At Ascot Vet, we believe that informed pet owners make happy and healthy companions. Whether you’re a seasoned pet parent or a first-time owner, our comprehensive resources and expert advice will provide you with the information you need to ensure your pet receives the best care.
Vomiting can have a wide variety of causes, ranging from dietary indiscretion or viral illnesses. It may even be a sign of more serious problems such as intestinal obstruction, pancreatitis, or cancer. The list of possible diagnoses is extensive.
While many cases of vomiting can be self-limiting, within a few days some may require medical intervention to prevent serious consequences. The seriousness of the vomiting will determine whether your dog can be managed at home, or needs to be hospitalised for treatment and diagnosis.
Answers to the following questions will help us determine the cause of your dog’s vomiting and how it should be managed:
- How long has the vomiting been going on?
- Is your dog still holding down water?
- Is your dog still bright and full of energy or lethargic?
- Does your dog have diarrhea? Is it passing stools at all?
- Does your dog have a history of chewing up toys or other objects?
- Does your dog seem to be in pain?
- Is your dog vomiting blood or coffee ground-type material?
If the answers to the above raise concerns we will likely advise you to bring your dog in for a medical assessment. If your dog is dehydrated and unwell, hospitalization and investigations may be required. Some dogs may just need treatments with anti-vomiting medications in the consulting room.
If your dog is still bright, happy, and keen on drinking, home management may be appropriate. This may involve withholding food for 24-48 hours, followed by bland food and strict monitoring of water intake and vomiting.
Cats’ vomiting is relatively common, and the occasional occurrence of vomiting in a healthy adult cat may not be anything to be too concerned about.
Cats vomit hair semi-regularly as a normal part of managing hairballs. Obviously, if the vomiting changes suddenly in frequency or appearance, or your cat is also unwell, then the vomiting can be of significant concern.
Many things can cause vomiting in cats, viral illness, food intolerances, obstructions, and endocrine disturbances just to name a few. If your cat is becoming unwell, losing weight, drinking excessively, or vomiting more than usual it is best to come in for a consultation and check-up. More testing may be required to fully get to the bottom of things, such as blood testing or abdominal ultrasounds.
You have probably heard that chocolate is toxic to dogs, so it’s scary to find that your dog has just wolfed down the family’s dessert. There’s no need to panic yet, it may not be a life-threatening emergency.
It all comes down to how much chocolate your dog has eaten, and what type of chocolate it was. There are many different types of chocolate, milk, dark, white, baking chocolate and drinking chocolate are a few to look out for. Each type of chocolate has a different potential for toxicity. Generally speaking, baking chocolate and dark chocolate are the most dangerous.
The compounds in chocolate that are harmful to dogs are theobromine and caffeine. These compounds have similar effects, but theobromine toxicity issues last much longer. These compounds can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, hyperactivity, heart arrhythmia issues, seizures, and even death, depending on the dose ingested.
The first thing to do if your dog eats chocolate is to try and work out roughly how many grams have been eaten, and what type. If you have the packet that’s even better, you can give us a call with this information and the rough weight of your dog so we can plug it into a calculator that will let us know if your dog has eaten enough theobromine to cause poisoning. If this is the case, you will be asked to come down to see us immediately. We will make your dog vomit if possible, and commence emergency treatment. If the level of theobromine is low and in the non-toxic category, we may advise that you monitor your dog at home.
Even if theobromine toxicity isn’t a concern, the high-fat content of some chocolate treats can trigger pancreatitis and other gastrointestinal upsets.
There are certainly risks involved with feeding your dog bones. Getting a bone stuck in its stomach, or further down the gastrointestinal tract, is a possibility. Signs of gastrointestinal blockage are inappetence, vomiting, abdominal pain, and lethargy. If your dog regularly eats bones and is displaying any of these clinical signs, please get in touch with us as soon as possible.
Other potential issues that can arise with bone feeding are:
- Choking or getting bones stuck around the throat area
- Cuts or wounds to the mouth and throat
- Breaking or cracking of teeth
- Gastrointestinal upsets such as vomiting or diarrhea
Please take care if you choose to feed your dog bones and be aware of the risks, there are no bone types that we can recommend that are risk-free. There are many safer chew toys and dental treats on the market so please come and see us for some other options.
