Is your puppy throwing up and wondering what you should do to help?
Well, you are in the right place.
Witnessing your little puppy vomiting can be both devastating and worrying for you as a parent.
Luckily, this is common and is in most cases, nothing to worry about.
However, some cases of puppy vomiting may signify a more serious underlying condition
It’s thus important to have some knowledge about this condition in order to address it effectively.
Come with us as we tell you more about puppy vomiting, its causes, and what you can do to offer relief.
Differences Between Vomiting and Regurgitation
Vomiting is an active process that involves forcefully ejecting the contents of a dog’s stomach, which is normally partially digested. This is usually accompanied by retching and abdominal contractions. Regurgitation, on the other hand, is a passive process that involves the removal of undigested food which has just reached the stomach or it’s still in the esophagus.
What Does Your Dog’s Vomit Look Like?
Puppy vomit comes in different colors depending on the cause. The color of your dog’s vomit can be a good indicator of what’s going on in its body and the presence of an underlying condition. These are some of the common vomit colors you’ll see and what they mean.
- Yellow or green: A dog’s vomit with these colors contains bile. This may result from vomiting on an empty stomach or they have gone for long durations without eating. A foamy vomit indicates a build-up of the stomach acids. A dog can also have green vomit if they have ingested grass, leaves, or other parts of a plant.
- Dark brown or black: If your dog’s vomit is dark red, dark brown, or black and resembles coffee grounds, it could be vomiting blood. This could be an indication of intestinal blockage, stomach ulcers, or other serious conditions.
When Is Dog Vomiting Normal?
If your dog throws up once in a while but looks okay, then there is no cause for alarm. This is normal as the dog may have consumed something it shouldn’t have or it could be having a sensitive digestive system.
However, if vomiting persists for long durations or vomits blood, you should immediately consult a vet as this can indicate a more severe condition.
How Serious is Vomiting in Puppies?
Occasional vomiting in puppies is quite common. This can be simply a result of eating too quickly, eating too much, swallowing foreign objects, or a sensitive digestive system. This is usually no cause for alarm as it resolves easily.
However, vomiting in puppies can also be an indication of a serious underlying issue. Persistent vomiting or vomit that contains blood can signal a serious condition that requires medical attention.
Vomiting in dogs under 6 months of age is a serious condition as it can easily result in dehydration and weak due to their small size and immature immune systems.
Signs And Causes Of Vomiting in Puppies
There are many factors that can cause vomiting in dogs. The following are some signs that can indicate a more serious case of puppy vomiting:
- Vomiting that’s accompanied by diarrhea
- Frequent vomiting that occurs several times in a day or goes on for consecutive days
- Tiredness and weakness
- Signs of pain or discomfort
- Abdomen that appears bloated
- Forceful vomiting ( body expels vomit with more force than usual
- Bloodstained stool
- Vomit with bright blood
Chronic Dog Vomiting
Chronic vomiting happens frequently and repeatedly. This is a serious cause for worry especially if it comes with blood in the vomit, weakness, dehydration, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, weight loss, and fever.
Chronic vomiting may point to more serious underlying illnesses like colitis, liver or kidney diseases, intestinal obstruction, cancer, or canine parvovirus infection among others. Chronic dog vomiting requires medical attention.
What causes a puppy to vomit?
There are different reasons why your puppy may be vomiting. Some of the most causes of Vomiting in puppies include:
- Sudden change in diet
- Potential food intolerance
- Eating food too fast
- Reaction to stress or anxiety
- Heatstroke
- Bacterial infections like salmonellosis or leptospirosis
- Bloating or torsion of the stomach
- Reaction to medication
- Pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas
- Motion sickness
- Ingesting poisonous or toxic substances
- Gastrointestinal issues like inflammatory bowel disease
- Intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and whipworms
- Swallowing foreign bodies
- Metabolic disorders like kidney, heart, or liver diseases.
- Uterine infection
- Adrenal gland and other endocrine illnesses
Why Is my Puppy Throwing Up?
Puppy vomiting can be caused by various reasons. It can be a result of gastrointestinal irritation, eating too fast, or ingesting foreign objects, among others. It is important to identify the root of vomiting in puppies for effective treatment. Your vet will utilize a mixture of different methods to pinpoint the real cause of vomiting. These include:
- Physical examination of the puppy includes looking at the puppy’s mouth to identify any foreign objects that may have stuck there
- Requesting a history of what has been going on
- Laboratory tests or imaging studies including x-rays and ultrasounds
- Abdominal examination
- Checking up the temperature
It’s important to carry along a sample of the puppy’s vomit to your vet to help in the diagnosis.
How to Treat Vomiting in Puppies
The treatment method used for vomiting in puppies will depend on the severity of the condition and its overall health. Your vet will require you to keep monitoring your puppy for further occurrences. Depending on the underlying cause, some possible remedies include:
- A vet supervised short-term fasting to allow the digestive tract to rest
- Making a temporary switch to a bland diet
- Giving anti-nausea medication to control vomiting
- Probiotics or prebiotics to encourage the growth of good bacteria and improve gut health
- Antibiotics prescription
- Surgery to remove foreign objects stuck in the gastrointestinal tract, removal of tumors, or biopsy of intestines or stomach.
- Prescription of steroids to treat inflammatory bowel disease
- Specific treatment for conditions outside the intestinal tract like liver or kidney diseases.
