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Vomiting

Shih Tzu Vomiting Issues

Overview

It can be very worrying to see a Shih Tzu throw up or have dry heaving. This section is going to discuss the reasons why this toy breed may have vomiting issues. Depending on the type of vomiting that is occurring, you may be able to treat your Shih Tzu at home or it will be advisable to bring them to the veterinarian. 

The sections in this article are:

Defining Vomiting-related Terms: The difference between nausea, dry heaving, vomiting, regurgitation and expectorating. 








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Defining Vomiting-related Terms:

To effectively care for your Shih Tzu, it helps to recognize what's happening when they show signs of gastrointestinal distress. Here's a concise overview of five terms often linked to vomiting:


  • Nausea: This indicates a queasy stomach. A dog may feel nauseous without actually vomiting, but nausea often occurs before throwing up. Signs include whining, restlessness, or adopting a hunched posture, commonly seen during car sickness.
  • Dry Heaving: Known also as retching, this involves stomach muscle contractions and a gag reflex without expelling any substance. It can happen when the stomach is empty or it may follow intense vomiting episodes.
  • Vomiting: This is the forceful expulsion of stomach contents, including partially digested food or bile, through the esophagus and out of the mouth.
  • Regurgitation: This involves the backflow of food or water from the esophagus, not the stomach, appearing undigested when expelled. It usually occurs swiftly, without prior nausea, and typically right after eating.
  • Expectorating: Associated with coughing, this involves expelling mucus from the lungs or windpipe, and occasionally food that has been inhaled into the respiratory tract, rather than digested.

Occasional or Acute Vomiting with a Shih Tzu

If a Shih Tzu occasionally vomits or seems to have a short-lasting stomach bug that manifests as vomiting, this often can be managed with attentive at-home care. Vet treatment is usually needed if things grow more severe or do not improve within a few days. The underlying causes are not always straightforward, but nevertheless can be treated. Let’s take a look at what happens and how to address this. 

Common Causes for a Shih Tzu Throwing Up:

  • Dietary Indiscretion: Consuming garbage, spoiled food, or overly greasy foods can upset a Shih Tzu's stomach.
  • Eating Too Quickly: Dogs that eat too fast may vomit their food shortly after mealtime.
  • Food Intolerance or Allergies: Some Shih Tzu dogs may be allergic or intolerant to certain foods or ingredients, leading to vomiting.
  • Infections: Bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections in the gastrointestinal tract can cause vomiting.
  • Gastrointestinal Obstruction: Ingestion of objects that cannot pass through the digestive tract can cause vomiting.
  • Heatstroke: More common in the summertime, overheating or heatstroke can lead to vomiting, among other symptoms.
  • Illnesses and Diseases: Conditions such as pancreatitis, liver or kidney disease, and certain metabolic disorders can include vomiting as a symptom.
  • Medications: Some medications can have side effects that include nausea and vomiting.
  • Motion Sickness: Just like humans, dogs can get motion sick during car rides or other forms of travel.
  • Parasites: Worms or other intestinal parasites can irritate a dog's stomach and cause vomiting.
  • Stress or Anxiety: Sometimes severe emotional distress can manifest physically as vomiting.
  • Toxins or Poisoning: Ingesting toxic substances, including certain plants, chemicals, or foods toxic to dogs (like chocolate, xylitol, or grapes), can lead to severe vomiting.


So, as you can see, the causes of throwing up are many. It's important to try to pinpoint what caused the episode and to proceed with vigilance for red flags that veterinary treatment may be needed (and sometimes as an emergency response).

Treatment, Step #1, Addressing the Trigger:

While you may not always know the trigger, these are a few issues that may be easy to suspect and address: 


For car sickness: Place your Shih Tzu in an elevated booster seat during car rides, avoid feeding them a full meal before traveling, and consider offering a light, dry snack or a small amount of sugar or ginger to ease their stomach. Maintain a comfortable, cool temperature inside the vehicle, slightly open the windows for air circulation, and make regular stops to prevent motion sickness from developing.


For suspected bacterial or viral infection: Monitor your Shih Tzu closely. Many dogs can successfully recuperate at home with appropriate care (refer to Treatment, Step 2, At-Home Care and Remedies), as symptoms may resolve naturally within a few days. However, if your Shih Tzu continues to vomit for more than three days or exhibits any concerning signs (refer to Red Flags below), it's important to seek veterinary assistance. 

For managing food intolerance: Dogs with food allergies often show skin problems like itching or rashes, whereas intolerances usually cause gastrointestinal issues, such as vomiting and diarrhea. Additives, including chemical preservatives and artificial flavors, along with high grain contents, soy, corn, and by-products, are common irritants. Additionally, generic meats may pose risks due to dubious sources.

If you're concerned your Shih Tzu's diet may be causing issues, consider switching to a higher-quality option. For example, Wellness Complete for Toy Breeds is an excellent choice, offering all-natural ingredients without harmful additives, perfectly suited for small breeds with a stomach-friendly chicken and rice base.

