Q. Has vomitted on and off all day and is very lethargic.

ANSWER : A. Vomiting is a common symptom of many illnesses which can range anywhere from minor digestive upset, to mores serious problems such as disease, illness or even bloat.

If your Dane Mix has only vomited once or twice, it may just indicate a minor stomach upset. Picking up food for a few hours then feeding a bland meal of boiled chicken and plain rice can help soothe the stomach and entice eating. However, if the vomiting continues or symptoms persist for more than a day, it may indicate something more serious going on and should be looked at by your vet.

Large and giant breed dogs are more prone to a condition called Bloat, which is considered a medical emergency. Signs of bloat in a dog include a large distended abdomen, pain in the abdomen, signs of distress such as heavy panting, pale gums or tongue, vomiting and diarrhea, or attempting to vomit or defecate without success. If you suspect your dog may be experiencing bloat, contacting your vet or emergency clinic immediately is best.

ANSWER : A. If the vomiting has only occurred once, it may be due to the fact that there was something causing a minor upset stomach in your pup. Yellow foam is often acid, and tummies that are upset or that have been empty for too long can cause this to appear in vomit. It may just be that your puppy needs an extra meal in the day to help keep her stomach happy. Eating a meal too quickly can also cause a pup to vomit up undigested food and foam, and feeding smaller meals more often, or slowing down your dog’s eating can help.

If the vomiting has only happened once, pick up your puppy’s food for an hour or two and then offer a bland meal of plain boiled chicken and plain rice. These bland ingredients can help settle upset stomachs while being enticing “people food”. If the vomiting does not occur again, you can return to a normal feeding schedule.

However, if the vomiting continues, worsens, or new symptoms appear along with it, then it is a good idea to schedule an appointment with your vet to rule out any more serious causes.

ANSWER : A. How long has he been doing this? Ongoing vomiting (>2 weeks) warrants a vet visit, but if it’s a one-off, or happens very infrequently then it could be due to something he ate disagreeing with him. Is he is bright, alert and happy in himself I would monitor him, start keeping a vomit journal (seriously) of when he vomits, how much, what the vomit was like, what he was doing before and any other notes. This will be really useful for your vet if it requires further investigatoon. You can also try bland food – boiled chicken and white rice – in small amounts on his vomit days to give his tummy a rest. Withhold for 8h after a vomit and reintroduce the bland diet in small, frequent meals.

ANSWER : A. Is he vomiting or lethargic? Food should always be introduced slowly over 7-10 days as that can cause diarrhea, if there are any other symptoms then contact you vet. Try introducing 3/4 of old food with 1/4 of new food for a few days & then half & half for a few days followed by 3/4 of new food with 1/4 old food for a few days before completely changing onto new diet.

ANSWER : A. Vomiting and diarrhea can occur if food is switched too quickly. Dogs generally need a slow changeover of foods over a period of a week or so to allow their guts and the gut bacteria to adjust. If there has only been one vomiting and diarrhea episode, removing the food for a few hours then feeding a bland diet of boiled chicken and plain rice can help soothe the stomach. You should then return to his old food and begin a gradual changeover of foods starting with 3 days of 75 old/25 new, 3 days of 50/50 and then 3 days of 25old/75 new. However if the vomiting and diarrhea symptoms do not improve, it may indicate something else causing his digestive distress and an appointment should be made with your local vet.

ANSWER : A. I would recommend starving for 12 hours and then gradually reintroduce a bland food. If the vomiting continues or he is very lethargic then you need to see your vet or emergency vet straight away.

ANSWER : A. Canine Parvovirus is an extremely contagious disease where infected animals shed billions of virus particles in their feaces during the illness and up to 2 weeks afterwards.

Infection occurs through the oro-feacal route, the virus is extremely resistant and can remain infectious for many months in the environment.

Clinical signs occur 5 days after being in contact with the virus and include anorexia, lethargy, vomiting and profuse diarrhea, often containing blood. Symptoms can progress to sepsis and other complications, leading to death especially in young puppies or in predisposed breeds such as Rottweilers and Dobermans.

Parvovirus is suspected in all young dogs presenting with vomiting and diarrhea, lethargy and leukopaenia. Severe leukopaenia corresponds to a poorer prognosis. Diagnosis can be confirmed on a faecal laboratory test, with positive results being considered a reliable indicator of positivity for the infection.

Treatment is supportive and aimed at restoring electrolytes imbalances, correcting dehydration, prevent secondary infections and controlling hypogliacaemia. Aggressive intravenous fluid therapy is required until vomiting stop and eating starts again. Initially small amount of bland diet should be fed and a gradual transition to the usual diet should be made. Vomiting can take up to 5 days to resolve.

ANSWER : A. Causes of not eating and vomiting can be many. Gastrointestinal infection, caused by bacteria (salmonella, for example) or viruses or parasites (although parasite infections tend to be more mild, but giardia can make them feel pretty bad) can be a cause. Eating something he shouldn’t have, like the trash or rotten food can cause it. Intestinal obstruction can cause vomiting as well. Other causes (non-GI) of vomiting include kidney failure (can be due to many things, such as toxins, kidney stones, cancer) or liver diseases or liver failure.

The vomiting is concerning, however the weakness and lack of energy implies that he’s either seriously dehydrated or there’s a lot more going on than just s simple case of vomiting. He needs to see a vet and have testing, likely to include x-rays and/or blood work, to see what’s going on, so that it can be treated.