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Why Is My Havanese Throwing Up: 7 Causes & What To Do

If your Havanese is throwing up or vomiting you’ll want to know why and how to help as soon as possible. This article highlights the likely causes of vomiting in your Havanese, what you can do at home, and when to see a veterinarian.

Reasons your Havanese is throwing up include dietary indiscretion, bacterial infections, blockages, parasites, illness, toxins, or other underlying health issues.

havanese-limping

Is Your Havanese Actually Vomiting?

Before we dive into the potential causes of vomiting in your Havanese, we should first answer the question of if your dog is truly vomiting or not.

While you may think the action of vomiting is cut and dry, there are actually other actions that can closely resemble vomiting in our pups. 

When your Havanese vomits, you will often see a full-body motion that involves the abdomen. In addition, you may see their abdominal muscles contracting multiple times, resulting in vomit that is produced immediately after. You may also hear your pup gulping in the moments leading up to the vomiting, often matching the abdominal contractions as they occur. 

The first thing that is often confused with vomiting in dogs is regurgitation. Regurgitation is when a dog immediately brings up the contents of their stomach, free of any abdominal contractions or symptoms of nausea. This often occurs soon after a dog eats, and most pups immediately return to their usual selves after. 

The second thing that is often confused with vomiting in your Havanese is coughing. Severe coughing can cause a dog to hack up small amounts of fluid, causing confusion in many pet owners. Coughing will also be free of any abdominal contractions and accompanied by a loud honk or hack. 

Recommended Read: Do Havanese Dogs Like To Be Held? Affection Tips To Know

7 Common Reasons Why Your Havanese Is Throwing Up

Once you have determined that your Havanese is vomiting, you’re likely wondering what could have caused them to have an upset stomach. Ranging from benign issues to serious medical concerns, vomiting in dogs can have multiple causes. To help you better understand your furry friend, let’s discuss the potential causes of vomiting in your Havanese below. 

1. Dietary Indiscretion

Dietary indiscretion refers to eating anything outside of their normal diet. Ranging from eating items in the trash to shredding their favorite toy, Havanese are known to consume things they shouldn’t. Anytime our pups eat something outside of their standard diet, they can experience an upset stomach as a result. 

2. Bacterial Infections

Your Havanese pup is exposed to different types of bacteria each and every day. Bacteria can hide in the soil in your yard, in their dog bowl, and even on their favorite toys. Due to this, bacteria can easily make their way into your dog’s GI tract, causing a bacterial infection that leads to GI upset. 

3. Intestinal Blockages

As we mentioned above, Havanese tend to get their paws on things they shouldn’t. Inedible objects can be impossible for their body to digest, leading to intestinal blockages in some cases. When your pup has an intestinal blockage (foreign body), this means anything else is unable to pass normally through the digestive tract. Due to this, many dogs will experience vomiting. 

4. Intestinal Parasites

Intestinal parasites are foreign invaders that wreak havoc on a dog’s digestive tract. The presence of worms in your dog’s stomach or intestines can cause serious irritation, leading to vomiting in dogs with heavy loads of parasites. The most common intestinal parasites that cause vomiting in our furry friends include roundworms, hookworms, coccidia, giardia, and whipworms. 

5. Contagious Illness

Havanese dogs can fall victim to contagious illness just like you and I. Infectious viruses and bacteria are in so many places we just don’t consider, especially public dog parks. 

Infectious diseases can linger on surfaces, in the soil, in infected canine wastes, and more. This is why it is so important to vaccinate your dog as your veterinarian recommends, as many of these illnesses can be prevented. 

6. Toxicities

Toxicity in our canine friends occurs when a dog consumes a poisonous substance or when they eat a large amount of something that is not approved for pups. Eating a toxic substance can make a dog highly nauseous for various reasons, making vomiting one of the most common signs of toxicity in our pups. 

Some of the many toxic substances for dogs include chocolate, grapes, caffeine, some human medications, household cleaners, and more. If you ever think your Havnase has consumed a toxic substance, it’s best to contact the Pet Poison Helpline for advice. 

7. Other Medical Conditions

Many other medical conditions in Havanese can make them feel nauseous. Ranging from chronic GI conditions to complications with their kidneys, your pup can experience vomiting due to many other potential causes. 

While one vomiting episode may not be a major concern, continued vomiting should always be examined by your veterinarian for this reason. Your vet can perform diagnostics to get to the bottom of their sudden illness and determine the best plan of action going forward. 

Recommended Read: Why Do Havanese Eat Their Poop? And How To Stop It

How To Help Your Vomiting Havanese At Home

If your Havanese has only vomited once, there are a few ways to help soothe their stomach at home. These options can be used as the first line of defense before heading to the vet, and may even resolve your dog’s tummy troubles for good. 

1. Fasting them
Some dogs with an upset stomach benefit from fasting for 12 hours. Pulling food can help their gut settle, which can be enough for some dogs to improve. However, this should only be offered in adult dogs that are free of any other medical conditions. You should always refrain from fasting any puppies or senior dogs.

2. Offering a bland diet 
If you have managed to resolve your dog’s vomiting at home, you will likely want to provide them a bland diet in the days following. Boiled chicken breast and white rice is easy on your pup’s stomach and is often seen as a tasty treat. 

3. Ensure they are hydrated
If your dog can keep water down, you will want to make sure they are staying hydrated. You can do this by encouraging them to drink normally or even mixing water into their meals. 

4. Allowing them to rest
Havanese tend to have a lot of energy, making it tough for some to rest when needed. Be sure to encourage rest in your furry friend when their stomach is upset, and keep them from participating in any strenuous activity. 

5. Giving them probiotics
If your pup is eating again after their vomiting episode, you can begin to offer them probiotics with one meal a day. This can help restore any imbalance of healthy gut bacteria and aid in preventing GI upset in the future. This is especially helpful for dogs that struggle with a sensitive stomach.

When To See The Vet

So when should you take your Havanese to the vet when they are vomiting? While home care can help many furry friends resolve their upset stomachs, some situations require professional help. If your Havanese vomits more than once in a 24 hour period, we highly suggest speaking with your veterinarian. 

This is also true if your Havanese displays other concerning symptoms such as diarrhea, lethargy, anorexia, or any other change in their normal behavior. This can be a sign of developing illness in your Havanese pup, which requires extra care from a veterinarian. 

Final Thoughts

Vomiting in your Havanese should always warrant a level of concern. So be sure to receive the information we discussed above, and you can find the tools you need to soothe your pup’s stomach!

Thank you for reading! Be sure to check out our other Havanese Articles!



Disclaimer

Before making any decisions that could affect the health and/or safety of your dog, you should always consult a trained veterinarian in your local area. Even though this content may have been written/reviewed by a trained veterinarian, our advice to you is to always consult your own local veterinarian in person. Please read our full dislcaimer if you have any questions.