Exploratory Surgery in Dogs for Vomiting

When your dog is excessively vomiting, exploratory surgery may be necessary.

Occasional vomiting is relatively common in dogs. Most dogs will at some point throw up food, grass, acorns, weeds, small rocks, pebbles, berries, water or even a dog toy. If your dog looks ill or if the vomiting persists for a few days, however, let your vet examine him, especially if he's throwing up blood or dry-heaving. In some instances, exploratory surgery may become necessary to determine the cause.

When Exploratory Surgery Is Necesary

If your veterinarian has taken a complete medical history, performed routine tests and physically examined your dog, and still cannot detect any abnormalities, she will then examine your dog's stomach internally through x-rays, ultrasound, MRI, or endoscopy, according to the Pet Place article "Abdominal Exploratory in Dogs." If she still does not find anything wrong, exploratory surgery becomes necessary to obtain a tissue sample for microscopic examination.

Common Reasons

Common reasons for abdominal exploratory surgery in a dog include trauma to the outside of the body, such as a gunshot wound or a bite from another animal, according to the Pet Place article. In these cases, exploratory surgery determines whether the outside trauma has affected your dog on the inside. Other common reasons include discovering and repairing a hernia, or identifying and removing a tumor or a foreign object your dog has ingested, Pet Place says.

Surgical Procedure

Abdominal exploratory surgery involves cutting into the skin or muscle of the abdomen and examining most of the major organs in your dog's body, including the gall bladder, liver, kidneys, stomach, spleen, bladder, adrenal glands, lymph nodes and reproductive system. Your veterinarian will look for such abnormalities as discoloration, abnormal size or shape, obstructions, stones, twisting, tears, ruptures, tumors and disease. If your vet discovers any problems during the surgery, she will correct them, which may include removing any growths or part of an organ.

Post-Surgical Home Care

After you bring your dog home from surgery, restrict his activities for a couple of weeks to allow the incision to heal, Pet Place advises. Don't be alarmed if he's wearing an Elizabethan collar; that's to protect your dog from chewing his incision. If you notice any change in your dog's eating, drinking or elimination, contact your veterinarian. Be sure to give him all the medications your vet prescribes.

Additional Care

Bring your dog in for additional treatment, as advised, depending on what your veterinarian discovered on the biopsy, particularly if the dog does not improve after the surgery, Pet Place says. Your vet may prescribe additional medications or advise more treatment.

References

• Pet Place: Abdominal Exploratory in Dogs
• Pet Education: Vomiting in Dogs