Gastritis is the inflammation or infection of the lining of the stomach and can develop as a result of ingesting spoilt food, garbage, plants, hair, foreign objects as well as toxic substances such as household detergents, pesticides or fertilizer, kidney failure, liver failure, Addison’s disease, parvovirus, distemper, internal parasites and bing eating. Vomiting is the most common sign of this condition.
Gastritis can be acute(sudden) or chronic (long lasting). Chronic gastritis refers to intermittent vomiting that lasts for more than a week. Chronic gastritis occurs as a result of long term exposure to toxic substances. Long-term allergen exposure, or immune-mediated disease (where the body's own anti-bodies attack the tissues of the body) may also produce long-term inflammation of the stomach’s lining.
Old, small-breed dogs like Lhasa Apsos, Shih-tzus, and Miniature Poodles are more commonly affected with long-term gastritis. But larger breeds such as the Basenjis and the Drentse Patrijshond can also develop long-term gastritis.
Common symptoms associated with chronic gastritis include
Diarrhea
Weight loss
Black, tarry stools
Green-stained vomit (from bile from the gallbladder) containing:
Undigested food
Flecks of blood
Digested blood “coffee ground” appearance