Dogs unfortunately have the tendency to eat and chew up things that they shouldn’t – their own toys, or even your kids’ toys are often high on the list. Dogs love to play and chew, and accidental swallowing often occurs
Younger dogs seem to be the most at risk, but dogs of any age can find themselves in this predicament. The most common items we see that are eaten are toys, balls, socks and underwear, shoes, corn cobs, and bones, but the list is endless. Every vet probably has an interesting tale about an item they have removed from a dog’s intestine, but that’s a story for another day.
Depending on the size of what was swallowed, these items will either pass through in a day or two or unfortunately become stuck. Pieces can even hang around in the stomach for weeks before moving on and becoming stuck, so it’s hard to give an exact time frame of when you will be in the clear.
If the eaten toy or foreign item becomes stuck and causes a full or partial obstruction, surgery will be required to remove it, and the sooner the better. These patients will become lethargic and unwell fairly quickly, along with a refusal to eat and vomiting, so be on high alert for these symptoms.
An ultrasound or x-ray will be used to diagnose a foreign body in the intestinal tract. If we move quickly, the item can be removed from the intestine before damage occurs. Unfortunately, some foreign bodies can lead to problems such as necrosis or rupture of the intestine, followed by life-threatening peritonitis.
Be sure to supervise your chewing pups where possible. We recommend searching your yard and house for any sign of half-eaten toys or household items. If you see the item being swallowed, we may be able to induce vomiting, but only if it is safe to do so. Try and keep your dog toys high quality and safe – we have lots of these on offer so come and see us for some good options.
Cats seem to be less likely than dogs to chew up and eat things they shouldn’t, but it is still a risk. Some cats seem to be repeat offenders when it comes to chewing up and swallowing things.
Toys, decorations, ribbons, and strings seem to be especially attractive to cats. As with dogs, these items will either pass through or unfortunately become stuck. Pieces can even hang around in the stomach for weeks before moving on and becoming stuck, so it’s hard to give an exact time frame of when you will be in the clear.
If the item becomes stuck and causes a full or partial obstruction, surgery will be required to remove it, the sooner the better. These patients will become lethargic and unwell fairly quickly, along with the refusal to eat and vomiting, so be on high alert for these symptoms. An ultrasound or x-ray will be used to diagnose a foreign body in the intestinal tract. If we move quickly, the item can be removed from the intestine before damage occurs. Unfortunately, some foreign bodies can lead to problems such as necrosis or rupture of the intestine, followed by life-threatening peritonitis.
The fact that cats and kittens are highly attracted to string, ribbons, and yarn makes them more at risk of linear foreign bodies – this is where a long piece of string or fabric becomes stuck in the intestine. As the intestine attempts to move it through, it bunches up along the length, like pulling on a drawstring. This can occur when a cat swallows a piece of string and a loop gets stuck around the tongue, while the rest reaches out along their intestine. We can sometimes see a piece of string under the tongue in this scenario.
Ensure you supervise your cats around toys if they tend to be chewers, and remove long pieces of fabric or string when they are unattended.
We know it’s common for cats to ask for milk, but did you know it’s not actually safe for them once they reach adulthood?
Most adult cats are lactose intolerant, which means they lack the necessary enzyme, lactase, that helps them properly digest lactose.
Consuming milk can lead to gastrointestinal upset in cats, including diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
It’s better to make sure they have a few bowls of fresh water around your home to keep them healthy and hydrated.
