Mary Allen
When the dog vomits, the human suffers too. Here you can find out when vomiting is harmless and when you absolutely have to go to the vet!
When the dog vomits, we naturally worry and fear the worst. After all, vomiting is not nice, neither for us nor for our four-legged family members.
If the dog suddenly starts to choke and throws up, we usually suffer with it. Vomiting in dogs is by no means that rare and is not always an immediate sign of an illness.
If the stomach contents come up again when the fur nose vomits, this can have various causes. We will guide you step-by-step through this important topic and explain why such symptoms occur in the first place, what the different consistencies of the vomit mean and what you can do if the dog vomits.
Why is the dog vomiting?
Vomiting is one of the body’s natural defense mechanisms. By pushing the contents of the stomach through the esophagus and out through the mouth, the body tries to get rid of intolerable or toxic substances from the digestive tract.
There are many different things that can be the cause. The main reasons for acute vomiting are immediate problems such as food intolerance, stomach problems, swallowing foreign bodies, inflammation in the digestive tract, infectious diseases, parasites, or even poisoning.
If the dog vomits its stomach contents or even blood repeatedly and over a longer period of time, the causes could lie in the chronic area and point to tumors, chronic inflammation, or diseases of the liver or the central nervous system.
Chronic incidents are often accompanied by other symptoms such as weakness, diarrhea, disorientation, and other abnormalities. In the case of chronic vomiting, a veterinarian should always be consulted, while in the case of acute vomiting you can first look for a reason yourself.
We have summarized for you the everyday situations in which a dog can throw up and how you can help him when the dog “pukes”.
The dog vomits after eating
A common reason for complaints such as vomiting in dogs after eating is a change in diet. Perhaps you have changed the manufacturer or the content and the animal is not yet used to the new food.
Then slowly and gradually get the dog used to the new diet, ideally over a period of 7 to 14 days.
Another common cause of dog vomiting is fast, greedy gobbling of food. Dogs are known to empty their bowl like a vacuum cleaner. And that doesn’t just apply to particularly gluttonous breeds like the Labrador or the Beagle.
Reasons for this are, for example, competitive thinking and natural instincts, because the animal believes it has to eat its food as quickly as possible so that no other dog steals the treat from it. Nervousness and stress also play a role here, as does simple enjoyment because the food simply tastes too good.
If your darling likes to vacuum, you can train him to eat at a more moderate pace by reducing and dividing up the amount of food, providing him with a quiet, undisturbed feeding area, and providing him with feeding toys. With this, he is playfully forced to eat more slowly. Last but not least, an anti-sling bowl is also recommended.
The dog vomits after drinking
When dogs vomit after drinking, the reasons for this are initially similar to those after eating. They usually drank too much and too quickly and their stomach rebelled. Here, however, there is a higher probability that the cause is more serious and disease-related.
In large dog breeds like the Doberman Pinscher or the Great Dane, this can be a sign of an upset stomach. Then see your vet immediately!
The dog vomits in the car
Not only humans but also four-legged friends can get sick in the car. In the worst case, this means that your fluffy passenger reacts with nausea and the dog throws up.
If dogs are not yet used to driving, this often means stress, nervousness, and fear for them. Everything is new, the smells, the cramped space, the lack of freedom of movement, and the impact on the sense of balance. These causes can lead to a rebellious stomach and thus to nausea and vomiting or other gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea.
The solution is obvious: Practice driving with your four-legged friend, get the dog used to the transport box or the trunk, take it for a long walk before long car journeys and ideally do not give it anything to eat beforehand. Then you have usually already eliminated the cause of the vomiting.
What is the dog vomiting? And what does it mean?
It sounds a bit ugly, but it’s still very helpful: Take a close look at what your darling is spitting out. The dog always throws up for a reason. With details about the vomit, both you and the vet can help him much better and faster. For example, worms in dogs can be noticed more quickly and treated with a wormer for dogs.
The dog vomits yellow foam or mucus
If the dog throws up and regurgitates yellowish mucus and/or foam with no additional food leftovers, this is often a sign of an empty stomach. The yellow substance can be bile, which is necessary for digestion in the stomach and can lead to symptoms if the concentration is too high.
