My Dog Vomited- Should I Worry?
Sometimes it seems like my dog “Talia” will eat anything she comes in contact with. I’ve literally had to pull everything from a tomato plant to a pair of snow skis from the clenches of her adult German Shepherd jaws. Given the opportunity, I honestly think she would ingest just about anything within reach.
So, whenever she vomits it’s cause for concern – at least for me. But when should the average Clifton Park dog parent worry about their pup’s vomiting?
Well, pet health experts concur that vomiting isn’t always indicative of stomach upset. In fact, a number of diseases include vomiting as a symptom. You can find lots of great, in depth information on this topic from PetHealthNetwork.com at this link: www.pethealth.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/why-my-dog-vomiting.
In brief, here are some of the reasons our pooches vomit:
1. Food Poisoning — When a dog vomits due to food poisoning, as with humans, things often return to normal within 24 hours. However, don’t wait 24 hours to see a vet if your dog seems to be in unusual distress, vomits blood or presents symptoms or behaviors that seem severe in any way.
And vomiting a few times a year isn’t all that uncommon for most pooches, however when vomiting becomes more frequent a trip to the veterinarian is most certainly in order.
2. Unusual Eating Habits — Dogs with a propensity to eat things they shouldn’t, such as clothing, pine cones, etc., like my Talia, can harm themselves if/when these foreign objects become lodged in their gastrointestinal tract. When this happens, they will vomit over and over again until the object is removed, usually by a veterinarian.
3. Allergies are sometimes the cause of canine vomiting — Many dog foods include lots of additives that some pets are allergic to. And like their human counterparts, dogs can develop inflammation in the lining of the bowel (Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)) of which vomiting and diarrhea are symptoms. Allergies may play a role in the onset of IBD, experts say.
4. Poisons are everywhere, including in the medicine cabinet — I keep the telephone number to a Pet Poison Hotline on my refrigerator in the unlikely event Talia gets her mouth on anything from Tylenol to artificial sweetener. Mushrooms, raisins and antifreeze are just a few more poisons to keep away from your dog.
Contact your pet’s vet for more information on how to pet-proof in and around your home and to address questions you may have regarding this topic.