Why is my dog sick after he eats?

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Do you find that your dog is often sick straight after he has eaten his food? Vet Roberta Baxter offers her advice on how to help prevent him from vomiting...

Q) I have a three-year-old Jack Russell. After he has eaten his food he whines and whimpers, then vomits. Usually he then eats his vomit and he's fine. I've tried anti-gulping dishes and I'm now down to hand-feeding him. This has to be done very slowly to prevent him vomiting.

A) Vet Roberta Baxter says: Some dogs have quite small stomachs and can't cope when they are full. Your dog may be experiencing pain as his food swells after eating, and then vomiting as the stomach becomes over-full.

As well as slowing his feeding, maybe you should split his food into several (say four) small meals daily. Feeding a mostly wet food, or moistening kibble, may reduce swelling in the stomach and avoid him becoming over-full.

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There are also medicines that can be used to aid digestion, and to prevent inflammation of the stomach wall. If the problem does not resolve rapidly then get your dog checked out to ensure that there is no underlying problem, and to determine the most effective treatment.

Top tip

Check the label of your dog food which should tell you how much to feed your dog, based on his size.