Katika Ascot Vet, tunaamini kwamba wamiliki wa wanyama wa kufugwa wenye habari hufanya marafiki wenye furaha na afya. Kama wewe ni mzazi wa mnyama wa kawaida au mmiliki wa kwanza, rasilimali zetu za kina na ushauri wa wataalamu zitakupa habari unayohitaji kuhakikisha mnyama wako anapokea huduma bora. Kutochoka kwaweza kuwa na visababishi mbalimbali, kuanzia kukosa busara katika chakula au magonjwa ya virusi. Huenda hata ikawa ishara ya matatizo mazito zaidi kama vile kizuizi cha matumbo, ugonjwa wa kongosho, au kansa. Orodha ya magonjwa yanayoweza kugunduliwa ni ndefu. Ingawa visa vingi vya kutapika vinaweza kujizuia, ndani ya siku chache baadhi yaweza kuhitaji uingiliaji wa kitiba ili kuzuia matokeo mabaya. Uwezo wa kutapika huamua kama mbwa wako anaweza kusimamiwa nyumbani au anahitaji kulazwa hospitalini kwa matibabu na utambuzi. Majibu ya maswali yafuatayo yatatusaidia kuamua sababu ya kutapika kwa mbwa wako na jinsi inapaswa kusimamiwa: - Kutapika kumekuwa kwa muda gani? - Je, mbwa wako bado anashikilia maji? - Je, mbwa wako bado ni mkali na mwenye nguvu au ni mvivu? - Je, mbwa wako ana kuhara? Je, ni kupita stools wakati wote? - Je, mbwa wako amewahi kutafuna vitu vya kuchezea au vitu vingine? - Je, mbwa wako anaonekana kuwa na maumivu? - Je, mbwa wako anatoa damu au kahawa-mti aina ya nyenzo? Ikiwa majibu ya maswali haya ya juu yanaonyesha wasiwasi, tunaweza kukushauri uende na mbwa wako kwa uchunguzi wa matibabu. Ikiwa mbwa wako ana ugonjwa wa upungufu wa maji mwilini na hawezi kujisikia vizuri, huenda ikawa lazima amweke hospitalini na afanyiwe uchunguzi. Mbwa fulani huenda wakahitaji tu kutibiwa kwa dawa za kuzuia kutapika katika chumba cha ushauri. Ikiwa mbwa wako bado ni mwenye akili nyingi, mwenye furaha, na mwenye hamu ya kunywa, huenda ikawa inafaa kumtunza nyumbani. Hii inaweza kuhusisha kuzuia chakula kwa masaa 24-48 ikifuatiwa na chakula cha kawaida na ufuatiliaji mkali wa ulaji wa maji na kutapika. Kuota kwa paka ni jambo la kawaida, na kutokea mara kwa mara kwa kutapika kwa paka mzima mwenye afya huenda kusiwe jambo la kuwa na wasiwasi sana. Paka hutokwa na nywele kwa ukawaida kama sehemu ya kawaida ya kusimamia mipira ya nywele. Kama wewe ni mnyama ambaye anaanza kutapika mara nyingi, au kama wewe ni mnyama ambaye anaanza kutapika mara nyingi, basi utapata matatizo makubwa. Kuna mambo mengi yanayoweza kusababisha paka kutapika, magonjwa ya virusi, kutovumilia chakula, vizuizi, na matatizo ya mfumo wa neva. Kama paka wako ni kupata mgonjwa, kupoteza uzito, kunywa kupita kiasi, au kutapika zaidi ya kawaida, ni bora kuja kwa ajili ya ushauri na kuangalia. Uchunguzi zaidi waweza kuhitajika ili kujua mambo yote, kama vile uchunguzi wa damu au uchunguzi wa ultrasound ya tumbo. Labda umesikia kwamba chokoleti ni sumu kwa mbwa, hivyo ni ya kuogopesha kupata kwamba mbwa wako tu wolfed chini dessert familia. Hakuna haja ya kuogopa bado, inaweza kuwa si dharura ya kutisha maisha. Kwa kweli, inategemea ni kiasi gani cha chokoleti mbwa wako amekula na ni aina gani ya chokoleti. Kuna aina nyingi za chokoleti, maziwa, nyeusi, nyeupe, baking chokoleti na kunywa chokoleti ni chache ya kuangalia nje kwa. Kila aina ya chokoleti ina uwezekano tofauti wa kuwa na sumu. Kwa ujumla, chokoleti ya kuoka