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My dog is vomiting, has stomach issues. What to expect from a barium test?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My 8 month old lab was acting lazy, did not eat it's food, and was vomitting. I decided to go to the vet at 11am. X-rays shows she had either swallowed something or there is inflamation in her stomach the shape of a tennis ball. At 3pm today they told us they were going to run a barium test. I called at 10:30pm to get an update. was told there was a shift change and that my dog would be staying over night. I feel like communication has been horrible. What should I think or be prepared for?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on May 21st, 2017

I am sorry you aren't happy with the level of communication you are receiving. I can't really speak intelligently about what is going on at your hosiptal, but I can tell you the usefulness of the barium test. Typically, the barium series is run over a course of either 4, 6, or 8 hours. A contrast medium is force fed to the patient, which allows us to serially monitor the movement of fluids through the GI tract. If there is a structural obstruction or GI motility issue, this is usually a great diagnostic tool in telling us exactly where the issue is arising. Depending on the problem they may find, some of these issues are surgical while others are medically treatable. For instance, if there is a GI blockage, they often have to enter surgically to correct the issue. If there is just some sort of medical issue that is delaying the emptying of the stomach or preventing intestinal contractions, medications can often resolve this type of problem. I wouldn't worry too much until you have something definitive to worry about! Lets wait and see what the results are first.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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