in Dogs
Dog Breeds
There are two parts to effectively treating vomiting in dogs. Part one is to determine the cause of the vomiting in order to resolve why the vomiting is occurring, and part two is to provide medication and treatments to stop the vomiting and treat any conditions, such as dehydration, that occurred as a result of vomiting.
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Introduction
Effective treatment of recurrent vomiting in dogs involves identifying and removing the initiating cause, and then providing the fluids, electrolytes and medications necessary to stop the cycle of vomiting and to treat any conditions, such as dehydration, that occurred as a result of the vomiting.
Treating Vomiting in Dogs
If a dog has been vomiting frequently, or has been vomiting with blood coming up and/or accompanied by severe, bloody or mucoid diarrhea, lethargy, weakness, depression, abdominal pain, fever or confusion, treatment certainly is warranted. If a dog is unable to hold down even small amounts of food or water, this also indicates that something serious is going on. In these cases, the dog could be suffering from poisoning, an intestinal obstruction, pancreatitis, bloat, or an infectious disease such as parvovirus. All of these conditions require immediate treatment or they could be lethal to the dog.
At the outset, food and maybe even water should be withheld from the dog for a short period of time that your veterinarian can describe for you. This is called “NPO,” or “nothing per os” (nothing by mouth). This will let the dog’s gastrointestinal tract rest. The next step in treatment normally is to provide small sips of water or maybe ice cubes until the cause of the vomiting is determined. Intravenous or subcutaneous fluids may be administered if the dog is dehydrated and hospitalized. Electrolytic fluids can be administered if the dog has been diagnosed with an electrolyte imbalance.
Veterinarians will use physical examinations and blood and other tests to try to determine the cause of the vomiting and to assess the dog’s precise level of hydration and electrolyte balance. If these methods do not point towards a primary cause of the vomiting, more specific tests will be necessary, including possibly radiographs (x-rays). Intravenous fluids may be administered if the dog is hospitalized, and drugs that reduce vomiting (antiemetics) may be prescribed as well to give the dog’s digestive tract time to heal.
If a food allergy is suspected as the cause of vomiting, then the veterinarian may try a hypoallergenic diet. An ultrasound may be done to discover any physiological deformities in the dog’s digestive tract which could cause vomiting. A tissue biopsy may be needed to diagnose any bacteria or viruses which are causing illness from an infection that leads to vomiting.
Implications of Vomiting in Dogs