It's so rewarding watching your happy, healthy puppy bounding around, having fun and enjoying life. However, at some stage nearly all puppies are going to experience a bout of vomiting or diarrhea. Often there is nothing to worry about. Puppies and grown up dogs have sensitive stomachs and can vomit in reaction to something very minor. Alternatively it could be an indication of something more serious. There are many reasons why a puppy may vomit or suffer from diarrhea and some of the following causes can help you decide whether or not you should seek medical help.


Travel sickness

It's very common for puppies to become sick when traveling in a car. There are a few reasons for this. While all dogs can suffer from motion sickness, this is more prevalent in puppies who easily become anxious and form negative associations with car travel. For instance, being removed from their mother and taken to their new home, driven to the vet or a boarding kennels isn't likely to instill happy memories.

Diet

Puppies are into everything and will happily experiment with eating almost anything they come across. Fortunately, in most cases they won't come to much harm but some things, a foreign object for instance, can make them vomit. If they don't, it may cause an obstruction leading to internal pain or a blockage. However, the most usual reasons for mild diarrhea and vomiting in puppies is caused by stress, eating the wrong food or a change in their diet. Swapping their usual food from say, wet to dry or switching to a raw food diet can make them throw up or have loose stools.

Diseases

Two of the most dangerous diseases for puppies are hepatitis and parvovirus (a highly contagious viral gastroenteritis). Both these diseases are life threatening and result in severe vomiting and diarrhea. However, your puppy should have immunity as both are included in their early vaccinations.

Medication

Sometimes medication can trigger an unwanted reaction in puppies and result in vomiting or diarrhea. For instance, some antibiotics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) can result in diarrhea. If your puppy has recently begun a course of treatment or is taking any other oral medication that seems to have triggered the reaction, you should contact your vet immediately as it is likely to reduce the effectiveness of the medication.

Parasites and worms

A puppy that’s infected with large amounts of worms, in particular roundworm or whipworm can result in diarrhea and/or vomiting. Worms can damage the gut causing mucous-filled, tar-like diarrhea. You may also be able to spot the worms in anything they expel.

Young puppies can be vulnerable to coccidia or giardia, organisms that live in the intestinal tracts of dogs and cats. Because the immune systems of puppies aren’t fully developed, these organisms can rapidly multiply. The most common symptom is diarrhea which can be mild or severe with blood and mucous present.  It may also be accompanied by vomiting.

When to seek help from the vet

A sick puppy can be extremely distressing for both puppy and owner. Dogs have a strong vomiting reflex so often it's just a one-off episode and shouldn't cause any lasting damage. However, puppies quickly become dehydrated and their health can deteriorate rapidly if they aren't given adequate treatment. Signs that indicate a puppy may need medical attention are:

• Projectile vomiting or if it continues for longer than 24-26 hours;
• Vomit containing signs of blood (this may look like coffee grounds or appear bright red);
• Vomiting that's accompanied by groaning, whimpering or a distended belly;
• Your puppy can't keep down drinking water;
• Diarrhea that is black or with noticeable signs of blood;
• Watery or mucous filled diarrhea;
• Your puppy is suffering from both vomiting and diarrhea for longer than 24 hours;
• If your puppy becomes lethargic, has a fever or his condition rapidly worsens over 24 hours.

If any of the above symptoms are apparent in your puppy, you should seek help from your vet on the same day. Otherwise, focus on replacing lost fluids with fresh water and withhold food for between six to twelve hours. After this time you can give them small quantities of easily digestible bland food. And as long as your puppy doesn't seem to be deteriorating you should be able to monitor the situation yourself.

Thankfully, most cases of vomiting and diarrhea are mild with symptoms ceasing after a day or so. By understanding some of the main causes and knowing how to recognize whether your puppy requires medical attention can be crucial to your puppy's recovery and helping him quickly return to his usual bright and chirpy self.