Panic sets in quickly when you notice that your pet dog is sick. You can feel that panic even more if your pet is presenting some troubling symptoms. For instance, the sight of your dog both vomiting and drooling excessively is likely something you consider to be the stuff of nightmares.
But what does it mean if your dog is presenting both of those symptoms? Get the answer to that question by continuing with the rest of this article.
Why Is My Dog Vomiting and Drooling?
Vomiting is one of the more common indicators that your dog is feeling sick. Because of that, it can be difficult to narrow down the potential explanations for your pet’s current condition.
However, if your pet is going through a spell of vomiting and excessive drooling simultaneously, that does reduce the number of possible explanations considerably. Detailed below are the likely explanations for why your dog is presenting those aforementioned symptoms.
Upset Stomach
One of the likely explanations for your dog’s vomiting and drooling is an upset stomach. You may have fed your pet something that is not settling well in their stomach.
Some likely suspects include food items that contain significant amounts of garlic and/or onions. Those commonly used cooking ingredients can cause allium poisoning in dogs. Common symptoms of allium poisoning include vomiting and excessive drooling.
Dogs may also start to vomit and drool all over the place if they eat a significant amount of chocolate. If that happens to your dog, that means they are dealing with a case of theobromine poisoning.
Beyond food items, certain types of plants, small pieces of toys, and chemicals are also known to cause upset canine stomachs. You need to be mindful of where those items are located in and around your home because they can cause problems for your pet.
Motion Sickness
Motion sickness is also a possible explanation for your dog’s vomiting and drooling. Many dogs experience motion sickness because certain parts of their inner ear did not fully develop.
Those underdeveloped parts of your dog’s ears may make it harder for them to feel balanced. They tend to feel that even more when they have to ride inside a moving car.
You can tell that your pet is experiencing motion sickness if their vomiting and excessive drooling are accompanied by other symptoms such as lethargy, constant whining, and frequent pacing. A dog may also lick their lips a lot due to motion sickness.
The upside here is that dogs do tend to outgrow their motion sickness. They can also get more used to traveling in cars so this may not be a persistent problem.
Anxiety
Anxiety can have both mental and physical effects on us humans. It’s important to know that we are not unique in that regard. For example, our pet dogs may also present physical symptoms of anxiety.
When pet dogs feel anxious, they are likely to start drooling and vomiting. In addition to that, anxious dogs may also pant heavily and look tense. Your dog will be uncomfortable if they are anxious and you should be able to pick up on that right away.
What to Do about My Dog Vomiting and Drooling?
Let’s say that your dog is indeed vomiting and drooling excessively. What should you do at that point? Is there even anything you can do for your pet?
Thankfully, there are things you can do to alleviate your pet’s symptoms. The solution involves addressing the underlying issues that are affecting your dog. Allow us to give you pointers on how best to accomplish that goal.
Addressing an Upset Stomach
If the issue causing vomiting and excessive drooling is an upset stomach, then you need to start closely monitoring your pet. Watch how they will behave over the next 24 hours.
Hopefully, your dog will be fine after vomiting a few times and slobbering all over your floor. After a while, their body may be able to manage the toxins in their system. They may turn out fine after they get a chance to rest.
During this time, you should give your pet plenty of water. Allow them to replenish whatever liquids they’re losing so they don’t get dehydrated.
Addressing Motion Sickness
Treating motion sickness in the moment may require medication, but you don’t have to resort to that. Instead of giving your pet some meds so they can stay calm during the trip, you can focus more on conditioning them for car rides.
Ease your pet into the experience of riding a car. Put them inside your vehicle, and start the motor, but don’t go anywhere.
If your dog reacts well to that initial step, you can go further next time. Take them for a short drive around the block so they can get a feel for the experience. Praise them if they handle the trip well and stop if you notice your dog getting sick.
Over time, your pet should get used to car rides and motion sickness will no longer be an issue for them.
Addressing Anxiety
Anxious dogs benefit from a caring approach. As soon as your dog starts feeling anxious, you should stop doing the thing that is causing that to happen.
You should also approach your pet and give them some loving pats. Let them know that they are fine because you are right there with them.
When to See a Vet about a Dog Vomiting and Drooling
As a pet owner, you need to pay close attention if your pet starts vomiting and drooling excessively. You need to specifically hone in on how long your pet continues to exhibit those symptoms.
If 24 hours have passed and your dog is showing no signs of improvement, you should book the earliest appointment you can with the veterinarian. There may be something seriously wrong with your pet in that scenario so it’s time to seek the help of a professional.
You should also be more proactive if your pet has ingested a significant amount of a substance that is toxic to them. In that situation, waiting may only lead to your pet’s condition getting worse. Err on the side of caution and just bring your dog to the vet immediately.