Vomiting, medically referred to as “emesis,” is the forcible ejection of stomach contents out through the mouth. It is an active central nervous system reflex that can be triggered by many things, such as stress, excitement, ingestion of foreign objects, pancreatitis, kidney disease, liver failure and dietary indiscretion. Vomiting isn’t the same as regurgitation, which is the passive backflow of undigested food or fluid out the mouth without abdominal effort. Vomiting is stressful and unpleasant for dogs and their owners. It usually is preceded by nausea, profuse salivation, licking of the lips, repeated swallowing, retching and forceful, uncomfortable abdominal contractions. Dogs that sense the impending need to vomit may become anxious and seek reassurance from their owners. Vomiting causes dehydration and can also lead to nutritional imbalances, electrolyte disturbances, muscle weakness, tremors, inflammation and irritation of the esophagus, poor body condition, weight loss and aspiration pneumonia.
Vomiting is the forcible ejection of stomach contents up through the esophagus and out through the mouth. It is medically called “emesis.” Vomiting is almost always accompanied by retching, gagging and forceful abdominal contractions. Vomiting is not the same as regurgitation, which is the passive expulsion of undigested food or fluid from the esophagus that is not accompanied by abdominal effort. Vomiting is common in domestic dogs and usually is a sign of some other
Vomiting is a fairly common condition in dogs, which happens more frequently in canines than in other domestic animals. It is the result of an active central nervous system reflex, which can be triggered by a number of different things. Vomiting can cause dogs to become dehydrated and can also lead to nutritional imbalances, electrolyte disturbances, muscle weakness, tremors, inflammation and irritation of the esophagus and aspiration pneumonia. Vomiting is stressful and unpleasant for the
Many dogs that are taken to a veterinarian because they are vomiting have a benign condition that will resolve on its own, usually caused by some sort of dietary indiscretion. Other dogs are suffering from regurgitation, which is an entirely different problem with different causes and treatments. If a dog has been vomiting repeatedly for a number of days, its veterinarian will take a thorough history from its owner and will perform a complete physical
Effective treatment of recurrent vomiting in dogs involves identifying and correcting the initiating cause of the problem, and then providing the fluids, electrolytes and medications necessary to stop the cycle of vomiting and treat any related medical conditions, such as dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The goals of treating vomiting also include the provision of nurturing supportive care.When a dog has been vomiting for several days, has been vomiting with blood coming up (hematemesis) or has