Potential outbreak of prolific vomiting in dogs

[bonny]

The better example I can give would be if i had is a small child with those symtpoms(because an adult would be able to explain if there were additional helpful symptoms to give a likely cause quicker)..if I had a small child who was vomiting multiple times for no known reason for hours on end...I wouldn't go to the GP in most cases...I'd go to a hospital.
I'd get them examined by a Dr and then see what they thought the most likely differentials were and what treatments were likely to help. Given its a non verbal child I'm talking about if the clinical exam didn't provide an obvious answer then yes I expect they would need to run some tests . I wouldnt need to demand anything. If the Dr decided it's mild ilness and to just treat symatically and monitored then I'd trust the Drs judgement. If they wanted more tests I'd usually ask why and what (mostly out of curioisty) but if get them done and hold the toddler to get them done. This is normally how medicine works.

Incidentally I have been to the Dr for less profuse vomiting then was mentioned in that article- but I also never usually vomit let alone multiple times in one day. Had no causes i could think of that would cause an upset stomach and felt like crap so knew something was actually wrong. dr quickly had suspecions and scan confirmed I had a very very angry gallbladder. We then did some fun testing for cancer/stones etc in the timeframe after. Thankfully managed to avoid surgery and responded to medical management but was very sick for quite some time. So ya I guess I am thst person who goes to the Dr and politely asks them to help fix whats wrong when my bodys acting up.

It is NOT normal to vomit profusely. It's a warning and a symptom of illness. Generally it's a good idea to listen to warnings.

I'd also pay for said medical care as I don't live in the UK...And again that wouldn't stop me seeking medical attention for ongoing vomiting. There are some things I consider worth financially investing in.

I have also taken other backpackers to the hospital when abroad in similar situations because everyone seems to have this idiotic idea that wait and see will fix things.

Things fix a lot quicker if you treat them in most cases. It's almost as if we invented medical intervention for a reason....to do with preserving health and fitness or something.

If everybody with babies/small children took them to hospital because they are vomiting we would have to build whole new hospitals just to treat them. The vast majority of times if either a human or dog throws up there is no harm in not eating for a few hours and letting whatever it is pass...I’m not denying that sometimes being sick is a symptom of something else but there would be other signs also. Happy to disagree though and I’m sure all your vets love you !

 

[ester]

Ah yes I’m sure Aru’s vets love her too.... ?

 

[scats]

I tend to try and give them 24 hours of bland food etc, but if they were very young or very old, or vomiting constantly and unable to keep water down, I would ring my vet for advice and take them in if needed to be checked out if they felt it warranted it.

 

[Aru]

It doesn’t sound like anything life threatening !

And this is why ignorance is bliss.

Many life threatening illness' in dogs have often have a lot more subtle signs then an obvious one like serious ongoing vomiting.

The last dog I met with a life threatening illness only had lethargy as it's main clue at home to what was actually wrong.

Animals are usually quite subtle with their symptoms and clinical signs. That's why we treat them all as potential clues to the real underlying story if what's going on within the body.

Imagine a body as a machine.all the different cogs and parts interconnected and when it's turned on everything glides easily works smoothly and theres no issues or changes in the day to day running.. When the machine glitches and does something that's not normal in its day to day running...It's usually a good idea to go hmm that's not normal and check what's wrong....as the machine ages and gets more wear and tear...expect more glitches and warnings before the catastrophic failure that will turn it off

Animals and humans are biological machines.

 

[Tinkerbee]

I don't think anything I've ever been to the Dr's about is life threatening but I don't sit at home thinking well it's not terminal so I won't bother them?? why would it be different for a dog?

 

[skinnydipper]

If everybody with babies/small children took them to hospital because they are vomiting we would have to build whole new hospitals just to treat them. The vast majority of times if either a human or dog throws up there is no harm in not eating for a few hours and letting whatever it is pass...I’m not denying that sometimes being sick is a symptom of something else but there would be other signs also. Happy to disagree though and I’m sure all your vets love you !

I have often wished for a "dislike" button to apply to posts. It would save me the trouble of responding.

We have a duty of care when we have pets - this is one of them:

"Health – Protection from pain, injury, suffering and disease and treated if they become ill or injured."

I have taken a dog to the vets with very subtle, imperceptible symptoms. Nothing on palpation. Bloods okay. She had liver cancer which was identified on imaging.

I have learned to trust my instincts and if I am in any doubt I seek the advice of my vet. Unfortunately I have never been wrong when I have sensed there was something amiss.

 

[bonny]

I have often wished for a "dislike" button to apply to posts. It would save me the trouble of responding.

We have a duty of care when we have pets - this is one of them:

"Health – Protection from pain, injury, suffering and disease and treated if they become ill or injured."

I have taken a dog to the vets with very subtle, imperceptible symptoms. Nothing on palpation. Bloods okay. She had liver cancer which was identified on imaging.

