1. Your dog is drooling or licking their lips
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While it's normal for dogs to lick their lips occasionally, excessive licking usually indicates something is amiss. When this occurs, seek professional advice from your vet immediately.
Your vet will conduct a full physical exam to examine your dog's mouth and throat for soft tissue injuries, insect or snake bites, foreign objects lodged in the oral cavity, etc. If they detect anything suspicious, you may be referred to a specialist in canine dental care.
Drooling may also be indicative of gastrointestinal issues such as esophagitis, gastritis, enteritis, pancreatitis and foreign body obstruction. Gum (periodontal disease), gingivitis and mouth ulcers may cause significant drooling.
2. Your dog is retching or dry heaving
If your dog is retching or dry heaving, it may just be due to nauseousness. However, this could also be indicative of an underlying illness so make sure they get checked out by a vet.
Common causes of dry heaving in dogs include gastrointestinal problems like gastric dilatation volvulus or bloat. They could also have swallowed something which is preventing them from clearing their throat.
3. Your dog is vomiting blood
When your dog vomits blood, it can be a frightening sight and cause you to worry. However, try your best to remain composed so you can take action and help your pup recover.
Hematemesis, or bloody vomit, can be caused by a variety of conditions and illnesses. To accurately diagnose the problem and discuss treatment options with your veterinarian, it's important to note what exactly caused your dog's vomit in order to identify the source and get the necessary medical help.
If your dog's vomit is bright red, that indicates fresh blood has just bled. Conversely, if it appears darker or clotted, that could indicate blood has been present in the dog's system for an extended period of time and could signify something such as an ulcer or gastrointestinal bleeding.
4. Your dog is vomiting more than once
Vomiting can occur for many reasons, and not all of them are cause for alarm. But some certainly are, so be alert if your pup vomits more than once or displays other symptoms such as lethargy, weight loss or fever.
Vomiting more than once or if your dog presents with multiple symptoms is an emergency and should be addressed by your veterinarian immediately. This could indicate an underlying medical issue such as gastrointestinal foreign body, obstruction, kidney or liver failure.
