For a puppy, throwing up is a relatively common occurrence. Dogs generally throw up fairly regularly as a means of mild defense against situations in which they've eaten food that is inappropriate for them. Your puppy will likely spend a lot of his time exploring areas that he's unfamiliar with and will probably eat many different things that are inedible or which do not sit well with him.
His body will naturally reject these, and vomiting is the result. Therefore, it's not uncommon for a dog to vomit occasionally when he's a puppy. However, if your dog vomits very regularly, or if he throws up foam, these are signs of a potentially serious condition.
Cause of Throwing Up Foam
If your puppy vomits up foam very rarely, this is generally not a major concern; it may just mean that he was able to digest the food partially before it was then disturbed in his system and his body rejected it. however, if he throws up foam regularly, this is a sign of a condition called canine bloat, also known as gastric dilitation-volvulus. Canine bloat is a very serious condition that typically requires medical and veterinary treatment in order to correct, otherwise it will oftentimes result in permanent damage to your dog's health and in death.
Canine Bloat Overview
Canine bloat occurs when a massive amount of air and other gases enter into the stomach as your dog eats. Generally, if this dilatation process is all that occurs, your dog will experience abdominal pain and will throw up the food. The vomit itself will oftentimes be foamy in these cases. This type of canine bloat can be caused by a number of different factors, including the following:
- Large meal eaten too fast
- Exercise before or after a large meal
- Eating only dry food
- Eating dry food and drinking too much water
Make sure that your pet avoids these behaviors if he throws up foam but doesn't appear to be in any pain.
When Canine Bloat Is Serious
Canine bloat turns into a very serious condition when it is accompanied by the process known as volvulus. When this occurs, the ends of your pet's stomach become twisted and contorted. This effectively traps the gases inside of your dog's stomach, and means that they will not be able to be released as normal. You may notice that your pet originally vomited up foam but that he later keeps retching and won't vomit up anything. He will also experience a great deal of abdominal pain and may have a distended abdomen. In these situations, it's crucial that you take your puppy to the doctor immediately.
If you don't respond quickly to this type of bloat, your dog's stomach may experience necrosis, or a deadening of the stomach cells. This can quickly lead to a variety of dangerous secondary situations and may oftentimes result in fatality.
For more information about canine bloat or with any other questions about your puppy vomiting up foam, speak with a veterinarian.