na chokoleti nyeusi ndiyo hatari zaidi. Vitu vinavyodhuru ngozi ya mbwa katika chokoleti ni theobromine na caffeine. Misombo hii ina athari kama hizo, lakini matatizo ya sumu ya theobromine hudumu kwa muda mrefu zaidi. Viungo hivi vinaweza kusababisha kutapika, kuhara, kutetemeka, mwendo wa kupita kiasi, matatizo ya moyo, mshtuko wa moyo, na hata kifo, ikitegemea kipimo kilichopikwa. Kwa mfano, ikiwa mbwa wako anakula chokoleti, jaribu kujua ni kiasi gani cha chokoleti alichokula na ni aina gani ya chokoleti. Ikiwa una pakiti ambayo ni bora zaidi, unaweza kutupigia simu na habari hii na uzito mbaya wa mbwa wako ili tuweze kuunganisha kwenye kalkuleta ambayo itatuambia ikiwa mbwa wako amekula theobromine ya kutosha kusababisha sumu. Ikiwa ndivyo ilivyo, utaombwa uje hapa chini kutuona mara moja. Tutafanya mbwa wako kutapika ikiwa inawezekana, na kuanza matibabu ya dharura. Ikiwa kiwango cha theobromine ni cha chini na katika jamii isiyo na sumu, tunaweza kushauri kwamba uangalie mbwa wako nyumbani. Hata kama sumu ya theobromine si wasiwasi, maudhui ya mafuta ya baadhi ya vyakula vya chokoleti inaweza kusababisha pancreatitis na matatizo mengine ya tumbo. Bila shaka kuna hatari zinazohusika katika kumlisha mbwa wako mifupa. Huenda mfupa ukasongwa katika tumbo lake, au zaidi chini katika mfumo wa tumbo-matumbo. Dalili za kizuizi cha utumbo ni kukosa hamu ya kula, kutapika, maumivu ya tumbo, na usingizi. Kama mbwa wako anakula mifupa mara kwa mara na anaonyesha dalili yoyote ya kliniki, tafadhali wasiliana nasi haraka iwezekanavyo. Matatizo mengine yanayoweza kutokea kwa kulisha mifupa ni: - Kutoweza kuumwa au kupata mifupa iliyokamatwa karibu na eneo la koo - Kukata au majeraha kwenye mdomo na koo - Kuvunjika au kuvunjika kwa meno - Matatizo ya gastrointestinal kama vile kutapika au kuhara Tafadhali kuwa makini ikiwa unachagua kulisha mifupa ya mbwa wako na kuwa na ufahamu wa hatari, hakuna aina ya mifupa ambayo tunaweza kupendekeza kuwa bila hatari. Kuna vitu vingi vya kuchezea vya kuchochea na vinywaji vya meno kwenye soko, kwa hivyo tafadhali njoo na ututembelee kwa chaguzi zingine. Mbwa kwa bahati mbaya wana mwelekeo wa kula na kutafuna vitu ambavyo hawapaswi - vitu vyao vya kuchezea, au hata vitu vya kuchezea vya watoto wako mara nyingi huwa juu kwenye orodha. Mbwa hupenda kucheza na kutafuna, na mara nyingi kumeza kwa bahati mbaya hutokea Mbwa wadogo wanaonekana kuwa katika hatari zaidi, lakini mbwa wa umri wowote wanaweza kujikuta katika hali hii ngumu. Vitu vya kawaida tunavyoona vinavyokula ni vitu vya kuchezea, mipira, soksi na nguo za ndani, viatu, makapi ya mahindi, na mifupa, lakini orodha hiyo ni ndefu. Kila daktari wa mifugo labda ana hadithi ya kuvutia kuhusu kitu ambacho wameondoa kutoka kwa matumbo ya mbwa, lakini hiyo ni hadithi kwa siku nyingine. Kulingana na ukubwa wa kile kilichomezwa, vitu hivi vitapita ndani ya siku moja au mbili au kwa bahati mbaya vitakwama. Vipande vyaweza hata kutembea katika tumbo kwa wiki kadhaa kabla ya kuendelea na kukwama, kwa hiyo ni vigumu kutoa muda sahihi wa wakati utakapokuwa wazi. Ikiwa kitu cha kuchezea au kitu cha kigeni kilichokula kimekwama na kusababisha kizuizi kamili au cha sehemu, upasuaji utahitajika kuiondoa, na mapema iwezekanavyo. Wagonjwa