my dog is throwing up her food?

Question
Hello, perhaps you can help me. I have a pit mix and she has been throwing up her food lately. We are using the same brand but different flavor, any suggestions? I have made an appt. with my local vet, but this is my first dog and I want to know if anyone you know or any dog you've had has had something similar?

Answer
Hi Diana,

Throwing up is a fairly common condition you're bound to have to deal with when you own a dog, or any pet.

It's good that you're going to see your vet soon, since there are many MANY reasons why a dog will throw up, ranging from the simple, such as your dog ate something it shouldn't have, or she has intestinal parasites, to serious conditions such as kidney or liver disease.
Treatments will vary depending on what's troubling your dog.

Sometimes when a dog is fed the same food for a period of time, it develops an intolerance to an ingredient the food is made with. In these cases, you need to change your dog to a different food that doesn't contain the particular ingredient. That's a lot simpler than it sounds, since it can take a few months to discover which ingredient is the culprit. Sometimes changing to a hypoallergenic diet is the solution.

Your vet will best advise you as to what your dog's problem is. There is a difference between vomiting, and regurgitation, and it will be helpful to the vet if you can report which your dog is doing. With vomiting, there is retching and the stomach contents is forcefully ejected up the esophagus and through the mouth. Regurgitation is the backflow of undigested food (which may have never reached the stomach) up the esophagus and through the mouth. There isn't retching with regurgitation, and the food won't seem digested (but it will have been chewed!)

Until your dog is seen by the vet, make sure she doesn't become dehydrated from vomiting. Giving your dog an ice cube to lick is a good way of getting more water into your dog.

Best of luck,
Patti