Vomiting Dog - Common Causes

Both Chronic & 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.

A few things that might cause a dog to vomit are listed below:

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.

Water should be offered only in small amounts but frequently in order to combat the tendency to dehydrate 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.