I have learned to trust my instincts and if I am in any doubt I seek the advice of my vet. Unfortunately I have never been wrong when I have sensed there was something amiss.

Same here but just not because my dog vomits, my present dog eats grass almost daily and then throws up ? should I ask a vet for advice ? Dogs like eating horrible things, most of the time I think it’s a good thing they vomit it back up !

 

[JennBags]

Same here but just not because my dog vomits, my present dog eats grass almost daily and then throws up ? should I ask a vet for advice ? Dogs like eating horrible things, most of the time I think it’s a good thing they vomit it back up !

So your dog regularly vomits, that's normal for your dog. My collie doesn't, so if she started vomiting I would be concerned.

This has made me remember back to when Woolfie was first not well, my OH was like you and thought I was wasting time/money taking her to the vet. I knew she was ill and needed medical intervention.

 

[AmyMay]

I prefer not to leave things to chance with my pets. The price of a consultation is nothing compared to the life of a dog.

Why take the risk?

This is exactly how I feel.

Why the damning remarks for those of us who would prefer a vet to say there’s nothing to worry about?

 

[AmyMay]

Same here but just not because my dog vomits, my present dog eats grass almost daily and then throws up ? should I ask a vet for advice ? !

I think that’s hugely different from what we’re actually discussing.

 

[bonny]

I think that’s hugely different from what we’re actually discussing.

We started discussing the report that the OP sent a link to but it’s now turned into something else, no surprise there !

 

[meleeka]

Same here but just not because my dog vomits, my present dog eats grass almost daily and then throws up ? should I ask a vet for advice ? Dogs like eating horrible things, most of the time I think it’s a good thing they vomit it back up !

Nobody is saying they’d rush to the vets if their dog was sick once or trice. Presumably your dog feels fine once it has brought up whatever has made it sick?

With regard to your point about babies, my nephew was hospitalised because of a bug when he was a baby. The problem wasn’t the bug, but the dehydration because he couldn’t keep anything down. He recovered fully, but that could have been a different story if my sister hadn’t phoned the doctor.

 

[skinnydipper]

We started discussing the report that the OP sent a link to but it’s now turned into something else, no surprise there !

I think if you refer to post #3 you will see why the thread went awry

 

[NAJRBSJ]

My two had this before Christmas and it wasn't nice, but doesn't sound as bad as others have had it.

Rupert (the spaniel who will eat anything) was ignoring anything edible and was projectile vomiting, and did so until his stomach was empty. I cut out his food and kept a close eye, then reintroduced chicken & rice after 24 hours.

I called the vet in the fist few hours who agreed with what I was doing as we couldn't feel any obvious blockage, but I was ready to take him down straight away if needed.

I think its a very line between taking to vets or not and really not easy to know what to do for the best sometimes. A few moths ago I rushed Pippa to the vets with her 3rd eyelid all closed over, and by the time we got there it was back to normal LOL. I'm not one to panic usually and always call the vet for advice like I did when I had the horses. They are always happy to help and its peace of mind at the end of the day.

 

[ester]

We started discussing the report that the OP sent a link to but it’s now turned into something else, no surprise there !

But what you describe as going on with your dog bears no resemblance to what is actually in the report being discussed?

 

[Aru]

If everybody with babies/small children took them to hospital because they are vomiting we would have to build whole new hospitals just to treat them. The vast majority of times if either a human or dog throws up there is no harm in not eating for a few hours and letting whatever it is pass...I’m not denying that sometimes being sick is a symptom of something else but there would be other signs also. Happy to disagree though and I’m sure all your vets love you !

Throwing up once or twice is not ongoing vomiting or the sort of illness mentioned in the article. Your minimising rather then admitting you could have been wrong.

I also literally just told you how wrong you are about other signs but hey you do you and enjoy the bliss.

So il agree that yes I disagree with you on this one.

I sort of hope none of your animals have to suffer because you don't like to do medical intervention though.
It does make a difference to longterm outcomes if you intervene and treat thing early

And yes my vets love me.
I'm a good client. I prevent all the issues I can and when mine is sick I hand her over and tell ask my co-workers to treat as needed. I'm quite happy to provide human level care as I'm quite attached to this creature. I don't want a dog. I want this dog for as long as I can keep her going and happy for.

I appreciate not everyone is like me. That's why you get options to chose from you visit a vet. But that doesnt mean you dont get told about options.

In case the subtle comments from longterm posters havent been obvious though there are multiple vets on this thread...and I'm one of them.

It wonderful to read a disparaging remark on here that implies how little you value the profession I work in or as it would seem the health of your dog.

And ironically as it happens chronic daily vomiting isn't normal. Your dog likely has an underlying medical condition. Not that you'll do anything about it judging by the posts on this thread....but just an fyi...it actually isn't normal for anything to vomit daily unless they have an issue or are eating very inapproriate things all the time.
It always happens for a reason...It's one of the bodies defense mechanism. It shouldn't be happening daily in a healthy animal. Not nessecaily life threatening but frequency matters...regular vomiting is abnormal and a sign of subtle gi disease in dogs and cats. Most ppl chose to ignore it and not do work up...but yep abnormal. Common enough but abnormal.