For a grain-free diet, Wellness CORE for Small Breeds is ideal, formulated without grains, soy, wheat, corn, or by-products, and featuring chicken, turkey, potatoes, and peas. And if chicken allergies are a concern, options like lamb, beef, bison, rabbit, or fish are available; Merrick Lil Plates Grain Free Small Breed Recipe provides a salmon and sweet potato formula that's all-natural and free from grains, corn, soy, or wheat.

Treatment, Step #2, At-home Care and Remedies

There are several things you can to treat an upset stomach and associated vomiting:


  1. Pause Feeding: Cease feeding for 12 to 24 hours after vomiting to prevent further episodes. This break allows the body to rest, especially if diarrhea is present. Base the fasting period on your Shih Tzu's drinking habits and sleep schedule, ensuring they continue to drink water.
  2. Ensure Hydration: Maintaining hydration is crucial. Encourage your Shih Tzu to drink water in small amounts, using filtered or spring water instead of tap water to avoid toxins. For additional hydration, a diluted solution of children’s Pedialyte can replenish lost sugars and electrolytes, with a recommended dosage of 1/16 of a cup for a 5-pound dog every 1 to 2 hours.
  3. Offer Ice Cubes: If drinking water induces vomiting, try offering ice cubes made from filtered water, a 50/50 mix of water and pure apple juice, or Pedialyte.
  4. Introduce a Bland Diet: After fasting, feed your Shih Tzu a simple diet of one protein and one starch, such as diced chicken breast and white rice, or lean beef with sweet potato, to ease their stomach.
  5. Resume Regular Diet: Gradually return to the regular diet or introduce a new, improved diet after three days, once vomiting has ceased and your dog is rested.
  6. Offer probiotics: Giving a probiotic like Advanced Probiotics Supplement by NaturVet after prolonged vomiting can significantly aid in a dog's recovery by restoring the balance of beneficial bacteria in their gut. This improves digestion and nutrient absorption and bolsters the immune system against future gastrointestinal issues. Probiotics can also reduce inflammation in the gut caused by vomiting and help prevent secondary infections by maintaining a healthy microbial balance.


Note: If transitioning back to a normal diet triggers more vomiting, this is warrants a vet visit (Also see also Red Flags below). 


Post-Meal Vomiting with a Shih Tzu 

Witnessing your Shih Tzu vomiting right after eating can be surprising and concerning, whether it's food or water that's being expelled. This behavior, often a result of regurgitation, indicates the food hasn't reached the stomach. Causes range from eating too quickly, overeating, to food intolerance, and less commonly, serious health conditions like esophageal issues or poisoning.


Immediate Actions and Preventative Measures:


  1. Rule Out Serious Health Concerns: Immediate veterinary attention is needed if regurgitation is caused by certain health issues, indicated by symptoms such as breathing difficulties, blue gums, coughing, significant change in appetite or weight loss, chronic bad breath, reluctance to eat or lethargy.
  2. Suspected Poisoning: If poisoning is suspected, immediately seek emergency veterinary care.
  3. Manage Eating Habits: Ensure calmness at meal times by providing a quite place to eat, divide daily food into three small meals and strictly measure food portions based on your Shih Tzu's size and the kibble's feeding guidelines.
  4. Address any Food Intolerance: Observe if regurgitation seems to be triggered by specific foods or ingredients.
  5. Encourage Slow Eating: It's common for rapid ingestion of food to cause it to come right back out. Use a slow feeding bowl like the Neater Stainless Steel Slow Feeder.


In Summary: While occasional post-meal vomiting with Shih Tzu puppies and dogs can often be managed at home through careful observation and adjustments to feeding practices, persistent issues warrant a check up with the veterinarian.


Vomiting of Yellow Liquid or White Foam

Vomiting yellow liquid and/or white foam is a condition not uncommon in with the Shih Tzu breed, affecting puppies and dogs of any age. This issue usually arises hours before or after a meal. The yellow liquid, typically bile (a digestive fluid comprising water, salts, fats, and mucus) may vary in consistency and is usually not accompanied by food particles. White foam can appear alongside or independently from the yellow liquid.


The primary cause for a Shih Tzu vomiting bile is an overly empty stomach. Bile accumulates when there's no food to digest, leading to discomfort and eventual vomiting. While less common, serious health issues like gastritis or other stomach and intestinal inflammations could also be culprits, and usually have additional symptoms such as decreased appetite, unusual thirst, lethargy, acute diarrhea, or blood in vomit or stools.


What to Do:


  1. Assess if Veterinary Attention if Needed: If you suspect serious health concerns behind the vomiting, seek veterinary care without delay.
  2. Adjust Feeding Frequency: Often, the issue stems from a dog not eating often enough. Increasing meal and snack frequency can quickly resolve this. Aim for a minimum of three meals a day for both puppies and adult Shih Tzu dogs (this does not mean more food, it's just a division of the day's overall food intake), supplemented with plenty of snacks to prevent the stomach from being completely void of food.
  3. Evening and Morning Treats: Offer a treat before bedtime to mitigate morning bile vomiting. If your Shih Tzu wakes before you, leave treats within easy reach for a sunrise snack.


