Chronic Vomiting in Dogs: Finding the Problem

Chronic vomiting is a common and frequently complex problem in dogs. Vomiting can be caused by both primary gastrointestinal diseases (e.g. infectious, inflammatory, parasitic, anatomic (obstructive, bones), drug-related or nutritional) and by extra-gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, such as endocrinopathies (e.g. addisons disease), metabolic disease (e.g. renal failure), inflammatory or other liver diseases, pancreatitis, and neoplasia (especially lymphoma). This wide spectrum of potential causes of vomiting in dogs increases the difficulty for the practitioner in making a definitive diagnosis. Nevertheless, it is important to carefully consider each of the potential differentials to prevent the problem from progressing to create further clinical deterioration. The purpose of this seminar is not to present a comprehensive review of all causes of vomiting, but to provide an overview of some of the more common causes of vomiting, and to discuss the best approaches for diagnosis and treatment of these different problems. Where appropriate, the role of diet in both diagnosis and therapy of vomiting will also be considered.