Why Is My Dog Throwing Up?

When we see our dogs vomit, we might decide of rushing them to the vet immediately. Who would want to see his dog throwing up? Sometimes we try to diagnose the problems ourselves because we know there’s a problem. So, what causes our dogs to vomit or throw up?

What is vomiting?

Scientifically, vomiting is also known as “emesis”. It is when the contents of the stomach are ejected voluntarily or involuntary through the mouth. This happens to both humans and animals. “Throwing up” and “puke” is the informal term for it but they have the same meaning. Common causes of vomiting in humans are indigestion, infections, headaches, food poisoning, etc. How about dogs? What causes a dog to throw up? Let’s talk more about it here.

Why Is My Dog Throwing Up?

Intestinal Parasites

You probably also have seen a dog throw up and has some worm-like parasites in it. It is common in dogs especially if they haven’t been dewormed yet. This includes different kinds of worms such as roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms. Having too many parasites in our dogs causes them to vomit. They are most likely visible, so it will be easy to know that it’s the reason.

What to do?

Ask a dewormer from the vet. They will tell us how frequently should our dogs be dewormed and advise us on how to prevent it. It is recommended to deworm the puppies when they are 2-3 weeks old.

Food Poisoning and Intolerance

Our dogs sometimes like to eat everything that they think is delicious even rotten food. Bacteria grow in food and our dogs can consume them which causes them to get poisoned. Throwing up is one of the symptoms of food poisoning in dogs. Food intolerance on the other hand is when our dogs have been eating the same foods for a long time and they become intolerant to these. Example: If they’ve been eating meat every day for a month, they can become intolerant and allergic to proteins. This would cause them to vomit.

What to do?

We need to make sure that we are serving them fresh and clean foods. A variation in their meal is also suggested to avoid food intolerance.

Metabolic Diseases

Like humans, our dogs can also acquire metabolic diseases such as kidney failure, pancreatitis, liver failure, etc. Frequent vomiting is one of the symptoms of these conditions. Other symptoms may include lethargy, reduced appetite, and weight loss.

What to do?

These are serious diseases that need expert medical advice. We should go to our vet immediately for appropriate treatment. It’s better to have an early intervention to prevent it from being severe.

Parvovirus

Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that all dogs can get. It usually attacks puppies who are four months old and below as well as dogs that are not yet vaccinated. A dog can die as early as 1 day if not treated after showing symptoms. These symptoms include vomiting and pooping with blood.

What to do?

There is no actual cure for this virus but treatment can be done to support the pup fight off the virus. It’s best to bring the puppy to the nearest vet to be hospitalized with intravenous fluids and will be close-monitored.

Empty Stomach

It is common to our dogs, especially if they haven’t eaten for a while. If our dogs throw up foamy, yellow, or green vomit, then it can be because of the acid build-up in our dog’s stomach. Frequent vomiting with an empty stomach can cause it to be green because it may contain bile, a substance produced by the liver that aids digestion.

What to do?

Feed him. We should not starve our dog. in the first place. However, if we need to be away for a while, make sure that they are properly taken care of, have enough food to eat and water to stay hydrated.

Many illnesses can be associated with vomiting- serious or not. Taking care of our dogs the right way is the best prevention. Vomiting is a sign that something is wrong with our dogs. Though there are home remedies available, it is best to go to the veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment.