There can be many reasons why your best friend has dog vomiting symptoms. The causes of vomiting in dogs can be varied, ranging from minor stomach upsets to serious, life threatening medical problems.
Vomiting is the most common and obvious dog vomiting symptoms. Also known as emesis, heaving or throwing up, vomiting is the act of forcefully ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth. However, many parts of the body are involved with vomiting. The gastrointestinal tract, musculoskeletal and nervous systems must all work in tandem to produce the act of vomiting in dogs.
The act of vomiting is begun by stimulation to the vomiting center of the brain. This is sometimes achieved directly by brain or neurological illness, but more often occurs indirectly with chemoreceptor trigger zones or from abdominal afferent nerves. Chemoreceptor trigger zones respond to abnormal substances in the blood (such as drugs, bacteria or other health problems). For example, vomiting after receiving a medication is most often caused by CTZ.
More frequently, vomiting is caused by receptors in the abdomen responding to abnormal stimulation. This may be caused by GI inflammation (gastroenteritis, upset stomach), bowel obstructions or swelling, or even irritation or inflammation of many of the body’s major organs, such as liver, pancreas, kidneys and spleen.
The most common causes of dog vomiting symptoms include:
- Gastrointestinal problems (gastroenteritis, foreign body ingestion, Parvovirus, Canine Distemper Virus, intestinal parasites, food sensitivities)
- Renal (Kidney) Failure- acute or chronic onset
- Hepatic (Liver) Failure- acute or chronic onset
- Electrolyte imbalances (caused by adrenal function problems such as diabetes, hypoadrenocorticism)
- Pancreatitis (a severe inflammation of the pancreas)
- Toxin ingestion (drug overdoses, poison ingestion etc.)
In humans, the most common signal that one may need to vomit is the feeling of nausea. This sensation of unease and discomfort in the stomach signals the body’s preparations to vomit. In dogs, nausea is a less commonly appreciated symptom, but may be observed in the form of increased anxiety or depression, hypersalivation and repeated swallowing.
Following these signs of nausea, the more obvious sign of vomiting is retroperistalsis and retching. When the digestive tract is operating normally, peristalsis is the slow contraction of smooth muscle of the intestines to push food through the gastrointestinal tract towards the anus. Retroperistalsis the reverse action of the smooth muscle, as contents in the intestine are moved backwards towards the stomach. This is followed shortly by retching, as the new contents of the stomach are forced into the esophagus. It is this act that produces the tell tale vomiting dog symptoms, as dogs often retch loudly several times before forceful contractions of the abdominal muscles and diaphragm force food, fluid and other contents of the stomach out of the body.
Regurgitation is often confused with vomiting as the symptoms are similar, but the causes are different. While vomiting is the return of digested food that has passed through the stomach into the intestines, regurgitation occurs when undigested food that has not yet reached the stomach is returned back up the mouth. Regurgitation is seen most in small dogs and puppies eating dry food diets that “inhale” their food as quickly as possible. When eaten, dry food absorbs moisture from the stomach and expands in size, causing irritation from an overly full esophagus and prompting regurgitation. Soaking dry food before feeding it, as well as feeding smaller meals throughout the day can help to alleviate this problem.
There are two main types of vomiting, chronic and acute. Chronic vomiting can be a sign of an underlying medical problem, but is generally not immediately a sign of life threatening illness. In addition, a sudden, single episode of vomiting is considered acute, but not necessarily a major medical problem. Sudden changes in diet such as by feeding a different brand of food, treats or offering table scraps can cause an episode of vomiting. Vomiting caused by dietary chances can often be fixed at home as long as the dog continues to act and feel normally. The best treatment is to withhold food from the dog for 12-24 hours (not water) to allow their digestive tract to settle down. After that time, a bland diet can be offered in small amounts, and if the stomach problem does not continue, you can slowly put the dog back on their original diet.
Acute, repeated episodes of vomiting can signal, and even become a medical emergency for your dog. In puppies and small dogs, as little as two episodes of vomiting can cause severe dehydration and a life-threatening emergency. Vomiting in puppies should never be ignored, as it can be a sign of Parvovirus Gastroenteritis or Canine Distemper virus, both highly contagious and potentially fatal diseases.
Foreign body ingestion is a common cause of acute vomiting in dogs. Dogs have special talent for eating and swallowing any number of things that never meant to be in the body. However, just because a dog has swallowed that bit of tennis ball or sock, does not mean that the item will be able to pass through the gradually smaller diameter of the intestinal tract. At some point many items may become stuck, and an intestinal blockage results.
Partial intestinal blockages usually cause symptoms of vomiting and cramping of the abdomen. A complete blockage causes severe abdominal pain, bloating and repeated, frantic vomiting. Left untreated, blockages will quickly cause the surrounding gut to die off, leading to rupture of the intestines and severe systemic infection. Emergency surgery to remove the blockages is often necessary to save the dogs life, and early medical attention at the onset of dog vomiting symptoms can be vital in saving a dogs life.
Vomiting that occurs in seemingly healthy dogs more than once a week is considered chronic. Because chronic vomiting can lead to poor digestion and absorption of nutrients, often dogs will be finicky eaters, have a low energy level and poor quality hair coat.
Food allergies and intolerances are a common cause of chronic vomiting. Similar to lactose intolerance in people, dogs may have or develop allergies or sensitivities to variety of ingredients in dog food, leading to chronic inflammation in the stomach and intestinal tract. Other causes can include Pancreatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease.