If so, don't panic yet! Puppy vomiting is actually pretty common, and can happen for lots of different reasons - some potentially serious, some not.
If your puppy is vomiting, or your dog is throwing up, then you're bound to be worried and wondering what's going on. You may be asking yourself.......
Why is my dog throwing up?
What's causing my puppy to vomit?
Should I take him/her to the veterinarian right away, or 'wait and see' for a little while?
Well, don't worry, you can find the answer to these questions and more right here.
Learn more about what can cause puppy vomiting, what to do if your dog keeps throwing up, and how to tell when it could be something serious.
Common causes of puppy vomiting
There can be a whole slew of different reasons why your puppy is throwing up, and it's important to figure out whether it's a sign of illness or disease, dog poisoning, or simply the result of a midnight snack from the trash can, or too many dog treats!
Here are some of the most common reasons for puppy vomiting -
Eating something they shouldn't have this is one of the most common reasons for a puppy to vomit. They are eternally curious, and in their eyes everything is edible until proven otherwise! You would be surprised at what a puppy can ingest... but ingesting and 'digesting' are two entirely different things. Your puppy may be physically able to eat three plastic grocery sacks, or a pair of ski socks, but he isn't going to be able to digest them. There are also a lot of common household products, plants, and human foods that are poisonous to dogs
Illness or disease vomiting is one of the first symptoms of many different canine illnesses. It could be something simple such as a mild bacterial infection, or something as serious as Parvo. There are usually (but not always) other signs of illness along with the vomiting, such as puppy diarrhea, lethargy, a fever, loss of appetite and so on.
An allergy or sensitivity sometimes the ingredients in a particular dog food can cause a puppy or dog to throw up. True dog food allergies normally cause skin irritation such as 'hot spots', excessive itching, hairloss and so on. But, a sensitivity to a certain ingredient can cause digestive upset, including vomiting and/or diarrhea. Occasionally a reaction to vaccination, or medications (such as certain antibiotics or deworming medicatines) can cause puppy vomiting
These reasons for vomiting in dogs, can be broken down further.
For example, if your dog has simply eaten a plateful of peanut butter sandwiches and a block of cheese, his vomiting should make him feel better and is unlikely that he'll have any long term effects from his 'binge'. But, if he's devoured a whole chocolate cake, or been licking up laundry detergent he's likely going to be in serious trouble and you need to get him help.
Puppies also tend to swallow a lot of things that are simply not meant to pass through a digestive system (think tennis balls, rocks, balloons, pencils...) Somehow there are many times when a particular foreign object seems to defy nature and work it's way through and out the other end without incident! But when an object gets 'stuck' it causes a blockage in the intestines or bowels, which is very serious and usually requires emergency surgery.
If your little guy has eaten food that was contaminated or old, he could also get a bacterial infection that makes him sick, just the way we would if we ate bad food.
Dog vomiting can also be caused by a wide range of diseases or illnesses, some acute and sudden in onset, others chronic and which appear over time. Illnesses can include vomiting as a symptom include liver disease, pancreatic problems, irritable bowel syndrome, esophageal problems, stomach ulcers and cancer.
These diseases are very serious, often potentially fatal in puppies, but most of them can be prevented by vaccination. Other conditions such as bloat, parasite infestation (worms), motion sickness etc. can also cause of a dog throwing up.
Types of puppy vomiting
This may sound strange as you might think that when a dog vomits, he vomits, period! But there are actually different types of puppy vomiting.
Vomiting dictionary definitions of the actual act of vomiting include 'to eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth', 'send out forcefully' or even 'to eject violently', and all of these pretty much paint a picture of vomiting. This sort of forceful 'throwing up' of food is what we recognise as vomiting, and is usually what you see when a dog is car sick, ill, or has food poisoning and so on. If your puppy is truly vomiting, he may drool, will seem to heave and you'll notice strong contractions of his stomach muscles.
Regurgitating the dictionary definition of regurgitation shows that this is a less 'violent' act than vomiting. They include the descriptions 'to rush or surge back', 'to pour back' and 'the casting up'. If a dog regurgitates it's food, it usually takes a loss less effort than vomiting does, almost as though the food (or whatever else is returning!) is coming back up by itself. It may seem to just pour out with little help from your pup. If your puppy eats too fast, or too much, he may well regurgitate his food, and conditions such as Megaesophagus can also cause this.
Gagging this can also be called 'retching' and looks similar to choking. If your dog is gagging, he may be hacking or coughing in an attempt to bring something up. In this situation you'll see more muscle movement in his chest than in his belly. If your dog has tried to swallow something that has got lodged in his throat, has certain esophageal or heart/lung problems, bloat or an intestinal obstruction he may hack, cough or even gag in this way
Sometimes a puppy or dog who has problems with his esophagus or teeth, or neurological issues, will seem unable to keep food or water in his mouth. It will sort of 'fall out' or 'pour/drip out' when he tries to eat or drink.
Treatment for puppy vomiting
The way you treat puppy vomiting depends entirely on the reason for it! For example, if your dog has ingested something toxic you need to get him veterinary attention immediately. The same applies if you suspect that he's really sick, or has an intestinal obstruction.
But, how do you know what's causing puppy vomiting, and what action to take? Check out the information below to learn more.
When to seek veterinary help
If your puppy is showing any of these types of behaviors, or symptoms and is vomiting, he could be having some serious issues and you need to get him help right away...
