Watching your little bundle of joy throw up is never an easy experience. You feel lost and scared, wondering what could be causing the problem to start with? Most importantly though – you just want him (or her) back feeling better as quickly as possible.
So why is my Yorkie throwing up? Your Yorkie may be throwing up because they’ve got a stomach upset. This could range from food poisoning, motion sickness or bloat to more serious conditions such as bilious vomiting syndrome and parvovirus which can be life-threatening.
When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to visit your local vet immediately.
Meanwhile, it’s also helpful to learn why our Yorkies are vomiting. If we can’t identify the reason, at least know what signs of an illness or injury might be and take them to see a vet as soon as possible!
Why Is My Yorkie Throwing Up? Identify The Reason From Its Vomit
Seeing your yorkie vomit can be a very nerve-racking experience. This is especially the case if you own a teacup Yorkie, which has a more brittle health.
The most worrying thing about it is the fact that it is a very vague symptom. These dogs suffer from a wide variety of skin allergies and health problems that are often present with vomiting. It could be anything from gluten allergies to gut bugs from their propensity to eat the weirdest things in their path.
Fortunately, the vomit itself holds a lot of clues as to what you may be dealing with. To help put things into perspective, here are the most common forms and what they tend to point to with Yorkshire terriers:
Clear Liquid
This is usually either saliva, mucous or ingested water. The saliva and mucous are pretty general and are produced as a response to nausea. However, vomiting clear liquid is usually a result of gut irritation which is more often than not just gastritis.
White Foam
This usually happens after long vomiting spells when your pooch is left with nothing in their stomach to throw up. They start to throw up frothy liquids that mainly consist of intestinal tract mucous and air. It is common with food poisoning, pancreatitis, and anything else that could cause prolonged vomiting episodes.
Undigested Food
If the vomiting occurs mainly after eating and resembles their last meal, it is usually a sign that there is a problem in the passage of food along the gut tract. This is common with yorkies that suffer from issues like congenital defects of the esophagus, tumors along the gut and several food intolerances. It could also happen with food poisoning and motion sickness if you go out driving after they eat.
Yellow Bile
Vomiting bile is common with gastritis and pancreatitis. It often occurs on an empty stomach where the only contents in the upper gut segment are bile and mucous. This kind of throw-up is usually a bright and uniform yellow that is not to be confused with parvovirus vomiting.
What Does Parvo Vomit Look Like?
One of the most serious of these causes of vomiting is parvovirus infection. This is a highly contagious and very dangerous viral infection that affects several areas, chief of which is the digestive system. Yorkshire terriers are among the most commonly affected due to their habit of eating anything and everything as the virus is orally transmitted through contaminated food and objects.
So, what are the first signs of parvo in a yorkie? The infection primarily attacks the gut lining. This results in bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. There may also be a fever present as the immune system tries to fight off the infection. The vomiting has very specific characteristics that should definitely raise your index of suspicion. It is usually copious amounts of bloody vomit that may have a dark brown to mustard yellow tinge.
In addition to these initial characteristic symptoms, parvovirus has several other non-specific signs and symptoms. These are often as a consequence either of the fluid loss from vomiting and diarrhea, the immune response process or direct attack by the virus itself. They include:
- Dehydration with dry mucous surfaces like the nose and mouth.
- Lethargy and reduced activity.
- Reduced appetite.
- Weight loss.
Should I take my yorkie to the vet for vomiting? The answer here is a resounding yes. Whether it is simply throwing up their food or something as scary as puking blood, you cannot afford to take chances. This is because it can be a symptom of very serious underlying conditions in which case it is always best to play it safe.
When Should You Be Concerned About Your Yorkie Throwing Up?
Throwing up for your yorkie is never something that should be ignored. However, this doesn’t mean that you panic every time they have some spit-up going on. Sometimes it is something simple like motion sickness or the little excited pooches eating too much or too fast which is a common problem with the breed.
However, there are times where immediate and serious action needs to be taken for the sake of your yorkie’s wellbeing if they have been vomiting a lot. These scenarios include:
If Your Yorkie Throwing Up And Shaking
This is usually a sign of serious problems the most important being a consequence of losing too much fluid and electrolytes. If not handled immediately, the continued and uncompensated losses could lead to serious and even fatal results. So, what to do if your yorkie is throwing up and shaking? Get your yorkie to a vet right away.
When You Start To See Blood
This is never a good sign and could point to anything from severe gastritis to parvovirus infection. None of these problems are the wait-it-out type so you need to get your doggy immediate medical attention before they lose too much blood.
If Nothing You Do Seems To Stop It
You have tried everything from training them to stop eating random stuff to switching out their dog food and nothing is working. In this case, you may be dealing with more serious and lasting issues that need professional attention.
When It Is Accompanied By Other Signs And Symptoms
Vomiting from simple issues like overeating are often not accompanied by other signs. However, if in addition to vomiting your yorkie is presenting with several other systems, you need to get concerned and do something about it as soon as possible. These include fever, shaking, diarrhea, excessing whining or howling and many others.