This either means that the dog is being fed too far apart or that its rhythm has been disturbed. Once the dogs (and their stomachs) have become accustomed to a daily rhythm, the stomach can already produce more bile in accordance with this rhythm before the food bowl is filled.
If the feeding or feeding then fails, the concentration is too high and the dog overreacts. Vomiting occurs. Then shorten the intervals between the feeding times or split them up again so that e.g. B. is being fed three times a day instead of twice a day.
The dog vomits whitish mucus
If the vomit is whitish in color and has a slimy consistency, and there are no bits of food or the like, then this could also be cough phlegm, similar to humans. A veterinarian should then clarify what is causing nausea and vomiting.
The dog vomits reddish, green, and other colored substances
The following applies very clearly and concisely: If the animal has thrown up and the vomit is red, green, or different from those mentioned above, this is usually a sign of a more serious problem and a trip to the vet is unavoidable.
Reddish colors can indicate internal injuries and thus blood in the esophagus or stomach, for example from a foreign body. Green-yellow colors of the vomit can indicate poisoning.
How do you know if the dog is about to vomit?
In dogs, this process usually occurs in three phases:
- Nausea,
- gagging
- Vomit
Since animals cannot communicate as we can, their nausea manifests itself primarily in the form of visible restlessness, loud swallowing, or smacking. Yawning or eating grass are also symptoms of nausea.
The gagging that follows is very visible from the outside of the abdominal wall and, similar to humans, the dog bends forward.
Finally, in the final phase, the vomited contents come out of the stomach and esophagus. The process is often accompanied by the violent trembling of the limbs or the whole body. The whole dog then looks terribly miserable.
What to do if the dog throws up?
- keep Calm
As in all extraordinary situations, the same applies here: keep calm and don’t get nervous. Nervousness, fear, and panic rub off on your four-legged friends very quickly and may even make the situation worse. Check whether foreign bodies have lodged in the animal’s mouth and throat and remove them if possible.
- Look carefully
Examine the vomit for color and consistency, and if in doubt, take a sample to take to your vet for analysis. In particular, check if there is blood in the vomit.
- look for the cause
Consider whether an external cause may play a role in the dog’s vomiting. These include a change in feed, too little or too much food, or wrong food. (Hint: how much food does the dog need?) Has the dog previously eaten grass that is now causing it to vomit?
Check if e.g. B. Food is missing in your kitchen or has been nibbled on that your four-legged friend is not allowed to eat. Also check if there are any missing items in your home such as socks, small toys, or other items that the dog may have swallowed. As a foreign body in the stomach, these can now cause the symptoms.
- watch the dog
Also, watch your dog. If he behaves as cheerfully and contentedly as before after the incident and if he otherwise has no noticeable physical and health symptoms such as diarrhea, pain, or other, it is probably a harmless reason.
- If necessary, visit the veterinarian
Also, trust your gut feeling. If something seems strange to you about the animal or if it shows symptoms, it is definitely worth a visit to the veterinarian. This even applies if the dog can only determine at the end that the reason for the vomiting is that your darling simply overeats the food.
What should you give the dog when it vomits?
First and foremost, you should make sure that the animal drinks enough water after vomiting to avoid dehydration. This is especially true if the dog has diarrhea at the same time.
Otherwise, it is advisable not to give the animal any more food for the time being, so that the stomach can calm down. Wait for 12 to 24 hours before feeding again, then start small portions again.
In an emergency: how to make the dog vomit?
Every dog owner asks this question. What to do if your own four-legged friend has eaten something poisonous? Should I make him vomit? The most important thing you can do in this emergency is to call your vet right away. He will go through all the necessary steps with you, ask you about the symptoms and the possible cause, and then recommend how you should act now.
If you are actually supposed to make your four-legged friend throw up, this is definitely not done with dogs with their fingers in their throats. With a bit of luck, the dogs will eat grass themselves and then vomit.
If this is not the case, the administration of hydrogen peroxide or, in an emergency, home remedies such as mustard will help. For every 5 kg of body weight, the animal should be given about 5 ml of pure hydrogen peroxide on the tongue, while mustard is mixed with water.
Basically, vomiting may only be induced if the animal is conscious, can swallow, and does not have convulsions, otherwise, there is a serious risk of suffocation.
We wish you and your dog all the best!