- Treatment for issues such as pancreatitis.
Vomiting can lead to dehydration in puppies. It’s thus important to keep your dog hydrated by providing lots of fresh water. Since vomiting can be an indication of a more serious condition, you should always consult a vet for directions and diagnosis. Do not attempt to self-medicate but always stick to the recommended treatment by your vet.
What can you give a puppy for vomiting?
In most cases, puppy diarrhea is a result of gastrointestinal irritation. This can arise from the sudden change in a puppy’s regular diet, eating too much, eating too fast, or ingesting inedible, toxic, or poisonous things.
In such cases, giving a very bland diet made of boiled chicken and rice can be helpful. You can also feed foods like yogurt that are rich in probiotics to soothe the gastrointestinal tract. Boiled pumpkin can also help relieve diarrhea in puppies.
Should I be worried if my puppy throws up?
If your dog throws up once but looks okay, you need not worry as this could be a result of a simple gastrointestinal irritation. However, if vomiting is persistent, there’s a cause for worry as it could be an indicator of an underlying condition.
What should I do after my dog vomits?
After your dog vomits, withhold food for at least 6 hours but give water to keep it dehydrated. If vomiting stops, give small portions of a bland diet. If the dog does not vomit in the next 6 hours after feeding, you can gradually increase the amount.
Should I feed my puppy after vomiting?
When a dog vomits, it’s better to withhold food for a few hours and observe him, but continue giving small amounts of water. You can fast it for at least 12 hours to allow its stomach to settle down.
If the dog does not vomit in those 12 hours, you can introduce a bland diet gradually and in very small amounts. This is made up of boiled chicken and rice without any seasonings.
If the dog is able to hold this up, you can gradually increase the amount of food that you feed. You can then reintroduce the regular food slowly by mixing it with the bland diet.
Slowly reduce the amount of bland diet while increasing the amount of your puppy’s regular food till it’s entirely back.
Should I let my dog drink water after throwing up?
Yes, you can let your dog drink small amounts of water after vomiting to keep it hydrated. However, this should be introduced slowly and gradually to avoid aggravating the condition.
What can I give my dog for vomiting home remedies?
You can try out the following are home remedies for dog vomiting:
- Give electrolytes: Electrolytes help keep a dog hydrated. If your dog is able to hold fluids down, offer a small amount of balanced electrolyte oral rehydration solution according to your dog’s weight.
- Pepto-Bismol: If your vet allows it, you can offer over-the-counter Pepto-Bismol and follow your vet’s dosing instructions.
- Ginger: Ginger is great for preventing nausea due to its ability to block serotonin receptors in the brain which cause nausea.
- Probiotics: These promote a healthy gut and soothe a puppy’s tummy when it’s nauseous.
- Give bone broth: You can prepare plain beef or chicken bone broth for your puppy. This is great for soothing an upset tummy.
What can I give my puppy for an upset stomach?
If your dog is having an upset stomach, you can give the following to offer relief:
- Canned pumpkin: Feeding plain canned pumpkin is a great way of soothing stomach upset in dogs. This aids digestion and calms an upset stomach.
- Bland diet: You can give a puppy with a tummy upset a bland diet consisting of boiled plain rice with boneless and skinless chicken or ground beef.
- Probiotics: These encourage the growth of good bacteria in the gut and improve digestion. You can opt for natural sources of probiotics like yogurt or go for supplements.
Do bananas help a dog’s upset stomach?
Yes, bananas are gentle on a dog’s stomach and can be used to soothe an upset stomach. However, bananas should only be given in small amounts as they can worsen the condition in large amounts.
Does milk help an upset stomach?
Yes, small amounts of milk can help settle an upset stomach in dogs. This is because it contains calcium which helps improve a stomach’s PH balance thus calming an upset stomach.
How long does it take for a dog to get over an upset stomach?
A dog’s upset stomach usually resolves within 24-48 hours. If it persists beyond this, you should seek medical intervention as it could be an indication of a more serious condition.
Why is my puppy vomiting yellow?
A yellow vomit signifies the presence of bile which is a digestive juice produced by the liver. Bile can indicate various conditions including cancer, inflammatory disease, parasitic infections, or ulcers. This requires a proper diagnosis by a vet.
Why is my puppy vomiting white foam?
Your dog may vomit white foam if it has consumed something that irritates its stomach. White foam can also indicate other serious conditions like pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction, acid reflux, or exposure to toxins.
Why does my puppy throw up at night?
If your dog is throwing up yellow bile at night, it could be because it has an empty stomach and has been so for a long period. This leads to acid buildup, reflux, and other conditions that cause nausea on an empty stomach.
Puppy Keeps Throwing Up? When to Call the Vet
If your dog vomits only once and looks fine, it’s probably nothing to worry about although it never hurts to play safe and consult a vet. However, if it has recurrent bouts of vomiting frequently, it could be a sign of a more serious condition. This requires you to seek veterinary help.
Seek a vet’s intervention immediately if your dog is displaying the following signs:
- Difficulty breathing
- Drooling
- Frequent vomiting
- Blood in the vomit or stool
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Weakness and lethargy
- Signs of pain and distress
- Unproductive vomiting
It’s also advisable to consult a vet whenever you are unsure what’s ailing your puppy, it’s better to play safe.