There are two objectives when vomiting dog:
1. Identify the underlying cause
2. Stop the vomiting in a safe and efficient
In many cases, the antiemetic therapy (the technical term for vomiting is emesis, so that drugs used to treat it are called anti-emetics) starts immediately, while the cause is being established.
A veterinarian will start by taking a full history, with special attention to the normal diet, recent medication, vaccination status and the description of the symptoms. He or she must first make sure that the dog is vomiting and not regurgitating really, it has a completely different set of underlying causes. It is also important to get a graphic description of the material expelled, and whether it contained bile, fresh blood or what appears to be coffee granules (partly digested blood).
The next step is a full clinical examination, including the abdomen feels good, the dogs rectal temperature and assessing the hydration status. Once this is completed, a veterinarian will have a slightly reduced list of differential diagnoses in mind. If the dog is not dehydrated, bright in behavior and both vital parameters and feeling the abdomen were normal, the veterinarian will often (and rightly) to establish a presumptive diagnosis of gastritis, gastrointestinal enteritis or diarrhea is present too, and prescribe antibiotics to combat bacterial infection unlikely.
The owner is then likely to be sent home with instructions to starve the dog for 24 hours and give soft foods for a few days, alongside the antibiotics. The owner is responsible for overseeing the dog closely, and return immediately if there are signs of deterioration, or 2 to 3 days later for a routine checkup. Read More