In Summary: Addressing vomiting of yellow liquid and white foam in Shih Tzu dogs often involves increasing the frequency of meals and snacks to manage bile accumulation. For cases not resolved by dietary adjustments, or if accompanied by symptoms of more severe health issues, prompt veterinary consultation is essential.


A Shih Tzu Vomiting During or After Exercise 

It's not uncommon for a Shih Tzu to vomit during or shortly after a period of exercise, such as a session of cardio or going for a brisk walk, especially if this activity follows eating a meal or substantial snack within the hour. Typically, there are no prior signs of discomfort like nausea, and most dogs recover quickly post-incident. This issue often arises from the stomach not having sufficient time to settle before engaging in strenuous activities.


What to Do:


  1. Postpone Vigorous Activities: Wait at least one hour after your Shih Tzu has eaten before allowing them to engage in energetic play or exercise. For those with slower digestive systems, extending this to 1.5 or even 2 hours may be necessary. Regular walks should still be a part of your dog’s routine for overall health benefits.
  2. Distinguish Between Types of Activities: The recommendation to delay activity primarily refers to vigorous exercise. Normal activities, like short walks for bathroom breaks, are not included in this restriction.
  3. Investigate Other Causes: If limiting activity post-meal doesn’t resolve the vomiting, it may be time to explore other reasons. The vomiting could be coincidental to the exercise rather than caused by it.


In Summary: By adjusting the timing of meals relative to exercise, most issues of exercise-induced vomiting in Shih Tzus can be mitigated. However, persistent problems may require further investigation to identify underlying causes.


A Shih Tzu Having Dry Heaving Episodes 

Dry heaving in Shih Tzu puppies and dogs, is characterized by hacking, lurching, and stomach muscle contractions without expelling anything. This behavior, which may appear to be an attempt to vomit without producing anything, can be painful and distressing for both a dog and their human. Some causes of dry heaving are serious, so this should not be overlooked.


Common Causes:


  • Drinking or Eating Too Fast: Gulping down water or food too quickly can cause a gag reflex with a short-lived bout of dry heaving, as a dog struggles to keep the water and food in, but their body is lurching.
  • Obstructions: Objects ranging from hairballs to foreign materials lodged in the throat can lead to dry heaving. It's crucial to watch for breathing difficulties, weakness, and pale or blue gums, as these are signs that immediate veterinary care is needed.
  • Nausea: If a Shih Tzu is nauseous but there is no food in their stomach, they may dry heave, as opposed to throwing up.


Less Common, but Possible Serious Causes:


  • Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV/Bloat): While the Shih Tzu is not the most bloat-prone breed, no dog is immune. Bloat, a life-threatening condition involving the stomach's twisting, can be fatal even with treatment. It may be triggered by rapid eating or drinking and exercising shortly after. With large and giant breeds, elevated feeding bowls have also been linked to increased risks. Symptoms include a swollen abdomen, restlessness, panic, labored breathing, pale gums, rapid heartbeat, weakness, and excessive drooling.
  • Respiratory Infection (e.g., Kennel Cough): Excess mucus in the lungs can cause coughing, gagging, and subsequently, dry heaving. Other symptoms include a ongoing cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, nasal discharge, sneezing, exercise intolerance, lethargy, poor appetite and/or fever.
  • Tonsillitis: Often a secondary condition following chronic cough or other issues, tonsillitis can lead to dry heaving once the tonsils swell enough to obstruct the airway. Symptoms also include reluctance to eat and frequent lip licking, with antibiotics being the common treatment.


What to Do:


  1. Assess if Emergency Veterinary Care is Needed: If dry heaving is accompanied by any signs of GDV, respiratory infection symptoms, potential throat obstruction, or if you're unsure of the cause, seek veterinary assistance immediately. The situation could be life-threatening, and prompt action is necessary.
  2. Monitor and Prevent: To minimize risks, monitor your Shih Tzu's eating pace and ensure a calm period after meals. Be vigilant about respiratory health, especially if your Shih Tzu is spends a lot of time with other dogs or has wheezing or other breathing-related issues.


In Summary: Dry heaving warrants careful observation and sometimes immediate veterinary intervention. Understanding the potential causes and knowing when to seek help are key to ensuring your little guy or gal's health and well-being.


Vomiting Red Flags

Violent projectile vomiting is a red flag to bring your Shih Tzu to the vet or the closest animal hospital. There are several serious health issues that can cause this, ranging from parvo (usually accompanied with bloody diarrhea and weakness) to worms. 

Other red flag signs include high fever (higher than 104 F), severe lethargy, labored breathing, signs of dizziness or disorientation, refusal to eat or drink, uncontrolled shaking, sunken in eyes and any other sign that has you worried. 

In addition, and importantly, if vomiting lasts for more than 3 days this is a reason to call the vet asap. 

A Final Note

You know how terrible it is to throw up, and for dogs, vomiting is just as bad. While a Shih Tzu may act unfazed after throwing up, this should not be overlooked. Chronic vomiting problems should be identified so that changes can be made and a Shih Tzu will not need to endure what can be a stressful, painful, and sometimes dangerous condition.

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