What if one day you notice your dog reluctant to eat or not eating at all? Is it a sign that your dog is coming down with some kind of illness? Most often, refusing to eat is a sign of an upset stomach in dogs. Continue to read all the way to the end to understand everything you need to know about upset stomach in dogs.
Acute and chronic vomiting in dogs: causes
Topics covered in this blog post
What causes upset stomach in dogs?
A few other causes behind an upset stomach in dogs are: eating too fast and gulping, an underlying medical condition, infestation of worms, build up of gas or constipation.
Some other causes behind upset stomach in dogs:
In addition to the conditions discussed above, other conditions which may cause upset stomach in dogs are:
- Cancer of the digestive system
- Inflammation
- Obstruction
- Presence of ulcer
- Bloating
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Malabsorption
- Motion sickness
- Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis
I will be discussing the above mentioned causes in further detail now:
Dogs vomiting clear liquid, when and why?
Gas
If your dog is suffering from constipation, it can act as another reason for pain along with the gas which is stuck as the stools have backed up.
Obstruction and inflammation of the digestive tract
Another case where the dog may land up with an obstruction in the stomach is if the intestine folds upon itself, causing blockage. This condition is referred to as intussusception.
Parvovirus infection
Parvovirus infection is a very dangerous and life threatening infection which is mostly passed from one dog to another by feces or direct contact.
Cancer
Cancer affects both humans and dogs alike. The cancer of the digestive system is observed rarely in dogs. However, stomach pain is one of the first indicators of digestive system cancer.
Bloating
True GDV (twisted stomach) is less common than everyday gas, but it is life-threatening when it happens. A bloating is a condition caused by trapping of gas in the stomach. The trapped gas causes the stomach to stretch. This stretching can lead to twisting of the dog’s stomach, referred to as gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV). GDV cuts off blood supply to internal organs and can be fatal without prompt treatment.
Unproductive retching with a swollen, tight belly is an emergency (possible GDV/bloat), especially in deep-chested breeds. Go to emergency care immediately — do not wait to “see if home remedies help.”
Inflammatory bowel disease
This is another disorder that is common in both humans and dogs. The bowel of dogs can become inflamed due to a variety of reasons like spicy food, eating something inedible etc.
Malabsorption
If your dog is having difficulty in digesting the food, he or she is suffering from malabsorption. Malabsorption is pretty difficult to diagnose as the symptoms of malabsorption are similar to a variety of other diseases.
Ulcers
If the stomach lining of your dog is damaged, it will lead to the formation of an ulcer. The cause behind ulcer can be anything like medication, inflammation etc.
Motion sickness
If your dog hates car rides and suffers from motion sickness, then he or she is likely to have an upset stomach if he or she is forced to undergo a car ride.
Upset stomach in dogs symptoms
Now that we have discussed the causes behind upset stomach in dogs, let’s discuss the signs and symptoms observed in case of upset stomach in dogs. The symptoms differ depending on the underlying cause:
Parvovirus: fever, loss of appetite, blood in stool, vomiting.
Bloating: rapid breathing, discomfort, restlessness, dry retching, excessive drooling, abdominal swelling
Inflammation in stomach: bile vomit, frothing at mouth, appearance of dried blood in stools (looks like coffee grounds).
Cancer: diarrhea, lack of appetite, bloating, lethargy, gum paleness, vomiting.
Obstruction: lack of appetite, lethargy, swelling in abdomen, low body temperature, vomiting, dehydration
Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis: loss of appetite, diarrhea, depression, weight loss, abdominal pain.
Inflammatory bowel disease: fluid retention, weight loss, vomiting, loss of appetite, watery diarrhea swelling in abdomen
Ulcer: vomiting digested or fresh blood, abdominal discomfort, dark stool with blood, reduction in appetite, pale gums
Malabsorption: diarrhea accompanied with weight loss
Other general signs of stomach discomfort in dogs:
- Guarding belly
- Shaking
- Noises in stomach
- Eating grass
- Burping
- Gulping
- Smacking lip repeatedly
- Licking carpets, floors, glass etc.
When should you take your dog to the vet?
Even though symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting can relate to many health conditions in dogs, in most cases, these are not serious and do not need immediate medical attention. However, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea can be indications of severe health conditions like parvovirus or some other life threatening issue.
So, should you rush to the vet the moment your dog vomits or has loose stools? The primary thing of importance here is to identify when your dog is suffering from something serious and when you can wait and watch your dog.
If you notice that your dog vomited once or twice, he or she is suffering from a mild case of stomach upset. However, if your dog is vomiting repeatedly and the vomiting is followed by diarrhea, you should get to the vet as soon as possible.
The following conditions warrant for an immediate vet consultation
- Your dog is frequently suffering from vomiting and diarrhea in a period of few hours
- Your dog’s abdomen is swelling up
- Your dog seems dull and depressed
- There is blood in the diarrhea or vomit
- The vomiting continues for over 24 hours.
Related: dog vomiting, acute and chronic vomiting, dogs vomiting clear liquid, and dog ate chocolate.