See precious comment on glitchy biological machines. We are ment to run without glitches when completely healthy.

 

[Stiff Knees]

Don't be disheartened Aru.
Like this post...if you value your Vet ??

 

[Broodle]

Same here but just not because my dog vomits, my present dog eats grass almost daily and then throws up ? should I ask a vet for advice ? Dogs like eating horrible things, most of the time I think it’s a good thing they vomit it back up !

The only symptom that my dog had a hiatus hernia (plus some other nasty gi issues, inc ibs) was semi-regular regurgitation of grass

Edited to add that I'm obviously not saying that your dog is definitely sick, just that it's not quite as straightforward to tell the difference as you suggested

 

[Blazingsaddles]

If I was vomiting 20 times an hour I would be seeking medical advice yes.

me too! And have done. Projectile vomiting is no fun.

 

[Landcruiser]

me too! And have done. Projectile vomiting is no fun.

Same. I got my OH to take me to A+E after vomiting for several hours, ended up with severe heart palpitations due to electrolyte imbalance and on a drip for a couple of hours.

I work at a vet - we see a lot of vomiting dogs, and you would be surprised how many things can be underlying, some of them life threatening. It's not worth the risk.

 

[{97702}]

I’ve found that one thing middle age (old age??!!) has given me is the ability to not give a stuff about those people whose views are so far removed from my own that I feel they are detrimental to the health and well being of the animals they own ?

But Aru please (tongue in cheek of course!) as a vet... could you spell defence in the English way? ???

 

[Aru]

But Aru please (tongue in cheek of course!) as a vet... could you spell defence in the English way? ???

Auto correct says no
Have no fear I know all the random z's and Americanised spellings are completely and utterly wrong...but already modifying all the time for my atrocious grammar and spelling so keep missing them! ?

Generally I let this stuff slide like water off a ducks back.....but every so often I just have a moment of nope, it's education time.
Animals actually do deserve to get treated with proper medical care and ignorance isn't an excuse when I've the time to argue a point.
Plus genuinely this isn't an uncommon attitude. I worry sometimes about how little many people seem to understand about how biology anyhow human let alone animals actually work. It's rarely actually as simple as it seems when anything is sick.
Thankfully our bodies genuinely do want to survive and will rally adjust and fight even in the case of illness.

 

[smiggy]

We have had it in West Sussex too. It started before Xmas. Some dogs, usually those who have been ill for a few days before starting treatment, have been very poorly and ended up hospitalised for several days. Some have had all sorts of tests and work up at the out of hours hospital as they just weren’t responding to treatment and the cause wasn’t known. None have died here. we have seen so many cases. I worked four hours on Xmas eve morning and saw 4, all with the same symptoms. We have been telling owners there seems to be some nasty vomiting bug going round, long before these articles were published .
seems to start with vomiting, often prolific, sometimes leads to diarrhoea as well but not always . Main thing is dog is usually really miserable , more than you would expect with vomiting, and completely disinterested in food, often even after anti nausea drugs .

 

[smiggy]

Oh and if your dog does get it, be very careful with hygiene as one report shows transmission to owners

 

[paisley]

me too! And have done. Projectile vomiting is no fun.

It really isnt. And yet I'm a complete hypocrite, when I ate something dodgy for tea, and boaked up enough to bring up a bit of blood. And the reason I didn't go to hospital? There would be no-one to look after the dog (I would have gone if it had got much worse)

In contrast, I have never disregarded unusual vomiting/poo for my dog. I even know how he carries his tail if he feels a bit under the weather- almost like you and I would curl up with a bad tummy.

Even a recent vet visit for a very red inflammed area of skin on a leg which I dithered about as it was just out of hours, and it was a poncy whippet who shows every scrape. I just decided I liked my dog more than money and went anyway, and my vets were good enough to see him.

 

[paisley]

And I'm not reccomending this as an alternative to a vet visit, but for my dog on the odd instance of a tummy upset, I have found Promax Once a Day the better choice as an interim relief.

 

[Snowfilly]

All three of ours had this last week; first one started being sick at 5.00am and by midday we had all three laid out on a sea of blankets and paper in the front room.

Young bitch was sick so much that we had her up the vets for an anti sickness jab at 11.00.

Old bitch was only (!) sick 6 times.

Dog was very upset and panicky. Sick about 10 times over 24 hours but kept drinking.

All three had electrolytes and none of them wanted to eat the next morning - three Labradors looking at cooked chicken and not eating is terrifying!

We phoned the vets probably 4 times for updates and reassurance that day. They recommended warm and quiet rest.

48 hours later everyone was fine but we didn't walk for another two days.

I've never seen a dog illness quite so violent, and I've nursed upset stomachs at home before with never a phone call. It scared me, and the vets were wonderful.