Dog Vomiting and Diarrhea

Color of Dog Vomit:

* Clear: caused by saliva that comes from the stomach. If blood is present it is due to irritation.

* Dog Vomit Yellow: stomach bile that has been digested. Any blood is due to irritation in the gastrointestinal system.

* Green: Bile from the part of the small intestine that is connected to the stomach (called the duodenum).

* Brown with smell: something obstructing or blocking the intestine or if part of the intestine is paralyzed (called ileus).

Your veterinarian will also ask about when your dog vomits. If vomiting occurs after eating it usually means that their is some type of inflammation in the digestive tract or that there is some type of obstruction.

If your dog hasn't recently eaten and you see undigested food 6 hours after eating then your dog could have a blockage in the area where the stomach connects to the intestine (pyloric obstruction) or a general weakening of the stomach (canine gastric atony).

If there is force behind the vomiting called projectile vomiting it is indicative of a problem where the intestine attaches to the stomach.

Causes of Dog Vomittng and Diarrhea

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)- Dog vomiting and diarrhea symptoms may be associated with inflammatory disease in the small intestine. It is also seen in diarrhea of the large intestine in 20% - 30% of dogs with colitis.

Plasmacytic lymphocytic - form of irritable bowel disease caused by diet, infection or no known cause. Eosinophilic - white blood cell problem

Lymphangiectasia - dilated or enlarged lymph glands

Intestinal parasites

Bacterial overgrowth (antibiotic responsive diarrhea)

Intestinal tumors

Bacterial or fungal infection

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency - problem digesting food due to lower than necessary pancreatic enzymes

Diagnosing Dog Vomiting and Diarrhea

Vomiting: Presence of vomiting or the absence of vomiting, frequency, nature of vomit, relationship to eating.

Diarrhea: duration or time of illness, frequency, color, presence of blood, breed (some breeds such as German Shepherd are susceptible to IDB).

Your vet will also want a stool sample, so take one with you. It will be tested for parasites, viruses such as the parvo and bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. The stool will be examined for the color and consistency of the diarrhea, objects that might be in it and for blood. Dark blood (melena) is associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding and red blood is associated with lower intestinal bleeding.

Your veterinarian will check your dogs mental condition and nerves around the neck and head to see if there is a problem with the central nervous system or the virus that causes brain swelling (meningoencephalitis).

The throat will be checked for foreign objects that your dog might have placed into its mouth and swallowed and will listen to your dogs stomach to hear any sounds that would be indicative of some form of distress such as gas.

Your veterinarian will seek to rule out all of the common causes of dog vomiting and diarrhea such as:

Simpler causes include:

* Eating something inedible or something that upsets the stomach. In this case, diarrhea can actually be a good thing, because it is ridding the body of the harmful substance. It’s only a bad thing if it’s an inedible thing that the dog ate that he can’t eliminate on his own- then surgery might be required.

* A virus. Sometimes this is serious, such as the parvo virus, and sometimes it is not so serious. Make sure you get your dog vaccinated against parvo and distemper, because these viruses can be deadly.

* A bacterial infection. It can be difficult to tell a bacterial infection from a virus at times, so vets will often prescribe antibiotics just in case it is a bacterial infection, even if they aren’t sure.

* Parasites, such as worms. Vets can usually determine if it is a parasite infection by examining a stool sample, so make sure you bring one with you to the vet. You only need a couple of spoonfuls.

If you veterinarian does not hear anything then the dog vomit ting and diarrhea could be caused by fluids in the digestive system passing quickly through the body (called hypomotility), blockage of the small or large intestine (ileus), fluid that accumulates or inflammation of the tissue that lines the abdomen (diffuse peritonitis).

Your veterinarian will feel the abdomen to check the organs looking for abnormally extended areas, thick areas or some type of object that is blocking the intestines.

Your dog's temperature is a sign of the type of illness. Higher than normal temperature can mean infection or some type of inflammation. Lower temperatures are associated with poor blood circulation or the presence of a toxic substance in your dog's system.

Your veterinarian will consider other causes of vomiting and diarrhea such as that are associated with excessive gas in the abdomen such as:

* diffuse peritoneal disease (disease of the abdominal tissues)
* Tissue tear in the gastrointestinal system (rupture)
* Infection with a gas-producing bacteria

Other tell tale signs that help diagnosis include:

* Mineralized and calcified lesions of the urinary or biliary tract can indicate possible inflammation or obstruction
* Changes in organ size and shape is a sign of organ dysfunction. Loss of detail in the right upper quadrant and a duodenal loop sign can suggest pancreatic inflammation.

Treating Dog Vomiting and Diarrhea

The second step is to rehydrate your dog if necessary. Usually this is done subcutaneously (directly into a vein), but if dehydration is severe, it may need to be done by IV so that electrolytes can be given as well as fluids.

Once your dog is stabilized, the underlying cause of the diarrhea can be treated. This may mean a de-wormer, or it may mean antibiotics. In the case of some viruses, such as parvo, there is no cure and supportive therapy is the best treatment available.