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Gastritis in Dogs
What are Gastritis?
If your pet is suffering from excessive vomiting, consult your veterinarian. An examination may reveal that the gastric mucosa is inflamed. This may cause complications such as irritation, infection, ulceration, and blockage of gastric function. The secretion of gastric acid will be elevated as well. When the condition is severe, your dog may continue to vomit on a daily basis without relief, thus becoming a chronic condition due to the stomach becoming inflamed. 
An endoscopy will be one of the tests performed during the diagnostic process; the withholding of food and the administration of gastroprotectants may be required in order to cease the gastritis.
Gastritis is an acute or chronic syndrome that causes vomiting  and gastrointestinal inflammation. This may result in gastrointestinal upset that exhibits a wide range of symptoms.
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Gastritis Average Cost
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Average Cost
$400

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Symptoms of Gastritis in Dogs
Most dogs that suffer from gastritis will experience extensive vomiting. The vomit may contain yellowish, foamy bile. This is especially true if the stomach is empty. Often, blood or food may be seen in the vomitus, particularly if your dog has partaken in consuming inappropriate foodstuffs. You might notice your pet gagging or breathing heavily after eating or drinking and your pet will have some tenderness around the stomach area when being picked up. Your dog will have no energy for movement and possibly a loss of appetite. Your dog may become dehydrated if persistent vomiting lasts more that 24 hours.
  • Vomit with blood, bile, food, or froth
  • Lethargy
  • Painful abdomen
  • Hunching of back in an attempt to ease abdominal discomfort
Types
Gastritis can be classified as acute or chronic. Acute cases are often secondary to inflammation. Chronic gastritis may be seen with conditions such as allergy or parasitic infection.
Causes of Gastritis in Dogs
There are several possible reasons for the vomiting that your pet is experiencing. For that reason, your veterinarian will try to conduct different tests to rule out certain causes and conditions such as:
  • Tumors
  • Foreign bodies
  • Systemic infections
  • Poisoning
  • Pancreatitis
  • Parvovirus
  • Neoplasia
  • Dietary indiscretion
Diagnosis of Gastritis in Dogs
Gastritis has to be diagnosed through exclusion. Your veterinarian will seek to eliminate other conditions that show the same clinical symptoms prior to the final diagnosis. The initial step to determine the signs is to examine your pet’s medical history. From the dog’s medical history and information provided by you, the veterinarian will be able to assess specific things such as:
  • Existing diet such as how your dog is fed and the frequency
  • All the foods that your pet consumed within the last two days
  • All, if any dog treats eaten
  • Exposure to medications, pesticides or household cleaning agents
  • Exposure to a new dog in the household
  • Any serious illness within a period of one month or more
  • Any past episodes of diarrhea and vomiting
  • Any supplements taken within the last month
With the medical history and knowing more about your pet, the veterinarian will conduct a physical exam. Your veterinarian will be looking for any evidence of abdominal tenderness or pain, dehydration, gas, fever, bloating or swelling. Diagnostic tests will be done and these could include:
  • CBC or complete blood count to look for infection and dehydration
  • Urinalysis to detect urinary tract infection, diabetes, or kidney disease
  • Abdominal radiograph to look for anything abnormal in the stomach such as intestinal obstruction
  • Ultrasound or endoscopy to obtain a detailed view of the stomach
Treatment of Gastritis in Dogs
The first choice of treatment for gastritis is restoring the level of blood electrolytes and re-hydrating your pet. IV fluids will be administered in this case. Antibiotics will also be administered if there are severe clinical signs of infection observed. 
Prescribed medication (anti-emetics) will be given to counteract the vomiting. If your dog has a condition such as chronic colitis, the veterinarian may prescribe a motility agent to modify this condition.
Your veterinarian may withhold water and food during the first phase of treatment, after which these will be gradually reintroduced. In the interim, ice chips will be used to start the fluid intake orally. A mild diet fed to your dog in small quantities and frequently may be prescribed.

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Recovery of Gastritis in Dogs
Most of the acute cases of gastritis will usually have a good prognosis after your pet has received adequate hydration. If there is no improvement within two days of receiving treatment, the veterinarian may want to reassess the situation. Chronic vomiting will cease with the elimination of the cause. Depending on your pet’s condition at time of evaluation, he may need to remain in the hospital until the veterinarian assesses him as stable enough to return home. Specific instructions will be given as to medications, if needed, and the reintroduction of food.
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Gastritis Average Cost
From 518 quotes ranging from $300 - $500
Average Cost
$400
Top
Gastritis Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Sheltie Mix
Mica
8 Years

0 found this helpful

0 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
My dog has been suffering from intermittent vomiting for 3 months. She has a history of ingesting many things throughout her life and liver failure as a puppy. The X-ray showed gastritis with no obstruction labs were normal. She has been on Pepcid twice a day and special GI food Royal Canin for 3 months. I tried to wean off the Pepcid but she vomited thick yellow frothy. I restarted the Pepcid and tried to wean the GI food to another diet food with low fat high fiber and she vomited indigested food again. I want to change her food because the Royal Canin is getting expensive. What diet would you recommend? BM are normal and behavior is normal.
June 20, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Science Diet makes a food for sensitive stomachs. I'm not sure if she'll be able to tolerate it, but many dogs can. You can buy it at most pet stores. Please check with your veterinarian to make sure that it is an appropriate diet for Mica, since I don't know any details about her health concerns.
June 20, 2018
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Australian Shepherd Hound Cross
Lyric
4 Years

