Nutritional management of the critical vomiting canine

Many patients present for critical care with persistent vomiting and other gastrointestinal compromise including loss of appetite, inability to eat or tolerate feeding and diarrhoea, which accompany many disease processes (Chan, 2020). The gastrointestinal tract spans from the mouth through to oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas and liver, digesting and absorbing food (Gajanyake, 2021). Therefore, gastrointestinal complications are something registered veterinary nurses deal with on a regular basis. But this does not make these cases simple. This article discusses critical care nutrition for cases that are persistently vomiting, unable or unwilling to eat or digest food appropriately. These cases can be time consuming and, often, difficult to nurse, requiring a lot of skill and critical thinking. However, the recovery and progression of these patients can make them incredibly rewarding for the nursing team.

Critically ill patients are at an increased risk of gastrointestinal compromise, including those where gastrointestinal compromise is not their primary condition. Gastrointestinal compromise can be caused by inflammation, either primary (eg surgical trauma, infection) or secondary to other disease processes (Gajanyake, 2021).