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My Old Dog is Throwing Up. What Now?
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My Old Dog is Throwing Up. What Now?

perroEditorial
Apr 19, 2022
11 min

As with humans, dogs become more susceptible to certain diseases as they age. Vomiting is among the symptoms of many different conditions that are of greatest concern in dogs.

While vomiting may be a sign of stomach upsets, it’s often an indication of a more serious underlying problem in older dogs. Therefore, you must seek veterinary help if your senior dog is throwing up consistently.

Is Throwing Up Normal in Senior Dogs?

Vomiting is very common in dogs of all ages. Dog owners often confuse vomiting with regurgitation. You must differentiate between regurgitation and vomiting to find an efficient solution to the problem. Unlike vomiting, regurgitation is a passive motion and involves the expulsion of undigested food matter.

Vomiting happens for so many reasons in senior dogs. Your dog may have eaten something disagreeable, swallowed the food too quickly, or may have eaten too much grass that triggered vomiting. This type of vomiting is okay and shouldn’t cause any alarm.

Older dogs who also vomit once without any additional signs are most likely fine. You should seek immediate veterinary help if your senior dog exhibits the following types and signs of vomiting:

  • Chronic vomiting
  • Consistent vomiting
  • Presence of blood in the vomit
  • Your dogs act like they want to vomit, but nothing comes up
  • Vomiting a lot at a time
  • Vomiting accompanied by blood diarrhea
  • Vomiting accompanied by other symptoms like fever, stress, swollen abdomen, lethargy, loss of appetite, and anemia
  • Your dog appears to be in pain
  • You suspect that your dog may have swallowed a foreign body

What Are the Causes?

Knowing the root cause of your older dog’s vomiting is vital for finding an efficient solution. Here are some of the most common causes of throwing up in senior dogs and what can be done to help.

  • Kidney or liver diseases
  • Diet change
  • Gastrointestinal infection
  • Intestinal parasites
  • Viral infections
  • Bacterial infections
  • Pancreatitis
  • Bloat
  • Foreign body
  • Gallbladder inflammation
  • Car Sickness
  • Certain medications
  • Neoplasia
  • Heatstroke
  • Post-operative nausea

It’s clear that many things can contribute to vomiting in older dogs. It’s up to the dog owner to help the veterinarian narrow down the causes so that appropriate treatment can be administered. For instance, if your senior dog vomits after introducing a new diet, then the new food is the prime suspect.

Your vet will combine all the information that you have provided and recommend physical, laboratory, or diagnostics tests to be carried out to determine the main cause of your dog’s throwing up.

What to Do When Your Old Dog is Throwing Up

There are many things pet owners can do to eliminate their older dog’s symptoms of vomiting. Depending on the situation and root cause, your veterinarian may advise you to do the following:

1.    Stop Giving Your Dog Food for a While

Withhold food for 24 hours after vomiting. This helps clear out your dog’s digestive system. If you force him to eat solid food, there is a possibility he could lose it all over again. Give your dog a small amount of water at intervals to keep him hydrated.

2.    Monitor Your Dog’s Blood Sugar Level

You must keep checking your dog’s blood sugar level now that you’re withholding food from him. Your dog may experience low blood sugar levels during this period. Therefore, it’s important that you rub some sugary fluids like honey or sugar water on your dog’s gums after every few hours.

3.    Keep Checking Your Dog’s Hydration

Ensure that your dog remains hydrated throughout since vomiting causes severe dehydration. Excessive water may also trigger vomiting. It’s recommended that you give your dog some drops of water after every hour or you can give them ice cubes instead. Providing your dog with ice cubes is the best way to prevent dehydration and to ensure he doesn’t take large amounts of water.

4.    Give Your Dog Bland Foods

Slowly introduce bland foods as soon as vomiting subsides or stops. Continue giving your dog a bland diet for a few days to avoid upsetting their stomach. You can try special foods such as scrambled eggs, natural lamb rice, and chicken New Zealand bites to calm your dog’s stomach. You may also need a prescription from the vet on what to supplement your dog and what to avoid. Decrease fat intake and add more fiber to facilitate digestibility.

5.    Give Your Dog Some Animeds Supplements

Consult your vet before giving your dog some soothing dose of Animeds supplements. This will help relieve your pet from any stomach upsets. Make sure you follow the instructions well once your vet approves the medication.

You may as well use Lactogold probiotic powder once vomiting subsides. This promotes a healthy digestives system in dogs after a very stressful condition. It also helps treat food intolerances.

If Vomiting Does Not Stop:

Your dog may be having a simple case of gastrointestinal if the above tricks work for him. However, if your dog’s vomiting does not stop or recurs after a short while, then you are supposed to report once more to your vet for further examinations. Make sure you follow your vet’s recommendations to keep your senior dog safe and healthy always.

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