How to Prevent Nausea in Dogs

Although it may seem minor in comparison to other health conditions, nausea that persists for long periods of time can be surprisingly debilitating, making dogs who suffer from it feel lethargic and unwilling to engage in activities. The feeling of illness can also have more serious consequences, as it will often mean that the animal in question will become unwilling to eat and may even begin to vomit, which may lead to dehydration. It should also be borne in mind that the root causes of nausea can sometimes be extremely serious themselves, requiring comprehensive veterinary assistance if the dog is to recover. Because of this, it is wisest for dog owners to seek to prevent nausea from occurring in the first place by tackling its causes in the most direct manner possible.

 

Causes And Prevention

Poisoning – Often the most obvious cause of digestive discomfort is the accidental ingestion of toxins by the dog, as this will introduce harmful substances directly into the stomach. These are usually accidentally swallowed by the dog when it tries to eat food that it finds outside of its bowl, with harmful plants being the main culprits. By educating themselves about the flora that is local to their area and determining which might be dangerous, humans can remove the plants from their property and thereby get rid of most of the risk posed to the dog. By being familiar with plants in their region, they can also know when to keep the dog on a leash during a walk in order to prevent them from running off into the undergrowth. However, household chemicals that are improperly secured can also cause feelings of sickness and will often go on to do much greater damage to the dog than poisonous plants. To prevent this from happening, dog owners can take the opportunity to install latches on their cupboards, or just store the chemicals away from ground level where the dog can easily access and spill them. Thus, small changes can provide a long-term benefit that can stop the dog from becoming unnecessarily ill.

Stress – Something that is often forgotten when dealing with digestive discomfort is the role played by an animal’s mental wellbeing. This is because the digestive tract will often start to spasm if an animal eats food while under a large amount of stress. Inflammation can also occur due to the overproduction of hormones that are associated with anxiety. A well as making it hard to digest food, stress can also have more serious effects on the dog’s dietary habits, with many depressed animals becoming reluctant to eat at all and suffering from issues such as severe weight loss. In order to stop a dog from becoming stressed, it is recommended that owners try to minimize sources of disruption and conflict in the animal’s life, such as encounters with aggressive animals and constant changes to the dog’s living environment. By keeping a calm and stable household, the dog’s mood will measurably improve. Additionally, an animal can often become stressed due to an excess amount of energy – making sure the dog gets ample opportunities to exercise each day will result in them becoming much happier and less full of nervous energy. This will also mean that the animal will be less likely to develop bad behaviors such as acting boisterously or destroying property.

Liver Disease – There are many possible underlying reasons for why liver failure may start to occur, but the most common ones are a poor diet, cancer and viral or bacterial infection. As the liver begins to malfunction, it will start to allow poisons that it would otherwise filter out of foods to seep into the bloodstream, with the animal starting to feel unwell in an attempt to stop them taking in more food. If the condition is left untreated, the poisoning can worsen, resulting in multiple organ failure and eventual death. To stop this from happening, a dog owner can take steps to make sure their dog’s liver (and digestive system in general) is kept in good condition. This can be done by making sure the animal gets a good standard of nutrition, eating meals that are rich in protein, fats and essential oils (typically some mixture of meat and fish). Infections are most readily addressed by keeping the dog’s living area as clean as possible and maintaining a regular grooming and bathing schedule. This should stop them from inadvertently swallowing contaminated objects and bringing too much dirt into the house from outside, within which bacteria can multiply. Cancers are harder to deal with, as they tend to not have any obvious symptoms until they have started to become quite serious and are extremely hard to predict. However, a dog’s chances of developing certain types of tumors can be detected via genetic screening, which can make it easier to look out for them in later life.

Infection – Lastly, it is quite common for dogs to be afflicted with some form of infection of the digestive tract itself. This may take the form of bacteria who have managed to breed in damaged tissues to form ulcers, or it may appear as an infestation of parasites. In both cases, large amounts of irritation can be caused to the lining of the stomach and intestines, which can make the dog feel very nauseous. To prevent ulcers from developing, the root cause will have to be addressed, which is usually the ingestion of a foreign object that gouges the lining of the stomach, allowing an infected wound to develop. By both keeping the dog’s living area tidy and by investing in training that will condition the dog not to bite at small objects, the risk of this occurring can be cut down immensely. Parasites are somewhat harder to combat, as they are endemic in some regions and can be found in many bodies of standing water that a dog may instinctively drink from. However, some preventative medicines are available that can stop certain species from making a home within the dog.

 

Effects Of Prevention

By taking measures to prevent nausea from ever becoming a problem in the first place, dog owners will improve the quality of life of not just of their pet, but themselves also. Making the small bit of extra effort to clean the dog’s living area and groom them more regularly will not just stop them from becoming ill and incurring a large vet bill, but will also help make the home a more pleasant and hygienic place to live in general. Also, minimizing the stresses present in the dog’s life will mean that they will become much happier and better behaved, making everyone’s lives easier. Also, re-organizing the home so as to remove harmful plants and storing cleaning products securely will ensure that children are kept away from harmful substances as well as the dog.

 

Conclusion

 

We have all had to deal with feelings of queasiness before and while in most cases corrective measures can easily be taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again, household pets are not so lucky. Lacking the ability to communicate, they will commonly have to tolerate whatever the cause of the problem is until it becomes so serious that the owners take them to the vet. By being aware of the common causes of nausea and how to counter them, animal lovers can ensure that their dogs do not have to suffer in silence and can live a full and happy life devoid of digestive discomfort.