Vomiting

Vomiting

by Nancy Korman

Every dog and cat eventually has to empty its stomach and scare Mommy and Daddy. Dogs are really good at this. They can vomit at will and do so if they feel the need to get something out of their gut. Cats vomit too when need be.

Many things can cause an animal to feel the need to clear their stomach. Eating garbage, eating too fast or too much can bring this on. Also, if you give your dog leftovers or prepare home-cooked meals, remember that a meal served too warm will also cause an upset.

Or recall what we’ve all seen in our dogs: eating grass. There are many opinions on why dogs in particular eat grass. Some say it is because the dog wants to vomit and this helps them along. Others who have noticed that their dogs do not vomit after eating vegetation, think the dog is looking for a particular nutrient and getting it through the grass. Most vets agree it’s nothing to be concerned about. Just be careful not to let your furbaby have access to lawns treated with pesticide or herbicides. This could cause a much more serious case of poisoning.

If vomiting is violent or accompanied by diarrhea, it’s time to go to the vet. Also, in very small pups and kittens, please don’t treat at home: These little ones can become dehydrated or very ill quickly. Other signs of when to get professional help include dizziness or confusion. If blood comes up, get to the vet right away. Should your pet vomit repeatedly, there is a chance that there is something much more serious going on and the risk of dehydration is greater, so get her checked out. Try to take note of exactly what the vomit looked like to help the vet diagnose the problem.

There are some serious underlying causes of vomiting that should be mentioned: poisoning, kidney failure, drug reactions, parvovirus, jaundice or an obstruction of the bowel. Keep an eye on your pet and if he seems OK, it’s probably just a case of simple upset stomach.

If things don’t appear to be quite that serious here are a few things to try:

Making a syrup of slippery elm bark is simple and can really help soothe a troubled belly. Take a couple of tablespoons of bark and wrap it well in cheesecloth or put it in a small muslin bag. Put this in a cup or so of water and bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot and let it sit until cool. Squeeze out the bag or cheesecloth. You should have a mucus like gel. Give the pet a little bit every couple of hours to help settle the system.

Ginger is also a very good herb to be used to settle the stomach. It’s particularly useful as a preventative when vomiting occurs due to travel sickness.

Chamomile tea is very soothing for animals to enjoy. It can be used with peppermint as well and is easy to find. If need be, freeze in ice cube trays for a real treat.

Flower essences can also be helpful: Four drops of Rescue Remedy can be given to calm an animal that is vomiting due to emotional or stressful reasons. The flower essence Agrimony will help in that case also. Aloe vera essence helps with indigestion and locquat will help create a better digestion.

Homeopathically, there are a few remedies that may be indicated. Nux vomica should be given if the vomiting occurs hours after a large meal of rich food. Ipecac can be given if there is a lot of saliva seen along with the vomiting and vomiting is frequent. Phosphorus is also sometimes used when the animal vomits very soon after eating or when they have swallowed something they shouldn’t – a piece of their toy for instance. These can be given as 1 tablet every 4 hours and then if vomiting reoccurs.

The next thing you need to do is fast the animal for 24 hours. It really isn’t hard on the animal - just us!. Don’t let them beg you out of some treats! It’s necessary to let their system clear whatever caused the problem in the first place by not putting more in. Keep lots of water available through out this time. If they gulp water and then vomit it all back up, give ice cubes instead. This will limit the amount of water they can get at one time.

Once the animal has fasted for a day, they should have their system cleaned out and you can very slowly bring them back up to a normal eating schedule. Just start out slow. And keep the foods bland at first. Try some cooked rice with boiled chicken or cottage cheese. You can slowly mix back in the regular food within a couple of days. Adding digestive enzymes to the food will greatly help in digestion thereafter.

A chronic upset stomach can many times be a sign of intolerance or allergy to a food. Natural diets free of preservatives and substandard ingredients can go a long way to curing an animal of persistent nausea and vomiting.