14 found this helpful

14 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea
Dehydration
My dog has had gastritis in the past, and I had to take her to the vet for a severe episode a few months ago. She got into the garbage a few days ago, and it has triggered another reaction. Now that I know what it is, I fast her for 24 hours and have reintroduced a 1/3 boiled chicken and 2/3 white rice food. This is her second day eating it and she’s a lot more perky today with no vomit. She’s not needing to go the bathroom as frequently either, but I don’t know how much to give her and don’t want to give her too much or too little. How often and how much of the bland food should I give my 30lb Aussie mix?
March 31, 2018
14 Recommendations
Generally I recommend feeding a bland diet four times per day, reducing to three times per day after a day or two; after another day or two you can try to wean Lyric over to the regular dog food slowly and monitor for any gastrointestinal upset. Each dog is different and Lyric may require a slower approach. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
March 31, 2018
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boxer cross
Barney
18 Months

5 found this helpful

5 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
My dog vomits frequently, specially as soon as he finishes eating. He then eats a lot of grass and then vomits repeatedly. The vomit is chunky- the food hasn't had time to digest. Our vet said it's gastritis gave him some medicine and it worked for a short time, but as soon as the medication ended he started vomiting again. This has been going on for a couple of months now.We're really worried. Any help would be highly appreciated.
March 4, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
5 Recommendations
Thank you for your email. There can be many reasons for GI upset in dogs, including parasites, dietary indiscretion, food intolerance, or a foreign body. Since the treatment did help, it would be a good idea to follow up with your veterinarian, as they can examine him and determine what he needs a long term change to control these signs. I hope that everything goes well for him.
March 4, 2018
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Peekapoo
Sparky
8 Years

7 found this helpful

7 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Not Eating That Much
Our peekaboo Sparky was diagnosed with gastritis. The vet that I saw stated that we could give him Pepcid. Sparky was doing good. But not lately he’s been getting bad and the acid in his mouth you could almost smell it . He been lately throwing up pile. been throwing up pile. He doesn’t drinks water. We bringing water to him to drink.
Jan. 12, 2018

Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
7 Recommendations
Thank you for your email. It seems that Sparky's signs are deteriorating and he may be getting worse then when he was originally seen by your veterinarian. It would be a good idea to have a recheck for him, and have him re-evaluated to make sure there isn't more treatment that he needs, or lab work that might need to be done for him. I hope that he is okay.
Jan. 12, 2018
Did Sparky get better? I'm doing research on different ailments in dogs since 2 vets are not getting him to fell better after 2 months. Still vomiting and feeling crappy. Was wondering how Sparky did on the pepcid??
March 8, 2018
Diane M.
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Labradoddle
Hollie
7 Years

7 found this helpful

7 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting Blood
My 50 lb labradoodle ate 400mg of ibuprofen last night. I found out about 1 hour after ingestion, and when I called the Pet ER, the Vet suggested giving her hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. We did. After about an hour she vomited about 3 times which was primarily food, then it was more foamy bile. She acted fine after this and slept through the night. She vomited the next morning after eating breakfast. She has vomited a couple more times today but her behavior is normal. Now, her vomitus is bloody. She is drinking okay and behavior remains pretty normal. Is there something we should do to treat her for the ibuprofen ingestion? Is gastritis the worse result we should expect from this? What should we do to treat her gastritis? I read to withhold food for 24-48 hours. Any needed medications? Can dogs take zantac or prilosec or is there a pet version? aswaugaman@hotmail.com
Dec. 16, 2017
7 Recommendations
If Hollie ingested 400mg of ibuprofen I would recommend fluid therapy to be on the safe side and you can give famotidine at 0.25mg/lb twice per day. The effects of ibuprofen poisoning take a day or so to present with acute renal failure, whilst a 50lb dog should be in a good position size wise I would stay on the side of caution; the vomiting should pass but you should visit your regular Veterinarian for a once over especially if Hollie is vomiting blood. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Dec. 16, 2017
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Pit bull Boston terrier mix
Maya
2 Years

0 found this helpful

0 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea
Not Eating
Gas
Bloating
My dog maya got into a partial bag of the blue buffalo training treats and had some pizza crusts. She also had a pretty good zoomie session with my friends dog and is now bloated, she’s burping and farting, both of which smell terrible but otherwise acting normal, I’ve been massaging her belly to help trapped gasses move around and I gave her a Pepto tablet here about an hour ago to see if that would help at all. I spoke with a vet and she said as long as she’s not lethargic and is drinking water she should be ok, Any other advice?
Beagle
Paulie
12 Days

0 found this helpful

0 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
My dog has been vomiting up bile and foam intermitedly. He’s had blood work done, x-rays, stool samples tested, etc. with no clear answers. I feed him 3 small meals a day, including or early in the morning, and one as late at night as possible. His vet suggested switching him to Hills’ Prescription Diet for sensitive stomachs, but it hasn’t seemed to help. I’ve cooked him plain chicken breast, sweet potato, and plain salmon. I’ve started making him white rice and chicken broth to try and settle his stomach, and for a few days it seemed to work. He seemed fine up until yesterday, when he got sick with bile and foam out of the blue, multiple times. Even if he’s had all of the usual tests, is there something else I can try?
Rat Terrier
Demi
4 Years

0 found this helpful

0 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
My dog is a rat terrier mix. She has been throwing up once every night. She has normal behavior during the day. This has been going on for a couple of weeks now. She really only does it after eating. Only once she’s done it and it was all bile. I’ve done the fasting and feeding her small portions of rice, hand feeding her so she won’t eat too fast. It hasn’t really been working. I wish I could take her to the vet but I can’t afford it. I need some advice on how I can take care of her at home. I love this girl to death and hate that I don’t know how to help her.
Gastritis Average Cost
From 518 quotes ranging from $300 - $500
Average Cost
$400

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