My Dog Has Brown Vomit

The medical term hematemesis refers to the presence of blood in vomit. This means the vomit originates in the gastrointestinal tract and should be differentiated from coughing up blood, known as hemoptysis. The blood originates from the respiratory tract in the latter, although it is possible hematemesis and hemoptysis could occur at the same time.

When the blood is bright red in color, it means it is fresh and indicates its origin as in the upper part of the digestive system. For example, the dog may have a wound in their mouth or an esophageal ulcer. When hemorrhagic lesions occur further down the gastrointestinal tract, the blood will be darker red or even brown in color. This is because the blood has been partially digested turning dark or rusty in appearance.

Some of the disorders that can cause hematemesis with digested blood are:

• Ulcers, polyps or intestinal neoplasms
• Acute gastroenteritis
• Poisoning
• Volvulus or torsion
• Long-term use of drugs such as NSAIDs or glucocorticoids

Some pathologies such as pancreatitis, kidney disease or canine liver failure can also cause bleeding and dark vomit. These can occur even if they do not directly affect the intestine.

What to do if my dog is vomiting blood

As you can see, many of the causes of hematemesis can be very serious. Especially if the dog's vomit is dark red or brown in color, it is essential that you take them to the veterinarian. The qualified professional will perform a complete examination and administer the most appropriate treatment according to its cause. Treatment can range from a stomach pump to surgery, including drug treatment and fluid therapy.

Learn more with our article explaining why a dog is vomiting blood.

While it will depend on the individual, dogs are known for their voracity. They can beg for food constantly, eat everything as soon as the dog dish hits the ground and generally be focused on food. Some dogs do this due to insecurity. They have anxiety over where their next meal will come from, so they eat like there is a chance they will never eat again. Some may have stress for another reason, but eat quickly as a means of coping with it.

Anxious dogs that eat quickly often do not chew very much, ingesting whole pieces of food at a time. This is not good for their digestive system as it can quickly overload the stomach and small intestine. This can result in indigestion and cause the dog to vomit food. The dog's vomit is brown because it is full of undigested food. While there may be water in the vomit, the vomit itself will not be liquid because the food is practically whole.

Something similar can happen when the dog has unlimited access to food. We see this if we have left an open bag of dog food accessible to the dog and they gorge themselves. In this situation, the stomach reaches the limit of its capacity and the sphincters that are responsible for retaining the food and preventing reflux begin to fail.

What to do if a dog eats too much too quickly

To prevent your dog from eating more than is recommended, you should calculate your dog's ideal daily food intake. This amount will be based on their weight and physical activity levels. Most commercial feeds will have a calculation metric printed on the product. If at all unsure, you can ask your veterinarian for advice.

If your dog has behavioral issues associated with voracity, you will need to address the underlying cause. Determine the reason why the dog is stressed or anxious and address it accordingly. For dogs that simply eat too quickly, you can use anti-voracity dog food dishes to help them slow their eating. You can also train them with specialized mats or interactive toys to help slacken the pace. If at all in doubt, contact a canine ethologists.

To purchase a slow feeder for your dog, you can use the link below:

Also related to stress and anxiety, pica syndrome is a behavioral disorder which can happen to both people and animals. It is a compulsive disorder which causes the dog to eat things which are not food, often in the form of wood, metal or dirt, among almost anything else. A dog playing in the park may end up swallowing a piece of wood after chewing on it or may drink from a muddy puddle, but this is not pica. In pica, the animal consumes the materials completely consciously and voluntarily. They normally do so in large quantities or very frequently.

When a dog eats inedible material, they will suffer digestion. This can lead to stomach upset and vomiting. If the dog has eaten a brown material such as dirt or even feces, this can appear in their vomit. Another worry is that they have ingested something sharp or something which causes a blockage. In this case, the material can damage tissues and rupture blood vessels, resulting in hematemesis. This can cause dark brown vomit in the dog.

