Vomiting and regurgitation are common occurrences in dogs, but they can be happily resolved with the help of complementary medicine.
Vomiting? Regurgitation after eating? Our dogs are often prone to problems of this kind which, if sporadic, should not cause alarm, but must always be addressed with a clear understanding of what is happening and with specific remedies. Vomiting and regurgitation are not synonyms for the same symptom, but are distinctly different events. As are the causes that bring them about. Let us look at both with the help of experts.
Vomiting is caused by the rapid, involuntary contraction of the abdominal muscles and by an antiperistaltic wave that originates in the jejunum (the first segment of the intestine) and triggers the opening of the cardia (the valve connecting the oesophagus and the stomach). The contents of the stomach are thus expelled outward. "Vomiting in dogs is preceded by a first phase characterised by nausea, which can manifest as lethargy, increased salivation, refusal of food, and frequent lip-licking. Nausea may be followed by retching, involuntary contractions of the abdominal muscles and diaphragm. These precede the phase in which the stomach contents are expelled through the mouth. The causes can be of various kinds — originating, for example, in the gastrointestinal tract, or arising from problems in other organs such as the pancreas, the liver, or the kidneys," explains Dr Anna Maria Ubbiali, veterinary surgeon and specialist in veterinary homoeopathy.
Regurgitation, on the other hand, is a passive phenomenon in which the abdominal muscles are not involved, and it is not preceded by retching or nausea. "Passively, the contents of the stomach or oesophagus rise back towards the mouth. The most frequent cause is an oesophageal dysfunction, but more rarely we may see a congenital persistence of the aortic arch or a systemic condition such as myasthenia that involves it," adds Ubbiali.
Sporadic vomiting, not accompanied by lethargy and loss of appetite, usually does not conceal an organic cause. There are dogs that are easily excitable and suffer from it frequently for various reasons: a female in heat, the excitement of the owner's return or the anticipation of going out with them, a change in routine — especially around mealtimes. "It can happen that dogs regurgitate immediately after eating or drinking too voraciously and quickly. This is why it is important to take certain precautions at mealtimes: meals should take place in a quiet spot, free from excessive noise, without too many people around — particularly strangers — or other dogs that are not well known to them or with whom there is a noted competitiveness over food," says Dr Serena Ribolzi, veterinary surgeon.
It would also be ideal to avoid giving meals immediately after a walk or play session, allowing our four-legged friend a little time to rest and calm down — perhaps lying in their bed or in a quiet place. Even a prolonged fast can trigger regurgitation of gastric juices, and for this reason it is important to divide the daily diet into several meals that are not spaced too far apart when the dog is going through periods of excitement or stress.
With homoeopathy it is possible to investigate vomiting not only in terms of the triggering cause and the way it presents, but also by taking into account the individual displaying the symptom. "If the dog is a glutton — perhaps greedy and sometimes inclined to steal food not meant for them — homoeopathic remedies such as calcarea carbonica, natrum carbonicum and magnesia carbonica can be resolving. If, however, the greediness is associated with a strong guarding of resources (particularly food) and a marked irritability in the presence of perceived competitors, other remedies are considered, such as ipecacuanha, nux vomica, veratrum and china," clarifies Anna Maria Ubbiali.
In this case, in any event, the mischievous four-legged friend can be helped by being fed alone and in a quiet place, away from other dogs, children and strangers. "Several individuals that generally have a very good appetite may vomit immediately after a meal from having ingested too much food. In these cases, homoeopathy suggests remedies such as antimonium crudum, lycopodium, phosphorus, ferrum, natrum muriaticum, pulsatilla, bryonia. For dogs that, instead, eat a great deal and very quickly, one can opt for sulphuricum acidum, coffea and zincum. Finally, there are animals in whom strong emotional tension is an important factor in increasing the frequency of vomiting. Remedies such as ignatia, nux vomica, coffea and colocynthis then come to our aid," the expert adds.
The induction of vomiting is the consequence of the activation of the central and peripheral nervous system and of various components of the gut-brain axis by pro-emetic substances. "Some studies have highlighted how endocannabinoid substances (produced naturally by the body) interact with certain receptors of the central nervous system, reducing the sensation of nausea. For this reason, cannabis-based preparations containing cbd are used not only to reduce the problem, but also to stimulate appetite, thanks to their muscle-relaxant action on the smooth muscle of the stomach and intestine," clarifies Dr Ribolzi.
Speaking of phytotherapy, there are other plants that are extremely useful for nausea and digestive disorders. "Take, for example, the ficus carica glyceric preparation (the common fig), which possesses soothing properties on the gastric mucosa, counteracting the excessive acidity of gastric juices, and has a calming and spasmolytic action. Ficus carica also acts on those disorders that have an anxiety-related basis, as does tilia tomentosa, which has a very marked action on anxiety, spasms, insomnia and palpitations," Ribolzi concludes.
In any case, a visit to the vet and an accurate diagnosis of symptoms helps in the treatment and becomes essential to restoring wellbeing and health to the small patient. Self-treatment, as always, is to be ruled out, and consulting an expert is fundamental.