My dog retched but only vomited bile. Is it bloat or indigestion?

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!

As long as she is acting ok you could monitor her for additional signs. If she starts retching, seems uncomfortable, starts drooling, is painful, or the distension persists then she should be examined by a vet. Your vet can take an X-ray to evaluate her abdomen and determine the exact cause of her problem.

These signs may be compatible with a bloat and gastric torsion, even though now there are none showing (they can restart again). I would recommend an immediate check up as this disease represents an emergency and can lead to fatal consequences.

Oh no, poor Bandit! I certainly understand being concerned about a GDV (where the stomach twists), but when dogs are suffering from that, they are unable to vomit despite trying. In a weird way, it's good he is able to vomit and has food in it. Other signs you would see include restlessness, enlarged abdomen, pacing, anxiety, and looking at the stomach a lot. Because I can't see him in person, i can't rule out the chance of a GDV, and if you are very concerned about it, certainly take him into a vet immediately. Otherwise, you can choose to monitor him and take him into a vet immediately if he starts trying to throw up but can't, or shows any of the other signs I mentioned above. Should you choose to monitor him, I can give you a home remedy to try to see if that helps. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in his normal diet. If the vomiting continues in the absence of food, he vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet right away. I hope this helps!

Hi there. I'm so sorry to hear about Bella's troubles. Wretching in Bella's case can be caused by a handful of things. She could have an infection of some kind, or have eaten something rotten or toxic. She could have ingested a piece of blanket or toy if she is the type to chew up those things. Bella could also be hacking or coughing so hard it looks like wretching. If she was recently around other dogs, she may have picked up a respiratory bug. I would have Bella checked out just to make sure nothing serious is going on. It may just be some mild that needs some medication, but it could also be something serious starting like coming from an infection or a blockage.

She may have had a bit of a gassed up stomach, which resolved by itself. She would likely not have slept through the night and would have been pacing. She would also not have felt happy enough to play ball today. I would watch her closely, and if you see her abdomen swell (sounds like a drum!) or if she starts panting and pacing, then she needs to be taken to a PetER right away as this would be an emergency.

Hello, thank you for your question about Lelo. Dry heaving/retching and producing no vomit can be a sign of a serious life-threatening condition known as GDV (or bloat). I would recommend having Lelo seen by a veterinarian immediately so that they can examine him. They will likely recommend performing an x-ray of his abdomen and determine the need for other diagnostics. Hope this helps, good luck!