Vomiting Golden Retriever.

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for your question. This is a really tough question to answer because I can think of a great number of conditions that could be causing Kaylee to vomit. Some are serious and some are not. Unfortunately you may not be able to tell the difference between these conditions without doing more tests.

You mentioned that she hacks a bit and then vomits. I have seen some dogs where the owner thought that they were vomiting, but in reality they were coughing to the point of retching. You may want to ask your vet if there is a possibility that Kaylee has a virus like kennel cough. If this is the case then she may just get over it on her own in a few more days. Or, the vet can prescribe a cough suppressant such as hycodan.

Kennel cough wouldn't cause a high ALP. But, many dogs will just have a high ALP so this could just be normal for her.

It could also be a mild gastritis (upset stomach). Often we don't know the cause of this.

Pancreatitis is another possibility which would be more serious. But if she is eating then this is less likely.

Any time a Golden is vomiting I wonder about a foreign object as many of them like to eat things that they shouldn't. This is why one of the next steps, if she is not getting better, is to have xrays done. Hopefully it is not a foreign object because she may need surgery if it is.

Some of the more serious causes for vomiting like kidney disease or liver disease should cause us to see more changes in the bloodwork.

The other fear that I have with Goldens is for some type of cancer as this breed can be more prone to cancer. However, sudden vomiting is not usually a sign of cancer. I would usually expect to see just a slow decline and lack of appetite and weight loss. This makes me think that cancer is less likely.

It sounds like your vet is doing the same things that I would do. I think that if she is not improving then having some xrays done would be a good next step. And again, I think it's worthwhile to ask your vet if kennel cough is possible. You can read more information here about kennel cough. That article also includes videos of coughing dogs that you can compare to see if Kaylee is doing anything similar.

I hope things improve soon!

Dr. Marie.


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

---

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Dr. Marie replied:

Interesting. I can't say that I have ever seen a dog with esophageal paralysis.

However, if she is improving this really does make it sound like it was some sort of viral thing. I am still guessing that this was kennel cough but your vet obviously has a better vantage point than I do.

I hope she continues to improve!

Dr. Marie.