Help! Why Is Dog Dry Heaving? Heres How to Figure Out the Cause

Okay, so the other day, I noticed my dog, Buster, acting really weird. He was making these awful retching sounds, like he was trying to throw up, but nothing was coming out. It totally freaked me out because he seemed really uncomfortable and I had no clue what was going on.

I started by watching him closely for a few minutes. Noticed that he was pacing around, looking anxious, and kept trying to heave. His stomach was all tense, and he was drooling a bit. Since I didn't see any vomit, I figured it might be something called "dry heaving."

First thing I did was check if he had access to water. Made sure his water bowl was full and clean, thinking maybe he was just dehydrated. But he wasn't interested in drinking, which was a red flag for me.

Then, I tried to remember if he'd eaten anything unusual. Went through the trash, checked the yard for anything he might have gotten into, like poisonous plants or something. I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary, which made me even more worried.

What I Found

• He was trying to throw up but nothing was coming out.
• He didn't want to drink water.
• He wasn't interested in any food.
• I didn't find anything he had eaten that was bad.

Since I couldn't figure it out on my own, I decided it was time to call the vet. Explained everything to the receptionist, and she said it sounded serious. She squeezed us in for an appointment right away.

At the vet's, the doctor examined Buster, asked me a bunch of questions, and took some X-rays. Turns out, Buster had a twisted stomach, which is a super serious condition called bloat. The vet explained that it's life-threatening and needs surgery right away.

I was so scared, but I trusted the vet. They rushed Buster into surgery, and thankfully, they were able to fix the problem. It was a long and stressful few hours, but Buster pulled through. He had to stay at the vet's for a couple of days for observation, but he's back home now and doing much better.

This whole experience was a huge wake-up call. I learned that dry heaving can be a sign of something really serious, like bloat, and it's always better to be safe than sorry. If your dog is ever dry heaving, don't wait, take it to the vet immediately!