Is Profuse Vomiting an Emergency?

Profuse vomiting is most definitely an emergency, particularly when associated with the inability to keep down water, blood in the vomit, depression or pain

This is very dangerous for any dog but especially when it comes to puppies or small dogs.

Is Profuse Vomiting an Emergency?

What makes it an emergency

With profuse vomiting, both the underlying cause and the vomiting itself can be a real danger.

Prolonged profuse vomiting can lead to dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities, both of which can lead to further complications.

Effects of severe dehydration include:

  • Abnormal mental activity leading to confusion, depression, etc.
  • Inability to form tears, which can cause corneal damage
  • Low blood pressure can result in organ damage and failure (especially the kidneys)
  • Gastrointestinal bleeding
  • Seizures
  • Permanent brain damage

It can eventually lead to shock and death.

As well as with profuse vomiting you’re looking at the potential of aspiration pneumonia and damage to the esophagus. With severe vomiting, it in itself needs to be addressed. Severe vomiting with or without blood in it is an emergency.

Further information: Severe Vomiting in Dogs: What Happens in a Dog’s Body with Severe Vomiting?

You also need to call your vet right away if:

  • your dog is on medication that can have vomiting as a side effect
  • you suspect your dog ingested a foreign body
  • you suspect poisoning

Other signs indicating emergency include:

  • severe lethargy
  • unresponsiveness
  • bloated abdomen
  • abdominal pain
  • pale, white, blue or gray gums
  • difficulty breathing

Further information: Vomiting in Dogs

Underlying cause

As for the underlying cause, the rule of thumb is that the more violent the vomiting, the more serious the problem causing it. You can be looking at anything starting with

  • poisoning
  • foreign body obstruction
  • pancreatitis
  • a severe infection or inflammation
  • liver
  • or kidney failure

Neither of the above are things I’d want to take my chances with.

Related articles:
My Dog’s Vomiting: Why Is My Dog Throwing up?
Severe Vomiting in Dogs: What Happens in a Dog’s Body with Severe Vomiting?

Further reading:
What to Do if Your Dog Vomits

Categories: Emergencies • Profuse vomiting • Symptoms • Vomiting

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Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer, dog health advocate, writer, and author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Countless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that merely seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to get a diagnosis. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners. What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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