What Causes Dog Nausea?
Dog nausea has a wide variety of sources. Some of them are not serious, while others might require medical treatment. The following are all possible issues behind dog nausea:
- Pregnancy in female dogs
- Motion sickness
- Change in diet
- Eating too much or too quickly
- Stomach upset
- Problems with the stomach or intestines (for example, a blockage)
- Illness
- Worms
How Can You Tell if Your Dog Is Feeling Nauseous?
There are several symptoms your dog might exhibit if he is feeling nauseous. It's important to remember that although the symptoms below are signs of nausea, they might also be caused by other factors. Signs your dog is feeling nauseous might include:
- Excessive drooling
- Vomiting
- Dry heaving
- Excessive licking
- Excessive chewing
- Diarrhea
It might be difficult to work out whether your dog is feeling nauseous at first, especially if you are not familiar with the signs. Isolated incidents of vomiting usually occur at some point in a dog's life. As long as your dog still has a good appetite and seems alert, then it shouldn't be a cause for concern. However, if you think you have a sick dog, there are things you can do to improve his symptoms.
How Can You Help Your Dog's Nausea?
If your dog has only been nauseous for a couple of hours then the sickness might pass by itself. During this time, it's important to make sure your dog has a good supply of water, especially if he's been vomiting. Vomiting can easily dehydrate your dog, which will only make him more ill.
Eating too much dry food at once can be a cause of vomiting. If you think this is the case, then feeding the dog smaller amounts more often or mixing his food with water can help relieve his nausea.
Feeding your dog bland food, like white rice, a jacket potato or cooked chicken, can help calm his stomach. It has also been suggested that peppermint can help vomiting in dogs although, like all home remedies, check with your vet before giving it to your dog.
If your dog has been nauseous for a few days or more, or he has been vomiting once or twice a week for more than a week, there may be a more serious cause behind his illness. If he is exhibiting other symptoms, for instance a dull coat and a round belly, then he may be suffering from worms. In any case, if you are concerned about your dog's nausea or vomiting, take him to a vet. Your vet will be able to run blood tests and do scans which may show an underlying condition.