Vomiting and Regurgitation in your Dog
All dogs are sick from time to time, as we all know. This is often because they've eaten something they've found in the park or out-and-about that hasn't agreed with them. It's almost always nothing to worry about if your dog is sick on a single occasion. As a general rule, if your dog isn't being sick more than once a week or it's really infrequent, it's normally nothing to worry about.
However, if your PUPPY is being sick at any time, this can be a problem. When puppies are sick they become dehydrated much quicker than adult dogs, so anytime your puppy is sick, call your vet.
Difference between Vomiting and Regurgitation
- Vomiting is an active process. It is when a dog is forcefully ejecting whatever contents are in their stomach or intestines. Whenever they vomit food, it's usually at least partly digested. Your dog will also often make a loud sound before they vomit. The vomited material may be food that appears partly digested or undigested, clear liquid or semi-solid matter.
- Regurgitation is a passive process. It usually happens almost immediately after your dog has eaten, and it often seems as if the food has just fell out of your dogs mouth or they just burp it up. There is no such loud noise before your dog regurgitates. The regurgitated material typically consists of water, saliva or undigested food.
Acute and Chronic Vomiting or Regurgitation
- Acute vomiting or regurgitation is a sudden case of being sick or regurgitating rather than a continuous problem. Some causes acute vomiting or regurgitating can include bloat, diet change and poisons.
- Chronic vomiting or regurgitation is more long-term frequent problems, and can have more serious causes. These can include cancer, uterine infections, hiatal hernias and liver or kidney problems.
Talk to Your Vet
If there's anything we here at Pawtion want you to take away from this blog is to please reach out to your vet if you're concerned about your dog vomiting or regurgitating. Give your vet as much information as possible as the differences between vomiting & regurgitation are key and should (hopefully) lead to a quicker diagnosis. Your vet will know better than anyone what is up with your dog, and if you have a puppy less than 6 months old who is experiencing the above, DEFINITELY call your vet as soon as you can!
What can I do?
If your dog has been vomiting or regurgitating, be sure to temporarily stop their food intake for between 12 and 24 hours. Make sure they still have access to plenty of water, as they might be extra dehydrated. If after a period of time your dog seems to be recovering, start a bland diet of food for them, such as boiled chicken and rice.