Dog Continues Vomiting After Fall: Possible Causes and
Understanding Why a Dog Keeps Vomiting After a Fall
When a dog suddenly starts vomiting, it's often accompanied by abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weakness, constipation, and repeated episodes of vomiting. These symptoms are commonly associated with conditions like intestinal obstruction, volvulus, or intussusception.
Neurogenic vomiting and canine distemper, which can cause damage to the brain, may also lead to a dog's unsteady gait, stumbling, vomiting, seizures, circling, abnormal standing postures, unsteady gait, and even spasms in the chewing muscles and limbs.
Concussion and contusion of the brain in dogs are acute brain conditions caused by a forceful impact on the skull. These injuries are categorized as brain contusions when there are visible changes, and as concussions when there are no morphological changes. They often result from a blow to the head during a car accident, intentional head trauma, or from a sudden fall to the ground or a fall from a height.
After an injury, the dog may immediately fall into a coma, lose consciousness, and experience a decrease or loss of reflexes. The pulse may become rapid and irregular, breathing may weaken or become uneven, and there may be incontinence of feces and urine. Vomiting is common, and examination may reveal signs of head trauma or evidence of violence.
In the initial stages of treatment, a cold compress can be applied to the head, and injections of hemostatic agents or antihemorrhagic drugs can be administered to stop bleeding. A 20% mannitol solution can be administered intravenously, along with a high dose of dexamethasone (1mg per kilogram of body weight) to prevent and treat brain edema. For dogs with neurological symptoms, chlorpromazine (1mg per kilogram of body weight) can be administered intramuscularly. During treatment, it's crucial to provide intensive care to promote recovery.
In this particular case, the dog's vomiting following a fall suggests a higher likelihood of a brain concussion rather than neurogenic canine distemper, which is more common in the later stages of the disease.