Repeated, forceful vomiting if your puppy has vomited several times over a period of 3 - 4 hours, has emptied his tummy, and continues to vomit even though he hasn't had anything to eat or drink (or simply can't keep anything down), he needs help immediately. Repeated vomiting can cause serious dehydration, and even if the cause of the vomiting turns out to be nothing to worry about, the dehydration alone is a significant health risk.
Also has diarrhea or other symptoms puppy vomiting that is accompanied by diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, panting, pacing or other signs of distress or illness needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian immediately. It could be due to poisoning, a parasitic illness such as giardia, or a serious illness such as Parvo or something similar. Again, dehydration is a big concern, as are complications or progression of the disease/toxin
Blood in the vomit blood in your puppys' vomit could indicate significant irritation/inflammation of the esophagus, stomach ulcers or a bleeding disorder of some sort. The blood can be bright red, or may be dark and look sort of like coffee grounds. Seek help right away
Evidence of foreign objects in vomit if you see pieces of things (non-food items) that your dog has ingested (such as string, plastic, cloth etc.) in his vomit, get him to the vets office. If he is 'retching' or 'dry heaving', strains to poop but isn't able to pass anything, or seems distressed in any way this could be an emergency
Has a distended belly and seems distressed these can be symptoms of Bloat (also sometimes called Torsion), and this condition is most common in large and giant breed puppies/dogs. It's caused when the stomach fills too rapidly and literally twists into an abnormal position. This causes repeated vomiting and/or retching, drooling, a swollen belly, stress and anxiety that progresses rapidly (often seen as panting, drooling and extreme restlessness).
This is another emergency situation. If you even think your dog could be suffering from bloat, don't wait, get him to a veterinarian right away. Without prompt veterinary attention he could easily go into shock and die quickly and painfully. If you own a large or giant breed puppy, check out my interview with The Great Dane Lady, where she discusses bloat in detail.
The sort of acute puppy vomiting listed above always needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian quickly, to avoid potential serious complications or consequences.
There are other situations, where a single episode of puppy vomiting, without any other symptoms or any distress to your puppy, occurs.
In this situation, you may be able to figure out the cause and either treat it yourself, or at the very least take a 'wait and see' attitude for 24 hours or so.
When you may be able to 'wait and see'
Eating forbidden 'stuff' puppy vomiting due to eating something he shouldn't have (BUT NOT SOMETHING THAT IS TOXIC) usually causes your pup to look pretty sorry for himself, and to be a bit quieter or less energetic than normal. It's pretty self-limiting though, and usually lasts 24 hours or so. He may also have a little diarrhea as well, but will otherwise seem fairly normal. No real lethargy, or distress, and will drink water and be able to keep it down. He will need to drink plenty to combat any dehydration caused by the vomiting. In this situation, you can usually afford to wait 24 hours to see if he improves. However, if he doesn't seem better the next day, or gets worse at any time, you need to have him examined by your veterinarian.
Sudden change in diet (a new puppy food, some table scraps, or different treats and so on) can cause tummy upset. Puppy vomiting that your sure is a result of this sort of dietary change, usually works itself out within a couple of days. Again, you shouldn't see any other signs of illness in your puppy (other than maybe a little diarrhea), and he should seem happy, healthy and active otherwise. When this happens you can again usually give it a day or so, and see if there is improvement. Make sure he drinks plenty of water too.
If he doesn't improve, or gets worse, take him to your veterinarian for evaluation. You can usually avoid this sort of tummy upset by making any dietary changes gradually. If you need to change his brand of food for example, make the transition over a period of about a week or so, gradually introducing the new and phasing out the old. And don't suddenly start giving him 'extras' such as bones, fancy treats, or 'edible chew toys', introduce them a little at a time.
Worms a bad case of worms can cause puppy vomiting, and the vomit may contain the worms themselves. Deworming medication can also cause vomiting at times, and again worms may be seen in the vomit.
Medications some medications can have puppy vomiting as a side effect. The most common 'culprits' are worm medications, anti-biotics, certain painkillers, drugs used to treat heart problems or Cushings' disease, high doses of steroids, and chemotherapy. If this happens, talk to your veterinarian. Sometimes you can give certain drugs with food which helps to offset the nausea effect, or change to another medicine. In many cases, the vomiting wears off as your dogs' body adjusts to the medication.
If your puppy seems to experience chronic vomiting (ie he vomits on a regular basis, maybe once a day or several times a week), but doesn't seem to be acutely unwell, he needs to be seen by a veterinarian but it isn't necessarily an emergency.
Certain health conditions such as a sort of canine acid reflux disease (often characterized by early-morning vomiting of a yellow or greenish liquid), irritable bowel syndrome, ongoing liver disease, hormonal imbalances or congenital diseases can be at the root of the problem and these need correct diagnosis and treatment.
If your puppy is vomiting, never give him over-the-counter or human medicines without first consulting your veterinarian.
Some human medications are toxic to dogs, and even when the medication is okay to use, it's important to get the dosage exactly right. Only your veterinarian can advise you on this.
If you're concerned about your dog's vomiting, but you don't feel as though it's an 'emergency' situation or within the 'Seek Veterinary Help' section above, using an online veterinarian could be the answer.
The box below gives you the opportunity to ask a qualified veterinary professional a question, and get a quick reply. The average cost of an answer is around $12 - not too much to pay for peace of mind! Try it right now....
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