What to do if a dog has pica syndrome

You will need to ensure the dog has pica and has not simply eaten something by accident. It is even relatively common for a dog to eat feces without it being a pathological or emotional issue. If a veterinarian confirms pica, you will need to assess their emotional well-being and address their needs. This may require the help of a professional ethologist. You will need to work on modifying their behavior, as well as ensuring their environment is conducive to their well-being.

Intestinal obstruction occurs when an animal eats something which then becomes a foreign body. This can them become stuck in their digestive tract, often in the jejunum of their small intestine. This can completely or partially obstruct the passage of food and water. Obstructions can cause damage to the intestinal wall, which becomes inflamed or even perforated. This can lead to life-threatening peritonitis.

Vomiting is one of the main symptoms of an obstruction and is usually recurrent. This means the dog vomits repeatedly over a period of several days if the problem is not treated. This vomit can be yellowish to brown in color, depending on what the animal has previously consumed and whether or not there is blood present.

What to do if my dog has intestinal obstruction

Intestinal blockages in dogs are very dangerous, so the best thing to do is try to prevent them. Always keep your dog away from garbage cans or any objects that they might accidentally swallow, e.g. socks or balls that are too small. Never give them cooked bones and always supervise when chewing on treats, toys, sticks, etc.

If you suspect your dog may have swallowed something or you see that they are starting to vomit brown, don't hesitate. An obstruction can be successfully resolved with laxatives, endoscopy or surgery if it has only recently occurred. If too much time passes, the intestine can become necrotic or rupture, which can be fatal for the dog.

You can discover more about gastrointestinal problems which cause bleeding with our article on why a dog has blood in their stool.

Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach) and gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestine) are some of the most common causes of brown vomit in a dog. In the vast majority of cases, they have a good prognosis. These inflammations can affect any dog, regardless of age. They are usually caused by:

• Contact with irritating substances
• Ingestion of certain drugs
• Parasitic infestations
• Viral or bacterial infections
• Consequence of other pre-existing pathologies

A dog with gastroenteritis is reluctant to eat and may adopt various postures to help reduce discomfort. A dog vomiting with diarrhea is also very common. In this case, the color of the vomit can change depending on the cause, as well as what they have been eating. Dogs with gastroenteritis will have a sensitive stomach and often vomit after eating. In these cases, the dog's vomit will be brown.

What to do if a dog has gastroenteritis

If your dog is in discomfort when their belly touched and has vomited on occasion, you can try taking away their food. Fasting for 24 hours can often be enough to let their stomach settle. You can then feed them a soft diet for dogs with gastritis and help them recover gradually. If the vomiting persists after this time or the symptoms worsen, you will need to speak to a veterinarian for diagnosis.

Other symptoms of gastroenteritis can occur along with brown vomit. Our article on why a dog has mucus in their stool explains more.

Intestinal parasites in dogs are usually eliminated through the stool. This often contains some blood as a result of the ulcers and lesions that many of these parasites are capable of causing in the intestinal mucosa when they feed. If the parasitosis is extensive and causes a lot of discomfort in the dog, it may also lead to vomiting. This is often as a result of being unable to digest food properly. If this vomit is accompanied by blood, the color may be dark brown.

It is quite common in puppies that have not yet completed their preventive deworming treatment. In many cases, the owners are able to see the parasites themselves in the puppy's vomit, which are usually shaped like a worm or a grain of rice.

What to do if a dog has parasitosis

If this is the cause of brown vomit in your dog, you should know that a very serious infestation can cause serious problems for the animal. This can even lead to profuse anemia due to continued bleeding. Fortunately, most parasitosis that domestic dogs suffer from do not reach such drastic levels and the treatment consists simply of carrying out a correct oral deworming regimen. This will require using the specific product indicated by the veterinarian and repeating the treatment after 15 days.

To prevent this from happening again, you will need to establish a deworming schedule with the veterinarian. This is something which should be established when they are a puppy, but it is never too late to start.

As we can when a dog is vomiting brown liquid or solid material, it can help us to determine the underlying cause and subsequent treatment. Check out our related articles on a dog vomiting black liquid and a dog vomiting yellow to learn about others.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to My Dog Has Brown Vomit, we recommend you visit our Intestinal problems category.