Does Your Dog Have Gastroenteritis or Something Else?

Gastroenteritis in dogs was the third most common PD Insurance claim in 2023. It was also the sixth most claimed health condition for cats. If your dog is suddenly vomiting and/or experiencing diarrhoea it could be gastro; so too if the symptoms are long term and persistent. Because we know it’s difficult to know what’s gastro and what’s not, we hope to help shine some light via this article.

In 2023, our average claim for gastroenteritis in dogs was $789. However, one vet bill came to $12,630, of which PD Insurance paid the Classic Plan annual benefit limit of $10,000*, less the customer’s small excess.

Depending on the severity, if your dog has gastroenteritis they could require vet treatment. As you can see from the triple zeros above, dog vomiting and diarrhoea can be pretty serious, both for pets and pockets. Scroll down to find out more about symptoms, causes and treatment of gastroenteritis in dogs.

What is gastroenteritis in dogs?

Gastroenteritis, or gastro as we commonly refer to it, is inflammation of a dog’s stomach and small intestine. It can cause vomiting or diarrhoea in dogs as well as a combination of both.

That said, if your dog is just vomiting, this could also be gastritis – something that only affects the stomach.

Gastro means ‘stomach’ and enteritis is inflammation of the small intestine. Put them together and we’re talking about irritation and inflammation of both the tummy and small intestine.

Gastroenteritis in dogs can be further separated into two types: acute and chronic.

Acute and chronic gastroenteritis in dogs

Gastroenteritis in dogs is no fun at all, for them or you. If your dog is vomiting and/or pooping more than usual (not the normal rounds of toileting or regurgitation dogs tend to do) they could need your help by taking them to the vet.

• Acute gastroenteritis. Acute gastroenteritis develops suddenly and can disappear just as quickly. That said, there are times when acute onset gastroenteritis in dogs worsens, resulting in the need for vet care.

• Chronic gastroenteritis. On the other hand, while your dog may occasionally vomit or have loose stool, if it’s ongoing they may very well have chronic gastroenteritis. Chronic gastroenteritis can be ongoing for long periods of time – days, weeks and even months – and could represent underlying illness.

Gastro can mean lots of things for your pup’s health, from the need for hydration to the need to treat a severe underlying illness.

Gastroenteritis in dogs: the symptoms

We’ve mentioned a few of the main symptoms of gastroenteritis in dogs, namely your dog vomiting or pooping much more than normal. As you can imagine, tummy and intestinal inflammation along with a dog vomiting and having diarrhoea will have several other knock-on effects.

Here we’ve listed a more extensive set of symptoms caused by gastroenteritis in dogs:

• Appetite loss
• Diarrhoea
• Dry nose / eyes / gums (with thicker saliva than normal)
• Gagging / dry heaving
• Lethargy (because of not eating and/or a sore tummy)
• Mild fever
• Panting (because of dehydration)
• Vomiting

A dog may have one or more of these symptoms in combination. Once your dog begins vomiting and empties their stomach, given the lack of appetite, they will end up vomiting bile (a yellow, foamy acidic liquid).

Read why dogs eat grass (then vomit) for more on this mysterious behaviour.

Causes of gastroenteritis in pets

Several different types of causes can result in gastroenteritis in dogs. For example, it can be caused by a virus (like parvo), allergy or bacteria. As mentioned, it can also be symptomatic of a more serious health condition like kidney or liver disease or cancer in dogs. Any of these can affect dog gut health.

Here’s a more extensive list of causes for dog diarrhoea and vomiting:

• Abdominal disorders
• Accidental ingestion of toxins (medicine, rotten food, poisonous creatures and more)
• Allergies
• Bacterial infection
• Cancer
• Eating raw or undercooked food
• Infections (UTI for example)
• Liver or kidney failure
• Parasites
• Ulcers
• Virus (such as COVID-19 in animals)

Although this list is fairly long and gives you a good starting point, there are many other possible health issues that can cause gastroenteritis in our darling dogs. If your dog starts vomiting and has diarrhoea take note of anything unusual such as new foods, medicines or activities and contact your vet to let them know.

How do you treat gastroenteritis in dogs?

Because there are so many potential different reasons for gastro, the treatment varies according to the diagnosis. For example, it may be as simple as stopping feeding for 24 hours to allow the gastrointestinal tract to settle. Or your vet might recommend changing their diet and/or prescription medication.

Keep in mind that pet insurance can help to pay for testing, treatment, medication and more when it comes to unexpected vet trips. What’s good for your pet can be good for your pocket.

Dehydration is common with gastroenteritis in pets, so if your pet’s dehydrated your vet may give them fluids via intravenous drip. They may also ask to keep your fur baby in the clinic if their condition is severe (happily pet insurance can also help cover overnight stays). If this is the case, ask your vet for further advice on how to best care for pup once they return home to speed up the recovery period.

If the gastroenteritis is a symptom of a more serious underlying condition, such as kidney failure or cancer, your vet will work together with you on the next steps in treating your furry friend.

Can you prevent dog vomiting and gastro?

As with us peeps, there’s no guarantee of preventing gastroenteritis in pets. Where you can play a role in reducing risk and fortifying their health is via vaccinations and nutrition.

• Vaccinations. Always keep up to date with your pet vaccinations, puppy worming and flea treatment. Keep in mind that treatment for a range of illness that can be vaccinated against will be covered by pet insurance – if your pet has been vaccinated. Vaccinations are also important for dogs that interact with other pets in parks, puppy training, doggy daycare and kennels.
• Pet food. The right dog and puppy food can literally change your dog’s quality of life as nutrition plays a big role in a healthy stomach and gastrointestinal tract. It’s worth noting inappropriate dietary choices are often at the heart of gastroenteritis in dogs.

We also recommend keeping unsuitable human foods out of their reach. Same for other household dangers. Read about the Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, Hazel, who nearly died after swallowing pills she managed to get off a high shelf. A similar thing happened with another registered dog breeder’s pet Piper, who swallowed rat bait.

Luckily, both pups had pet insurance, so their owners didn’t bat an eyelash about rushing them off to the vet. The costs were back of mind so they could focus on their fur kids.

Get award winning dog insurance, early

Whether it’s your dog vomiting from gastro or getting ill, injured or needing a broken tooth seen to, it’s a good idea to get pet insurance before you need it. Insurance can’t cover conditions that start before you take out a policy (pre-existing conditions in dogs), so getting it sooner than later means that if and when problems arise you’ll have a soft landing in place.

Pet insurance can help cover dental, illness and accident diagnosis, medicine and treatment costs – from surgery to X-rays and more. You choose the level of cover your pet likely benefits from the most and that suits your pocket.

Choose multi award winning dog insurance and cat insurance with PD Insurance. We’ll give you one or more months of pet insurance FREE. Click below to start your quote.

* Please note, cover limits vary by plan and maximum per-claim limits may apply.