Persistent Vomiting and Pica in Dogs: Bridget’s Stomach Upsets. What Would You Do If It Was Your Dog?
What if your dog kept getting sick and try to eat everything in sight? What came first? Eating inedible things or the stomach upsets?
It can be a hard thing to figure out. Eating the wrong things can cause vomiting and diarrhea. On the other hand, an upset belly can cause your dog to try and eat things.
Potential causes of pica include:
- intestinal parasites
- nutritional deficiencies
- metabolic imbalances
- diabetes
- Cushing’s disease
- gastritis
- inflammatory bowel disease
Which of these things do you think was behind Bridget’s stomach trouble?

Bridget’s story
Bridget was a 4-year-old Labrador Retriever. She was a great companion and service dog.
Bridget keeps getting sick
When she reached 3 1/2 years of age, Bridget started being sick frequently. Her stomach made horrible noises and she was throwing up. She was at the vet all the time to get injections for her nausea. That became a regular routine. But what was the diagnosis? There didn’t seem to be one.
Bridget was not only sick to her stomach but quite miserable. She would pace and pant, lick her lips, her paws, and the floor. And she would eat anything she could get her mouth on.
Was eating everything that was making her sick or was she eating everything because she was sick?
All she ever got was a treatment for her symptoms. But things were not improving. It went on and on with no solution.
What would you do if Bridget was your dog?
What would you make of these symptoms? How would you feel about the lack of diagnosis? What would you do if Bridget was your dog?
Read Bridget’s story to learn what her diagnosis was.
Related articles:
Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog: Pica
Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog: Vomiting
Further reading:
Chronic Vomiting in Dogs