My dog has esophagitis and is vomiting blood. Should I be worried?

Hello. A small amount of blood in vomitus may simply indicate that a small blood vessel, like a capillary, ruptured during the vomiting act. If it occurs again, it might be a good idea to find out if there are any issues or lesions either in the esophagus or upper part of the stomach. You indicate that Sonny is less than 2 years of age, so I would nor expect anything too serious, such as cancer, but the presence of an inflammatory or erosive lesion is a possibility. Your veterinarian may be able to examine the upper part of Sonny's esophagus under light sedation, or he may need to be thoroughly scoped to examine the lower part of the esophagus & stomach. Either way, just keep a watchful eye on him for any further episodes of vomiting, with or without the presence of any blood. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can definitely see that Koda's vomit is reddish in color and has some red flecks in it. It is possible that the vomit has blood in it, though I would not expect it to have flecks in it. It is possible that Koda ate something that was red/pink in color that made his vomit this color. However, even the possibility of blood in vomit is cause for concern as this can be caused by stomach ulcers, foreign bodies, or certain toxins. I recommend keeping a very close eye on Koda, and having her examined immediately if this happens again or your believe you are seeing something that looks like frank blood or dark coffee grounds in her vomit. She should also be seen immediately if you think there is a chance that she may have eaten something she shouldn't have or has gotten into human medications. Until she can be seen by a vet tomorrow, I recommend not giving her any food and only offering small amounts of water. There are emergency clinics in most cities that are open 24 hours. I hope this helps and that all is well with Koda!

Bloody vomitus is concerning. It can indicate a gastric ulcer or a very inflamed stomach wall. Since she has just had the one episode you can keep an eye on her for now. However, if the bloody vomit continues (like more than 3 times tonight), then I would recommend taking her to the ER. Do not feed her any more tonight and let her have small amounts of water if she can keep it down. If she is not back to herself in the next 24 hours then I would recommend taking her in to your regular vet tomorrow to be checked out.

If it was a one time instance, then yes, it should be OK to just watch him right now. I do think he should see a vet for sure if it happens again - bloody vomit is not a good sign. If you have some on hand, you can give him oral Omeprazole 10mg once per day. It would be a good idea. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I doubt the worm caused the bleeding, but some dogs with large amounts of intestinal parasites can actually vomit them up from the stomach. Small spots of blood usually indicated irritation to the esophagus. I would continue to monitor Mex for any decrease in appetite or energy level, and see a vet if that occurs or if the vomiting continues.

If she is vomiting blood, it is best if she is treated by an ER vet. The more she continues to vomit, the worse it can become. It may be a sign of an obstruction or may be an ulcer from something else.

Poor Lady! Eating tissue paper should not normally cause any significant issues unless she ate a very large amount, so this is probably not related. Vomiting blood is always a very serious concern, so I would recommend taking Lady to the vet right away for an exam. She may have internal bleeding due to a stomach ulcer or foreign body, a GI illness such as pancreatitis or HGE (hemorrhagic gastroenteritis), or may have gotten into something toxic. Your vet can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment right away.