Types of dog vomit

Nothing gets you out of your chair faster than the sound of your dog about to vomit. All dogs vomit or throw-up from time to time. Most often it’s something they’ve eaten like grass or they have gobbled their food and it’s nothing to worry about.

But it can also be a sign of more serious illness that needs vet assistance. It’s helpful to know the different kind of vomiting so you have a better idea if its serious or not.

Regurgitation

The difference between regurgitation and vomiting

They may start off with the same coughing and retching sound, but regurgitation is when your dog is coughing up what’s in the esophagus.  This is the long, hollow tube that goes from the throat to the stomach.

The food or whatever has been eaten, hasn’t made it to the stomach yet. It may come out like a slimy sausage. But you will be able to make out what it is your dog has eaten as it won’t have been digested yet.

Unlike vomiting, regurgitation just happens without warning. Your dog may be just as surprised as you and often they will try to eat it again.

A common reason for regurgitation could be eating too fast. Most dogs get very excited about their dinner time. To stop them eating their dinner so fast they are sick you could use a slow-down bowl.

However, if your chihuahua regurgitates their food regularly, have a chat with your vet as there could be some underlying medical conditions that can cause this.

Chunky or granular vomiting

This is when food has been partly digested but is then rejected by the stomach. You dog will start to heave and retch. This type of vomiting is often likely to be down to a virus or illness that is making your dog feel nauseous.

Car Sickness

Car and motion sickness can also make your dog vomit. Puppies often have issues with this but tend to grow out of it as they get older. You can usually tell when your dog is going to be sick as they will drool, lick their lips and crouch down.

Foamy liquid yellow vomiting

If your chihuahua does this first thing in the morning, then this is likely to be acid reflux. This is the acid in the stomach aggravating the stomach lining. This is often associated with the stomach being empty. So, a plate of nosh is likely to help.

However, throwing  up white foam can also be the signs of other illness:

• Kennel cough: An upper respiratory infection which is highly contagious between dogs. However, it usually clears itself up in about 9-10 days.
• Bloat: This is extremely serious and would need IMMEDIATE veterinary assistance. Bloat is when your dogs stomach fills with gas and fluid. Bloat can kill a dog very quickly. While any dog can get bloat, it is usually deep chested dogs like boxers. Some owners of deep chested breeds will crate their dogs after eating to let their dinner go down. While chihuahuas are not prone to bloat it is always a good idea to let their food go down before any vigorous exercise.
• Pancreatitis: Chihuahuas can be prone to pancreatitis. This is inflammation of the pancreas and causes pain and vomiting. Dogs with this condition will need careful management and a restricted diet.
• Kidney disease: Signs are vomiting white foam, disorientation and difficulty urinating.
• Parvovirus: A deadly infection that is associated with puppies and young dogs. If you have a new puppy and they become lethargic and sick get them to the vet asap. Parvovirus is often associated with puppies born in puppy farms. This is because they are not vaccinated to keep costs down. Always make sure you know where your puppy has come from. How to buy a puppy
• Poisoning: If your dog goes from happy to vomiting, shaking and lethargy very quickly he could have eaten something poisonous. This requires immediate veterinary assistance.

A good takeaway here is, if your dog vomits from time to time no real drama. But vomiting is a symptom rather than an illness, so if your dog’s vomiting is accompanied by diarrhoea, lethargy, disorientation than discussing it with your vet is a good idea.