written by Robert Hart, Vitality Science
Man´s best friend tends to have a strange palette. Rarely will a dog pass up eating a bug, or a funky morsel: the funkier, the better. Should you happen to catch them in the act, they will often gulp it down before you can extract it from their vice-like grip. No telling how many different kinds of bacteria such morsels are harboring.
However, their palette is not restricted to bugs and food morsels. Food wrappers, aluminum foil, tinsel seem to be enjoyed by dogs. One has to wonder if part of the driving force behind CDs and DVDs was eliminating cassette tape. This, too, shall pass.
Such indiscrete eating habits often lead to diarrhea. Many times, you only the effects of what they ate. And where do they throw up?
It seems like your most expensive throw rug is the flooring of choice- of course. But they look up at you with such sad eyes (do you think they practice it when you´re not home?) it´s hard to scold them.
Other possible causes:
Diet Change
Merely changing brands of dog food can cause a few days of vomission. Many commercial dog foods contain high levels of indigestible protein. But any change, even to raw, should be done gradually to avoid the problem.
Eating Too Much and Too Fast
There are a number of reasons why dogs eat too fast. Competition from other household dogs and dogs not fed frequently enough may vomit undigested food soon after eating. Smaller dogs should be fed less food, but more often. If they are part of a pack of dogs, feed them in a separate room from the bigger dogs.
Table Scraps
Most table food has more nutritional value than most commercial pet food. However, dogs should not be given spicy scraps or rich foods. Both go down fast, but come up just as fast.
Water
Municipal water in the US contains chlorine and possibly ammonia. They are necessary to make sure any bugs in our water are dead, but… you don´t want to drink them because they can kill the bacteria in the intestinal tract that is necessary to maintain balance. You must be mindful that water free of disinfectant can quickly breed bacteria, which can also cause diarrhea.
Cleaning Products
If you by concentrated cleaners and do not dilute them sufficiently, your dog can breath in toxic fumes. Also, strong cleaning agents can burn a dogs pads. They will lick their pads to stop the burning and ingest the chemicals which can also kill the bacteria in the GI tract, causing diarrhea.
Remedies
Vomiting can be curative in itself, in that it purges spoiled food and toxins from the stomach and intestine.
A large dose of an all-natural laxative will help move the material to move through the colon.
A natural remedy gaining popularity is to administer soil-based organisms (SBOs).
Monitor your dog´s demeanor and stools carefully for seventy-two hours to be sure the material passes and their energy improves.
If after giving them SBOs or an all-natural laxative, but do not see an improvement in demeanor and energy, make an appointment to see your vet.
Limit your dogs´ food to clear fluids and begin gathering stool and vomit samples. Time date them for your vet. You might want to store them in a cool place, like a cooler.
If your dog has strong digestive odors, it could have an intestinal obstruction.