Your little ball of fluff is the very thing that literally gets you up in the morning. It could be the very thing that gives you reason to get out the door in the morning, only to come back with the day’s catch that evening. For all intents and purposes, you love how they would not say no to eating anything that you offer them.
Sometimes though, your dog won’t behave as you have come to expect of it. It will be lethargic enough to bum you out. It will try to eat something, but it just can’t keep it in. It is either experiencing bouts of diarrhea, or you could even have witnessed it throw up beef; it’s favorite!
Once in a while, your pup will experience an upset stomach. It can look scary, but this is something that can be sorted out. Naturally, dogs will try to find the nearest patch of grass and chew on to solve the issue. However, living in an apartment can mean your dog is dependent on you to help it through this.
What Causes Upset Stomachs in Dogs?
If you have a cat, then there are high chances that you have never seen it vomit. In fact, it is quite rare to find cats going through digestive issues. This is because cats are very picky eaters. You may place something of interest to it, but it will simply ignore it.
You thought about it even before you read it. Your pup is the absolute opposite. It will eat first, worry about the consequences later. And that’s one major reason why your pup is facing digestive issues.
This behavior is aided greatly by the wonderful detection tool it has as a nose. Your pup can sniff out something that is buried deep in the ground. Your pup may have come across something that wasn’t supposed to be a snack and decided, well, it might as well be because it smells good.
This could either be decaying material that your pup snacked on, or something else that was loaded with diseases causing pathogens. Whichever it was, whatever was introduced to the system ended up irritating the stomach and causing inflammation from the stomach to the intestinal system.
With the stomach getting inflamed, this is the source of all the chucking up that the pup is doing all over your floors. On the other hand, when the intestines are inflamed, the contractions are increased, which result in diarrhea. The watery consistency of the stool is as a result of the intestines not having enough time to absorb any liquids that were taken with the food.
The kind of weather you are also experiencing could be a good indicator of why your dog is facing a stomach upset. During winter, you can be all balled up in the house, just you and your pup. You have a clear idea of what’s going down their throats, and therefore no reason to worry about upsets.
As the days begin to get warmer, you are more inclined to come out of self-hibernation to go explore whatever spring and summer have in store for you. But you are not the only dog owner who thought of that.
Well, you will all meet at the dog park to have them burn out all their energy, and frustration of not being allowed to get on the bed or chew up on the couch. One of these dogs could be a carrier of a virus or bacteria that causes an upset stomach. They will in turn, pass it to your dog.
Do You Need to Visit A Vet?
Chances are, even though your pup is making the ugliest noises while throwing up, or even stinking up wherever it is going potty, it is still a ball of nuclear energy, playing around like nothing happens; well, until it needs to release whatever is inside it.
Diarrhea and vomiting are quite common ailments that your dog will experience in its life. You only need to monitor the frequency and whether it is improving. In most cases, an upset stomach is something that gets better by itself.
However, it can get difficult as the pup may develop serious issues. If the frequency of the vomiting and diarrhea increases or does not go away after several hours, then you should consider going to the vet.
Another thing to note is the energy level of your pup is they are lethargic and they do show other symptoms such as a clearly swollen abdomen, or if blood is present in diarrhea and vomit, you should definitely rush to the nearest vet.
What Should You Do To Help A Dog Through An Upset Stomach?
It is a fairly simple process, but one that involves actions that can be unbearable for some pet owners. When your pup shows signs of vomiting and diarrhea, you will need to make it fast for 24 hours. Yes, your pup can safely go a day without food. Water, however, is absolutely vital. This starving is to help the digestive system clear anything that may be causing irritation.
This fasting will help put a stop to both the diarrhea and the vomiting. If you are doing this and the pup is still vomiting or experiencing diarrhea, then the problem could be something bigger and you will need to visit a vet immediately.
Also, attempting to feed the dog while it is going through diarrhea will not deal with the problem, it will instead prolong it, adding to the discomfort that the dog is experiencing.
Once the irritation is cleared, next is a matter of feeding your pup with the blandest food you can think about. In this case, you can make two parts of rice and one-part chicken without skin and bones, and boil them into a paste. Do not add any oil, salt or seasoning to it as this might end up irritating the stomach, and causing a return of the issue.
If you feel the food is too bland, then you can choose to add plain and unsweetened yoghurt to the food. This will help replace the bacterial fauna that will have been lost with the irritation.
This simple approach is well renowned for its effectiveness in dealing with upset stomachs. If your pup is still facing the problem, then it is time to head to the vet. You could choose to have anti-emetics, which are great at stopping vomit reflexes as well as anti-acids to help protect the stomach by reducing acid production.
For diarrhea, there are various probiotics to help restore healthy bacteria in the stomach, as well as binders to stop diarrhea.
