Although the act of vomiting is very readily excited in dogs, yet it sometimes happens that they gorge themselves with food, and the consequent over-distention of the stomach, paralyzes, so to speak, the contractile power of that viscus. The fluid portion of the food is speedily absorbed, and a solid mass remains, upon which the digestive juices have little or no solvent effect; for intermixture of the food with the secretions of the stomach is one of the essentials to quick and thorough chymification. Repletion of the stomach to so great an extent as to produce disturbance of the system is not a very frequent occurrence, and is almost always met with in pampered dogs with a vitiated appetite, or in dogs that have undergone involuntary starvation.

Symptoms

The symptoms in themselves do not suffice to point out the real state of the case; but if a dog, after having been known to devour a large meal, should be attacked with colic, convulsions, retching and abortive vomiting, distention of the belly, obstructed and laborious breathing, and stupor, there can be little difficulty in arriving at a correct opinion as to what is amiss.

Treatment

Of course the treatment of such a case consists in getting rid of the offending matter by the mechanical agency of an emetic. Although I have never tried pepsine in such a case, yet I would suggest its use for the obvious purpose of aiding the natural secretions to dissolve the solid aliment. This remedy, however, is not likely to be of much service when the stomach is crammed with undigested food.