Dear Dr. Marie Sausen, my dog is vomiting, how worried should I be?
There are many reasons why dogs vomit, some of which aren’t anything to worry about and others are very worrisome. One of the more worrisome possibilities is pancreatitis. Pancreatitis means inflammation of the pancreas. There isn’t a cause for this condition, but there are some risk factors. Some of the risk factors include: high fat diets (feeding pork products), toxins, duct obstruction, trauma or injury to the pancreas. Many times though the cause isn’t found.
Several clinical signs can occur, including lethargy, vomiting, abdominal pain, no appetite.
There are a few important tests needed to diagnosis pancreatitis since there are many other diseases that can present the same way pancreatitis does.
- Bloodwork is needed to see if there is any abnormalities with specific organs, like liver or kidneys.
- CPL (Canine Pancreatic Lipase) is a good blood test specific to pancreatitis.
- Abdominal radiographs are needed to look for other possibilities like masses or foreign bodies (like that sock that went missing).
Once a diagnosis is made, treatment depends on the severity of clinical signs. Sometimes at home treatment works great with a bland diet and medications. Sometimes the patient needs to be hospitalized for IV (intravenous) fluids and medications before oral medications at home can be given. Pancreatitis can be something that only happens once, but can also be something that becomes a chronic condition with reoccurring episodes. Those chronic patients usually need diet changes and possibly other medications to help control condition.
If your pet starts vomiting, it is always a good idea to contact your veterinarian immediately. A few things they are going to want to know is:
- What has your pet been eating? (Be honest! Especially if you gave him the last of your triple cheeseburger and fries.)
- Know what toxins are in your home. Knowing what toxins are in your home makes it easier to rule them out.
- Does your pet like to chew on non-food items or get into the trash? (Is his newest dog toy mysteriously missing? or the foil wrapper from last nights meal?)