Dog Vomiting Treatment – What Can I Give My Yorkie For Vomiting?
Despite all the nerves surrounding a sickly yorkie, you are not always entirely helpless as the owner. What should I do when my yorkie vomits?
Well, there is a lot that you can do to help mitigate the problem or at the very least ease your dog’s discomfort. It really all depends on exactly what you are dealing with in which case our analysis of different types of vomit and their causes should come in handy.
Without further ado, here are 5 answers to the “what home remedy can I give my yorkie for vomiting?” question in your mind:
Parvovirus: Try Homeopathic Home Relief Supplements
What helps settle a dog’s stomach after a bout of parvovirus? In addition to the medication, offered professionally, you could help your yorkie bestie out with some relief supplements. One of the best options on the market for this purpose is Bullyade Natural Dog Supplement. It helps your dog to replenish electrolyte and water content in their bodies and assists greatly in recovering from diarrhea or vomitting.
Indigestion: Include Prebiotics And Probiotics In The Diet
Vetflix Probiotics For Dogs are a fantastic way to spare your yorkie the agony of an upset stomach. This dog breed is known for having a very delicate digestive system. The probiotics promote growth of normal flora bacteria that help protect the gut and keep it functioning optimally.
Gastritis: Keep The Dog Well Hydrated
How do you settle a dog’s stomach after vomiting? When it comes to gastritis, the best way to help your pooch out is by keeping them hydrated. Remember that they are losing a lot of water and electrolytes- and for such a small breed, no loss is acceptable. So give your doggy some water as you wait it out or figure out the next step.
Food Intolerance: Give The Dog Hypoallergenic Dog Food
This is a common cause of vomiting and is the easiest to deal with. If your dog is having some negative reaction to the food you give, just switch it out. Try going for grain-free alternatives as gluten allergy is the most common form of food intolerance.
Prevention Measures
The thing with a lot of these causes of vomiting in yorkies is that most of them are very easy to prevent. To help you out, here are a few tactics you can employ to protect your dog from some of the most common causes of vomiting.
Feed Them High Quality Dog Food
With their sensitive stomachs, yorkies should only feed on the best quality of food. JustFoodForDogs DIY Human Grade Dog Food Nutrient Blends is an awesome option you could try out. In fact, this do-it-yourself dog food option is of such high quality that all the ingredients are actually safe for human consumption.
Another option worth looking into here is Halo Vegan Natural Wet Dog Food. In addition to the wet food formula that is ideal for yorkies with gut issues, this vegan dog food has a hypoallergenic formula that is ideal for yorkies with food intolerances.
Avoid Yorkie-Unfriendly Foods
When it comes to prevention through diet, it is also important that you study up foods your yorkie shouldn’t eat and then avoid them completely. These include grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions, garlic and a lot more.
Train The Yorkie Not To Eat Anything They Find
Yorkies love to go through trash looking for food and this is where things usually go wrong for them and their weak little guts. You could help prevent this by training them to avoid the dangerous food foraging.
Proper Potty Training And Hygiene
Fecal contamination of things like food, toys and other accessories that your yorkie may use is a common cause of gut problems including vomiting. Hygiene helps to prevent this greatly. This includes adequate potty training, regular cleaning and grooming as well as separation of eating, playing and potty spaces.
A good indicator of whether your hygiene standard are sub par is to check if your Yorkie stinks. Yorkies tends to stink and if that is the case, if mean you will need to put in extra work to improve the cleanliness around your pooch.
Get The Dog Vaccinated
This is important for infection-related vomiting as in the case of parvovirus. With this specific culprit, yorkies are often vaccinated at 5 weeks and this offers them protection from the contagious and often fatal infection.
Sleep
Let you pooch get ample rest and its immune system fight off the germs in the gut.
Related Questions
How Do I Know If My Dog Has A Blockage? For the most part, Pepto Bismol is actually safe for yorkies. It helps to relieve issues like vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. However, the fact that it contains aspirin means it may not be safe for all yorkies especially if there are aspirin allergies involved. The dosage is also important to ensuring safe use so make sure to consult a professional before giving it to your dog.
How Do I Know If My Dog Has A Blockage? The best way to identify intestinal blockage in your dog is by monitoring their bowel movements. This includes both vomiting and pooping or even diarrhea. Yorkies usually poop 3 to 4 times a day. If there is a consistent reduction in this frequency or constipation with no passage at all, could be a sign that there is some blockage especially in the lower gut segments. Frequent vomiting after food and without other symptoms like fever and chills could also be a sign of blockage. In this case, the blockage may be higher up as in the case of congenital gastric and esophageal defects.
Should I Give My Dog Water After Vomiting? You should definitely keep your pooch hydrated after vomiting episodes. This home remedy helps replace some of the fluids lost therefore preventing serious complications like dehydration. Just give them at least a cup of water and allow them to drink it at will. If possible, you could add some electrolyte enhancing products.
