Tests are necessary to diagnose these diseases. Inflammatory bowel diseases of unknown origin can also cause diarrhea. This complex of diseases can affect either the small or large intestine and can be managed with diet and with drugs in some cases. However, there is no cure. Vomiting should not be confused with regurgitation, the spitting up of food shortly after a meal.
Vomiting involves retching stomach contractions that forcefully expel food from the stomach.
It is preceded by restlessness, salivation, and licking the lips. Unproductive retching is a danger signal the dog could have torsion, a condition in which the stomach flips and cuts off both the openings to the esophagus and the intestine and can cause death in an hour or less. Unproductive vomiting is a cue for an immediate trip to the emergency clinic. Most acute vomiting is not a sign of serious illness. Vomiting after meals can be caused by eating too much too fast.