Can hot weather be a cause behind upset stomach in dogs?
Warm weather causes increased proliferation of fungi and bacteria. This leads to items perishing quicker. Dogs are known to eat things they find in the streets and get into the garbage cans. Therefore, summers are a time when dogs are more likely to suffer from infection of the stomach.
Safe home care for an upset stomach
Home care is only appropriate when your dog has no emergency signs and your veterinarian agrees. Water should stay available in small, frequent sips; call your vet if vomiting continues or water will not stay down.
Wait and watch
If your otherwise bright adult dog vomited once or twice and has no other red flags, many vets suggest resting the stomach: skip food for about 8–12 hours, then offer small bland meals if vomiting has stopped. Keep water available in small, frequent sips (or ice chips to slow gulping). Do not withhold water for 12–24 hours. If vomiting continues, water won’t stay down, or other signs appear, call your veterinarian.
In the absence of food, if your dog vomits, it is best to consult your veterinarian.
Ice cubes
Keep fresh water available. Offer small, frequent sips; ice chips can help some dogs pace their drinking. If your dog cannot keep even small sips down, call your veterinarian.
Canned pumpkin
After vomiting has stopped and your vet agrees, plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling) may be an optional add-on for mild stool issues; it is not a cure. Confirm the amount with your vet.
Bone broth
Plain, low-sodium bone broth may be an optional addition if your dog tolerates it, but it is not a treatment for obstruction, parvovirus, bloat, or other serious illness. Ask your vet before offering it.
Human stomach medicines (ask your vet first)
Do not start Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) or Pepcid (famotidine) on your own. Pepto has aspirin-like effects, can interact with other drugs, and blackens stool so you may miss blood in the stool. Famotidine is sometimes used under veterinary direction, but the dose depends on your dog. Call your vet before any human stomach medicine — and never give Pepto to cats.
Banana
This is a natural remedy which works for humans and canines both. Give your dog some banana with rice and boneless chicken. Do not put any salt in the food. If your dog is not drinking water, you can add some water to the banana-chicken-rice mix.
Chicken and rice diet
Grass
Some dogs nibble grass when they feel nauseated. That does not mean grass is a treatment, and it can make them vomit. If grass-eating is new, frequent, or paired with vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy, call your vet. Keep lawn chemicals and toxic plants out of reach.
However, if you notice this behavior going on for more than a few days, get in touch with your veterinarian.
Bonus ingredients
A small amount of plain yogurt or cottage cheese may be an optional addition if your dog tolerates it; it is not a treatment for obstruction, parvovirus, or bloat.
You can also administer probiotics to your dog. These will help increase the population of good bacteria in your dog’s gut.
Bringing your dog back to his or her regular diet
Once your dog is showing signs of recovery, it is time to bring your dog back to his or her regular diet. It is imperative that your pup is brought back to the normal diet very slowly and in a gradual manner. Here are a few pointers on how to bring your dog back to normalcy in terms of the diet:
Start by adding 25% of commercial diet to the bland diet. Give this diet to your dog for 3 days.
If your dog does well over these 3 days, switch the diet up to be 50% kibble and 50% bland diet. Continue this diet for the next three days.
No. Many vets suggest skipping food for about 8–12 hours after vomiting pauses, then offering a bland diet in small amounts. Water should stay available in small, frequent sips (or ice chips if that helps your dog pace drinking). If your dog can’t keep even small sips down, call your veterinarian — withholding water can lead to dehydration.
Only if your veterinarian says so for your dog’s weight and health history. Pepto-Bismol contains salicylate (aspirin-like), can interact with other drugs, and turns stool black so you may miss blood. Famotidine (Pepcid) is sometimes used under veterinary direction. Never dose from a human bottle “by eye,” and never give Pepto to cats.
Go to a vet or ER for blood in vomit or stool, repeated unproductive retching with a swollen hard belly (possible bloat), weakness/collapse, known toxin or foreign-object ingestion, vomiting with diarrhea and lethargy, or a puppy/senior who can’t keep water down.
Ask your vet first. A common short-term bland option is boiled boneless skinless chicken (or a vet-approved protein) with plain white rice, in small frequent meals, then a gradual return to regular food over several days. Canned plain pumpkin (not pie filling) is sometimes used for mild stool issues — confirm the amount with your vet.
No. Many dogs eat grass when nauseated; it can make them vomit and is not a treatment. If grass-eating is new, frequent, or paired with other signs, call your vet.
Conclusion
If you notice that your dog is suffering from vomiting and diarrhea on a repeated basis, it is best if you add probiotic to his or her regular diet. The probiotics will help restore healthy bacteria in the stomach. Keep the probiotics tablets in the fridge so that they don’t lose viability.
Has your dog ever suffered from an upset stomach? Which is your favorite remedy for upset stomach in dogs? If you have any queries regarding upset stomach in dogs, put them down in the comment section. I will be happy to address them as soon as I can.
See you in my next blog post
Shruti
