Signs & Symptoms of Upset Stomachs in Dogs
Vomiting and diarrhea are common signs of an inflamed, irritated stomach and intestines, or gastrointestinal upset in dogs and puppies.
Other signs that your dog has an upset stomach could include, licking lips or licking the air (sign of nausea), gulping (as a way to combat acid reflux), loss of appetite and lethargy.
But when it comes to treatment, the severity of your dogs symptoms should dictate your response.
If your dog is displaying severe signs of illness such as repeated, frequent vomiting and diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, or fever, contact your vet or your local emergency veterinary hospital immediately.
If you have a puppy between 6 weeks and 6 months old that is showing severe signs of upset stomach, call your vet immediately. Parvovirus (parvo) is a very serious and contagious condition that can be fatal for puppies.
If your dog is vomiting infrequently, chances are good that there is nothing seriously wrong with your canine friend. That said, its always advisable to call your vet before giving any remedies to your dog for their upset stomach.
Here are a few things you can try, to help your dog feel better if they have an upset stomach:
Withhold food.
Provide your dog with ice cubes.
Give your dog bone broth to drink.
Feed your dog canned pumpkin.
Signs of an upset stomach should disappear within 24-48 hours. If your dogs symptoms continue for more than a couple of days. its time to see the vet.
Causes of Upset Stomach in Dogs
From indigestion to cancer there are a vast number of reasons why your dog may have an upset stomach. While all dogs will vomit occasionally, if your dog vomits or has diarrhea often or continuously its time to visit the vet for a checkup. Chronic or frequent vomiting or diarrhea are a signs that there is an issue with your dogs health that needs to be addressed.
Contact your vet if your dog is experiencing ongoing or frequent symptoms of an upset stomach. Your vet will be able to examine your dog and run tests if necessary in order to provide an accurate diagnosis of the problem, and provide appropriate treatment.
Some causes of upset stomach in dogs include:
Most of the conditions listed above are treatable, particularly when treated as soon as possible after symptoms appear.
I generally prescribe some medications, and within a few days, the dogs are back to being themselves. On occasion, however, it’s not so simple. So as pet parents, when should we be concerned that an upset stomach may be a bigger or ongoing health concern? The best way to answer this question is to start by asking how often your dog is experiencing an upset stomach. An occasional episode of vomiting or diarrhea is usually not anything more serious. If your dog is having an episode every few months that resolves quickly or with medication, I am not too concerned, especially if these episodes are associated with eating something unusual, or a situation that may have caused stress (such as their owners leaving on a vacation, or a new pet in the home).
Contributed by Dr. Alison Birken, owner and DVM of Victoria Park Animal Hospital.
Working as a small animal veterinarian, one of the most common ailments I see in dogs is upset stomach. About 50% of the appointments I see in a day are cases of vomiting or diarrhea. Most of these dog stomach problems are caused by a simple problem with a simple solution. The most common causes of non-complicated vomiting and diarrhea are:
The next question to answer is, are there other clinical signs associated with the vomiting and diarrhea that may indicate a more serious dog digestive health problem? And finally, how severe are the vomiting and diarrhea? Clinical signs that I tell all my pet parents to look for, and which require more advanced testing include:
Since digestive health in our pets is crucial to their overall well-being and a happy life, how can we help our pets with general vomiting or diarrhea?
How to Settle a Dog’s Stomach – 4 Most Effective Methods
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