Vomiting & diarrhea

Gut sounds, or borborygmi, are common and normal in dogs as much as they are in humans. Gut sounds are considered abnormal either when they are absent or excessive.

Flatulence (also known as ‘passing gas’ or ‘farting,’ among others) is a natural bodily process where gasses built up in the gastrointestinal system are released through the rectum.

Flatulence in dogs is a common occurrence resulting from accumulation of gas in the digestive tract. Infrequent and recurring flatulence is normal but dogs that experience changes in the pattern, frequency, or severity of gas production may have an underlying health condition.

Abdominal distension describes the symptom of enlargement or swelling of the abdomen in cats, which is triggered by a wide variety of normal and abnormal processes. Abdominal distension is a feature of many conditions ranging from injury, infection, tumors, and disease of specific organs such as the liver and heart.

Regurgitation is the passive expulsion of matter from the mouth, upper throat (pharynx), or esophagus. In dogs, the expelled matter often takes the appearance of chewed food combined with a little saliva or mucus. It can also be tube-like in shape. 

Regurgitation is the act of involuntarily expelling swallowed food from the esophagus out of the mouth. It can be identified by the tubular shape of the ejected matter as well as the passivity of the process. 

Mucus in the stool of cats is a natural lubricant within or surrounding feces that assists with the passage of waste through the digestive system. A small amount of mucus in stool is common in cats, while large amounts are not.

Canine bowel incontinence is the inability to control defecation. Incontinence is distinct from inappropriate elimination or house-soiling, in that the bowel movements occur without the dog’s awareness.

Mucus in the stool is a viscous substance that lubricates feces to pass through the intestinal tract. A large quantity or frequent recurrence of mucus in the stool is uncommon for dogs warranting non urgent veterinary investigation.

Bowel incontinence in cats is involuntary passage of feces, and appears to happen without awareness. This symptom is not to be confused with straining to defecate or inappropriate defecating/house soiling.

Constipation is characterized by difficulty defecating with the resulting feces being dry and hard. This symptom is slightly different from tenesmus, which is straining to defecate with an empty or irritated colon, however both of these symptoms appear similarly to pet owners

Bloody stool describes the presence of blood in feces and includes digested blood (melena) or undigested blood (hematochezia). Bloody stool is a non-specific symptom triggered by many conditions such as mild, dietary-induced colitis to emergency conditions such as parvovirus infection, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, or bleeding disorders

Constipation is straining to defecate when the colon is full. Constipation is not to be confused with diarrhea which may cause straining to defecate when the colon is empty and irritated.

Colic simply refers to pain in the abdomen, and does not provide any specific details regarding what organ system is affected or what underlying condition is occurring.

Vomiting is the involuntary expulsion of the contents of the stomach through the mouth and nose. It involves abdominal contractions and may produce bile.

Vomiting is the act of forceful contraction of the abdominal muscles leading to the ejection of ingested material through the mouth.

Dietary indiscretion occurs when a cat eats non-food items or food outside of its typical diet.

Gastritis is a general term referring to inflammation of the stomach. A specific diagnosis of gastritis is rarely relevant because it does not identify the underlying condition.

Mothballs in any form (cubes, balls, flakes, cakes, scales, powder) contain pesticides, such as camphor, naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, which are toxic to cats.

The colon or large intestine is the last part of the digestive tract. Colitis occurs when there is inflammation of the colon.

Gastritis is the inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It can be either acute or chronic.

Mushroom poisoning occurs as the result of ingestion of a toxic dose of a poisonous mushroom.

Motion sickness (also known as car sickness) is when a dog shows signs of nausea and/or vomiting as a result of being in motion outside of their control.

Anticoagulant poisons are commonly used for pest control of rodents. Cats occasionally consume toxic doses of these poisons and subsequently develop life-threatening internal bleeding.

In dogs, sufficiently high doses of the common sugar substitute xylitol are toxic because they trigger a rapid release of insulin that drops blood sugar levels dangerously low.

Canine allergies are common and occur when the immune system overreacts to allergens the dog is exposed to.

Gastroenteritis is a general term referring to inflammation of the stomach and intestines that presents as an “upset stomach” characterized by vomiting, appetite loss, and diarrhea.

Chocolate toxicosis results when dogs ingest dangerous amounts of chocolate. Methylxanthines like theobromine and caffeine are toxic to dogs,

Mothball poisoning is caused by close contact (ingestion, inhalation, or dermal exposure) with mothballs. 

Seasonal allergies are a common condition in dogs. Most seasonal allergy symptoms in dogs result from exposure to flea saliva and/or pollen.