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What To Do If Your Puppy Is Throwing Up
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You might be worried if your puppy is throwing up, but a puppy throwing up food isn’t always a cause for concern. While your puppy might be throwing up because of a medical condition, it could also be that they simply ate something they shouldn’t have or ate too much. This is why diagnosing the cause of vomiting in puppies is an important first step to treating them.
In many cases, your puppy will stop vomiting on its own after a day or two. A puppy throwing up for several days on end or having chronic vomiting issues is a sign that there could be something more serious going on. If vomiting persists for more than 24 hours or is a chronic problem over the course of several weeks or months, you should see a vet.
As a pet owner, it’s important to know what to do when your puppy is vomiting. You probably have questions. Why is my puppy throwing up? What can I do to stop my puppy from vomiting? Keep reading to learn more about what causes vomiting in puppies and what you can do to treat it.
- Reasons Your Puppy May Be Throwing Up
- When to See a Vet for Puppy Vomiting
- My Puppy Is Throwing Up: Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Notes
Reasons Your Puppy May Be Throwing Up
The first thing you need to figure out is why your puppy is vomiting. One thing you should consider is what, if any, symptoms are present alongside vomiting. If your dog is throwing up and experiencing dog diarrhea or another symptom, that may give you a clue about what’s causing them to vomit.
Most of the time, vomiting is caused by something they ingested. Perhaps you’ve switched to a new dog food recently and there’s an ingredient your dog is allergic to; allergic reactions are one of the more common causes for vomiting in puppies. However, it could be that your dog simply ate too much or ate too quickly, or they could have an intolerance to certain types of food that’s leading to irritation.
While not as common as dietary causes, there are several medical issues that can lead to your puppy throwing up. Viral and bacterial infections, parasites, and adrenal and endocrine diseases can all lead to throwing up. Vomiting in dogs may also be caused by parvovirus, metabolic disorders, and puppy separation anxiety.
Here’s a list of the most common causes for puppies throwing up:
- Parvovirus
- Dietary indiscretion (e.g., foreign body, trash, etc)
- Change in diet
- Quick ingestion
- Food intolerance
- Allergic reactions
- Bacterial or viral infection of the gastrointestinal tract
- Parasites (e.g., whipworms, roundworms, tapeworms, Giardia, etc)
- Metabolic disorders (e.g., liver, kidney disease, etc.)
- Heat stress
- Ingestion of toxic or poisonous substances
When To See A Vet for Puppy Vomiting
As a pet owner, it’s your job to decide when it’s time to take your dog to the vet for professional treatment. This can be a tough call to make when your puppy is throwing up because vomiting may go away on its own. If your puppy simply had too much to eat or ate too quickly, the vomiting should stop once they’ve emptied their stomach.
The first thing you want to keep an eye out for when it comes to a vomiting puppy is what the vomit looks like. Vomit that’s caused by eating too much or eating the wrong food is primarily composed of the food or substance that was ingested along with some liquid, which means other types of vomit can be a sign of a bigger problem. If you notice your puppy throwing up bile or blood in their vomit, you should take them to a vet right away.
Other symptoms to watch out for when accompanying vomit include:
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Pale or tacky gums
- Lethargy
- Seizures
The duration of vomiting is also an important factor to consider. Vomiting that’s caused by ingesting something typically stops when that food or foreign object is expelled from the body. If your dog vomits multiple times each week or has been vomiting for more than a day, make sure you get them checked out by a vet. Extended episodes of vomiting are a sign of something bigger than eating too quickly, so it’s important to rule out any serious diseases and conditions.
When in doubt, take your puppy to the vet. Not only can your vet help you figure out what’s wrong with your pup, but you’ll also get peace of mind.
Treating a Puppy Who is Vomiting
You want to get your puppy feeling healthy again as soon as possible, and that means taking the right steps to treat vomiting. Of course, treatment depends on what’s causing your puppy to vomit in the first place. Here are the basic treatment options if your puppy is throwing up.
Feeding milder foods
Just like humans, a dog’s stomach may be upset by the food they eat. Foods that are especially spicy, acidic, or rich may cause your puppy to throw up, especially if they’re smaller in size. You can get your puppy back on track by switching to milder foods, such as boiled chicken and white rice. A diet of mild food can help relieve stomach irritation that may cause vomiting.
Slowing down your puppy’s eating
If you’ve ever gobbled up a meal too quickly, you know how that can make your stomach feel. The same is true for your puppy’s stomach, which is why slowing down the pace of eating can be a good way to relieve vomiting. Instead of giving your puppy an entire bowl of food at once, try feeding them a little bit at a time or using a puzzle feeder, which forces them to eat slower. This is a good long-term habit to get into because eating slowly is generally considered healthier for digestion.
Using medication (vet prescribed)
When dietary changes don’t work, your vet may prescribe medication to help relieve vomiting. In some cases, this medication is designed to treat the underlying cause of vomiting, which could be anything from an infection to anxiety. Antiemetics may also be used to help control vomiting. Telemedicine for pets makes it easy to get access to these prescription medications online.
My Puppy is Throwing Up: Frequently Asked Questions
Should I be worried if my puppy throws up?
In most cases, your puppy throwing up is nothing to worry about. However, it’s important to keep an eye on any symptoms that accompany vomiting as well as the physical appearance of the vomit. You should also visit a vet if your puppy has been throwing up for more than a day, or if the vomiting is a problem that comes and goes but ultimately persists for several weeks or months.
Is my puppy okay after throwing up?
If your puppy is throwing up as a result of eating the wrong food or eating too quickly, they should feel better after throwing up. However, it’s important to keep an eye on how your dog behaves before and after throwing up, as well as what other symptoms accompany vomiting. If there’s blood in your puppy’s vomit, you need to visit a vet.
What to give a puppy after vomiting?
You may be wondering, what’s the best course of action if my puppy is throwing up? After your puppy vomits, make sure you switch to milder foods and control the pace at which they eat. Bland foods like chicken and rice are great choices for your puppy after vomiting.
What does parvo vomit look like?
Parvo vomit tends to be brown or darker in color and may be blood tinged. If your puppy is vomiting as a result of parvovirus, they will also have diarrhea with mucus in it. Parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that can be fatal if not treated immediately. If you notice these symptoms, call a vet right away.
Final Notes
While vomiting is fairly common in puppies, it’s important to keep an eye out for symptoms of serious medical conditions. If your dog is vomiting blood or experiencing symptoms such as lethargy and diarrhea along with vomiting, it’s best to take them to a vet to figure out what’s wrong.
The good news is, getting the best pet care from an expert has never been easier thanks to Dutch. Dutch connects you with veterinarians who can help you diagnose your pet, as well as prescribe medications that you can get delivered to your door. Whether you want to save time or all your local animal hospitals are booked up, Dutch can help you get quality pet care from the comfort of your home.
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References
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Vomiting in Dogs, MSD Vet Manual, https://www.msdvetmanual.com/dog-owners/digestive-disorders-of-dogs/vomiting-in-dogs
