Is your dog vomiting blood? This condition is medically referred to as hematemesis. If your dog is throwing up blood, have your dog examined by a vet in order to determine the cause. Though vomiting could just be a case of dietary intolerance, throwing up large amounts of blood could even be a symptom of a serious ailment.

Hematemesis in Dogs

Causes

If it is your puppy that is vomiting blood, have a vet examine it. It's possible that the puppy may be suffering from a parasitic infection. If a tumor in the dog's gastrointestinal tract bleed, there may be significant amount of blood in the dog's vomit. The dog may vomit blood if blood gets filled up in the dog's lungs. Blood clotting disorders can also cause this problem. Gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease, ingestion of non-food items, speedy eating, bile overproduction and anxiety are some of the possible reasons behind a dog throwing up blood and bile. In case, vomiting is also accompanied by diarrhea, your dog might be suffering from intestinal obstruction or peritonitis.

Stomach ulcers, esophagus ulcers or duodenum ulcers could also be contributory factors for hematemesis. Sometimes, certain drugs can have an adverse effect on the blood platelet count. Thrombocytopenia is the condition associated with a dip in the level of blood platelet count. This can also be one of the reasons why your dog may be vomiting blood. Your dog may throw up blood on swallowing a splintered bone. You must also check if your dog is suffering from a nosebleed or bleeding gums. In case your dog swallowed this blood, that might induce vomiting. Consumption of rat poison could also cause this condition.

Diagnosis

If your pet is throwing up blood, watch out for other symptoms such as weakness, diarrhea, lethargy, nausea, belching, bloating, pain in the abdominal region, pale gums and loss of appetite. Since the presence of blood in vomit can be linked to several dog health issues, you must get your dog examined soon. The veterinarian will generally get some blood tests done in order to check for the platelet count and perform X-rays to investigate the presence of tumors. Ultrasound and endoscopy for the stomach might also help in determining the condition responsible for causing blood in vomit.

Treatment

Once the underlying cause of blood in vomit has been diagnosed, the vet will initiate the symptomatic treatment. Severe vomiting can lead to dehydration, therefore, intravenous fluids might be required to stabilize the condition of your dog. Sometimes, the problem could be caused due to a change in your dog's diet. In that case, you need to discontinue that diet, and provide your dog with a bland diet. Spicy food can aggravate the problem of stomach ulcers, so be very careful about the food your dog eats.

Prostaglandin drugs may be prescribed by the vet in case of ulcers. Sometimes, dog coughing up blood might be related to gum diseases. In this case, dental hygiene needs to be taken care of. You must also make sure that your dog doesn't consume non-food items. Rat poison and other toxic substances must be kept out of their reach. In case, swallowing a splintered bone has caused this condition, a laxative will be used by the veterinarian to tackle the problem. Antibiotics might also be required to reduce the chances of an infection.

In case your dog is suffering from this condition, make sure that you consult a veterinarian soon. The earlier the diagnosis, the better would be the chances of a speedy recovery. Follow the advice of your vet regarding the diet and aftercare.