Excessive Vomiting in Dogs

Dietary Recklessness

• Depending on your dog's personality, he may be a mouthy dog. Dogs explore things with their mouths to help understand the world around them. This can result in your dog putting things in his mouth he should not eat, such as trash, plants or even coins. Some dogs will eat everything they can find because they like the taste or because they are upset they have been left alone. Your dog may begin vomiting to get the foreign substance up. In some cases, vomiting removes it. In others your vet may want to use a laxative or surgically remove the item if it becomes stuck in your dog's digestive track.

Other Eating Concerns

• Just as eating inedible substances can make your dog sick, so can other dietary changes. When you change your dog's food, The Dog Bowl website recommends you make the change slowly over a period of time. Unless recommended differently by a vet, they recommend you give your dog a quarter of a serving of the new food mixed with three-quarters of a serving of the old food, then slowly increase the new and decrease the old food over a period of week until your dog is just eating the new food. Quicker changes can result in your dog vomiting. Sometimes, dogs vomit because of the quality of the food. According to The Dog Bowl, if you find your dog is vomiting shortly after eating, consider switching to a higher-quality food. Another common food issue is eating too quickly. In this case, they recommend you try feeding your dog twice a day instead of only once so she does not feel she has to inhale her food.

Parasites

• Dogs can pick up parasites when they are young, prior to being de-wormed. Most commonly, the parasites you may encounter are roundworms or hookworms. Hookworms cause inflammation in your dog's small intestines, resulting in vomiting. Roundworms block the intestines all together causing the food to come back up since it cannot proceed through the normal digestive tract. Worms can be treated by medication your vet prescribes.

Tumors

• If your dog is older, it is possible he is vomiting because of a tumor of the stomach or the intestines. According to Second Chance, this is much more common in cats but does occur in dogs as well. Large masses will form in the stomach or intestines and usually contain cancerous cells. Often, the tumors can be felt externally. Sometimes your vet may perform surgery to test the material to find out if it is cancerous. If it is determined the tumors are cancerous, then surgery to remove the tumor is usually not an option. In these cases, euthanizing your dog maybe the most humane option.

Pancreatitis

• Pancreatitis is a sudden onset of swelling to the pancreas. This in turn releases chemicals that make the pancreas digest itself. Not only will your dog vomit excessively, he will also likely be lethargic and have a loss of appetite. If your vet suspects pancreatitis, he will run a number of tests to confirm it. Treatments include no food or water for up to 3 days while the pancreas rests, possible intravenous fluids and antibiotics. During this time your dog will have to rest, too. In extreme cases, your vet may recommend surgery.