hawa watakuwa na uchovu na hali mbaya ya afya haraka, pamoja na kukataa kula na kutapika, kwa hivyo kuwa macho kwa dalili hizi. Uchunguzi wa ultrasound au wa X-ray utatumiwa kugundua mwili wa kigeni katika mfumo wa matumbo. Tukitenda haraka, kitu hicho kinaweza kuondolewa kwenye matumbo kabla ya kuharibiwa. Kwa bahati mbaya, baadhi ya viumbe wa kigeni vinaweza kusababisha matatizo kama vile necrosis au kuvunjika kwa matumbo, ikifuatiwa na peritonitis inayohatarisha maisha. Hakikisha unasimamia watoto wako wanaonyonya ikiwezekana. Angalia nyumba yako na bustani yako kwa uangalifu kwa ishara yoyote ya vitu vya kuchezea au vitu vya nyumbani vilivyokula nusu. Ikiwa unaona kitu hicho kikiwa kimemezwa, tunaweza kuchochea kutapika, lakini tu ikiwa ni salama kufanya hivyo. Jaribu na kuweka toys mbwa wako wa hali ya juu na salama <unk> tuna mengi ya haya juu ya kutoa hivyo kuja na kutuona kwa baadhi ya chaguzi nzuri. Paka wanaonekana kuwa na uwezekano mdogo kuliko mbwa kutafuna na kula vitu ambavyo hawapaswi, lakini bado ni hatari. Inaonekana kwamba paka fulani huanza kutafuna na kumeza vitu mara nyingi. Vitu vya kuchezea, mapambo, mikanda, na kamba ya kuunganisha vinahisi kuwa vya kuvutia hasa kwa paka. Kama ilivyo na mbwa, vitu hivi vitapita au kwa bahati mbaya vitakwama. Vipande vyaweza hata kutembea katika tumbo kwa wiki kadhaa kabla ya kuendelea na kukwama, kwa hiyo ni vigumu kutoa muda sahihi wa wakati utakapokuwa wazi. Ikiwa kitambaa hicho kinasonga na kusababisha kizuizi kamili au cha sehemu, upasuaji utahitajika kuiondoa, haraka iwezekanavyo. Wagonjwa hawa watakuwa na uchovu na hali mbaya ya afya haraka, pamoja na kukataa kula na kutapika, kwa hivyo kuwa macho kwa dalili hizi. Uchunguzi wa ultrasound au wa X-ray utatumiwa kugundua mwili wa kigeni katika mfumo wa matumbo. Tukitenda haraka, kitu hicho kinaweza kuondolewa kwenye matumbo kabla ya kuharibiwa. Kwa bahati mbaya, baadhi ya viumbe wa kigeni vinaweza kusababisha matatizo kama vile necrosis au kuvunjika kwa matumbo, ikifuatiwa na peritonitis inayohatarisha maisha. Kwa sababu paka na watoto wa paka hupendezwa sana na kamba, kamba, na uzi, wao huwa na hatari kubwa ya kupatwa na vitu vya kigeni vya mstari - hapa ndipo kipande kirefu cha kamba au kitambaa kinapoingia kwenye matumbo. Mkojo unapojaribu kuifanya, hujipanga kwa urefu, kama vile kuvuta kamba ya kuvuta. Hii inaweza kutokea wakati paka anapomeza kipande cha kamba na kitanzi kinashikamana karibu na ulimi, wakati wengine hufikia ndani ya matumbo yao. Wakati mwingine tunaweza kuona kipande cha kamba chini ya ulimi katika hali hii. Hakikisha unamwangalia paka wako karibu na vitu vya kuchezea ikiwa wana mwelekeo wa kutafuna, na uondoe vipande virefu vya kitambaa au kamba wakati hawafuatwi. Tunajua ni kawaida kwa paka kuomba maziwa, lakini je, unajua kwamba kwa kweli si salama kwa ajili yao mara moja wao kufikia utu uzima? Paka wengi ni lactose intolerant, ambayo ina maana kwamba hawana enzyme muhimu, lactase, ambayo husaidia yao vizuri kumeng'enya lactose. Kula maziwa kunaweza kusababisha matatizo ya tumbo na matumbo kwa paka, kutia ndani kuhara na maumivu ya tumbo. Ni bora kuhakikisha kwamba wana vikombe vichache vya maji safi karibu na nyumba yako ili kuwaweka afya na hydrated.