My dog is dry heaving and gagging but nothing comes out. Is it bloat?

I am sorry to hear you are dealing with these concerning issues with Luey. With a history of dry heaving, vomiting and constipation I would be worried about a few different potentially serious conditions. For example, a forgein body, such as a sock, lodge in his gastrointestinal tract causing a blockage, gastric, infection and a condition called bloat. Here are the signs to watch for just in case, if you notice what seems to be the start of bloat, take Luey to the vet straight away. The sooner he receives help the better the outcome. 

Early signs;
 Acts restless
 Increased Drool 
Stomach appears swollen
 Look anxious
 Look at his stomach
 Paces
 Tries to vomit, but it is unproductive 

 As the condition progresses;
 Collapse
 Pale gums
 Be short of breath
 Feel weak
 Rapid heart rate Due to the potential seriousness of the causes of these clinical signs I would advise taking Luey to the vet as soon as you can. They will perform a physical exam and palpate his abdomen. They may also need to take X-rays to visualise what is happening with his gastrointestinal tract. Best of luck to you both.

Hi there! Thanks for letting us take care of you today! Dry heaving is concerning that can be seen with emergent conditions like gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV), especially if accompanied by a bloated abdomen, severe lethargy, collapse, pale gums and/or inappetence. Other possibilities foreign body obstruction. I recommend that you have Duke evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible if the above clinical signs are observed. Treatment recommendations will depend on the findings. A GDV is a surgical emergency that needs emergency surgery. Hoping that everything goes well with your boy!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Wrigley. I recommend that you seek emergency veterinary care for him immediately. Non-productive retching (ie. trying to vomit without bringing anything up) can be a sign of a life threatening emergency. This can occur in cases of GDV (where the stomach enlarges and twists). In this case, his belly may be large or firm to your touch. Pacing tends to indicate pain and anxiety. His breed is prone to this condition. While there could be other causes of his symptoms, this is my concern. I hope this information helps. Good luck!

No, it's not a sign of GDV. The most common disease causing this symptom is a viral/bacterial infection called Kennel cough, this disease usually resolves without treatment within a couple weeks but if the cough is too severe it is recommended to go to the vet in order to get cough medicine and antibiotics.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lilo. Some dogs with an upper respiratory tract infection can cough and gag which can look like they are trying to vomit. They can even bring up a white foamy material. Some will have eye and nose discharge as well. On the other hand, if she is retching and having abdominal contractions, but not vomiting this is worrisome, especially if her abdomen appears bloated. In this case, she would need to see her veterinarian right away. I hope this information helps!

If the vomiting was solely due to motion sickness, I would have expected it to have stopped at this point, once she was out of the car. Vomiting can have a number of causes in dogs, both related to the GI tract (parasites, intestinal blockage, foreign objects in the stomach, bacterial or viral infections) as well as non GI-related (kidney or liver issues, pancreatitis, etc). The fact that she is now dry-heaving is especially concerning, as non-productive vomiting (i.e. retching repeatedly without bringing anything up) is a common sign of the very serious GI issue known as "bloat" or "GDV". In this condition, the stomach fills with air and/or food, and then flips around, essentially blocking the entry/exit points. I would take Hannah in for veterinary care immediately, first to rule out GDV and then to get definitive diagnosis and treatment for the vomiting.

It's quite serious when a dog attempts to throw up but nothing is coming out. That can be a sign of bloat, which is a life threatening emergency in dogs. I would take Copper into a vet immediately. When a dog has bloat, it can cause their stomach to twist on it's axis, and if he does have bloat, his stomach needs to be decompressed to prevent that from happening. Other signs of bloat include an enlarged abdomen, lethargy, labored breathing, and excessive drooling. To be safe, Copper should be taken into a vet right away.