Vomiting Dog

Common Causes Both Chronic and Acute

If your dog displays any of the following symptoms, do NOT attempt to treat him at home but have him examined by a veterinarian immediately.

• Vomits more than a few times and the vomit is ejected extremely forcefully.

• If there is blood in the vomit or obvious abdominal pain.

• If your dog seems particularly depressed or weak, has a fever, or retches unproductively.

• If he has been vomiting for more than 24 hours.

What might cause a dog to vomit:

Diet

•  Eating scraps, garbage or dead animals.

•  Food reaction (Sensitive system, eating something they are not used to.)

•  True food allergy

Parasites

•  Intestinal (including Giardia)

•  Gastric (Physaloptera)

Drug related problems

•  Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) must always be considered.

•  Other drugs (e.g., cardiac glycosides, antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents)

Metabolic disorders

•  Renal disease

•  Liver disease

•  Electrolyte abnormalities

It seems to be caused most often by irritation of the stomach, called simple gastritis. The OTC medications listed below should help relieve your dog's vomiting provided it is not something serious. Choose ONE medication and dose according to the label for a CHILD.

Pepto-Bismol can be given. Give one teaspoon per 20 pounds of weight every four to six hours.

Kaopectate is helpful for digestive troubles. Give one teaspoon of Kaopectate for each ten pounds of weight every four hours.

Di Gel Liquid can be given up to 4 tbs. every 8 hours.

Maalox can be given up to 4 tbs. every 8 hours.

Antacid liquids for humans containing aluminum and/or magnesium hydroxide may help soothe the irritated stomach lining; however, the most important part of treatment is fasting! (Dose aluminum hydroxide antacids to provide 10mg per pound [22 mg/kg] of body weight every six hours.) If vomiting is present with diarrhea, drugs containing bismuth subsalicylate are best.

offer water only in small amounts but frequently in order to combat the possibility of dehydration that accompanies vomiting. Large amount of food or water distend the already irritated stomach and usually cause vomiting to recur. An easy way to have water available in small portions is to place ice cubes in the water bowl and allow the dog to drink the liquid that accumulates as the cubes melt.

Signs of Dehydration

• The skin loses elasticity as it loses moisture. 
  This can be somewhat misleading since younger and fatter dogs will have more elasticity than older, thinner dogs.  It is important to have an idea of what your dog's skin looks and feels like on a normal basis.  Pinch a little skin between your thumb and forefinger on your dog's back.  When you release it, it should pop back into place immediately.  (You can try this on the back of your own hand as an example) As the tissue under the skin loses moisture, the skin moves back more slowly.  In extreme cases, the skin doesn't pop back.

• The eyes appear sunken and lack moisture. 

• The mouth appears dry. ... gums and nose are dry. 

• Darker, less frequent urination

• Delayed capillary refill time
  Pull up your dog's lip and look at his gums. Place your index finger firmly against the gums so that they appear white.  Remove your finger and see how quickly the blood returns to the gums (they will become pink in that area again). This is called Capillary Refill Time. If you do this when everything is normal, you will have a basis upon which to compare. The gums of a normal dog refill immediately,  the gums of a dehydrated dog could take 3 seconds or so to return to their pink state.

• Grayish skin

You never want your pet to get dehydrated so keep a close eye on him and if dehydration starts to occur, use the following formula to replenish their fluid level.

Re-hydrate Your Dog

http://www.k911.biz/Petsafety/Dehydration.htm

When your dog should see the vet

• Acts very sick

• Is lethargic

• Shows bloating or abdominal pain

• Be feverish (Rectal temperatures above 103.5 degrees F)

• Be dehydrated (one way to try to decide if a dog is dehydrated is to feel his or her gums... if they feel dry or tacky, there may be dehydration present)

• Have persistent vomiting

• Be passing large amounts of blood in the stool