Radiograph of the vomiting process

[gumdropper1]

I recently found an extremely interesting medical film of a dog vomiting in an x-ray. There is nothing "gross" about it since it is just an x-ray. But it is fascinating to watch the vomit-to-be suddenly get moved back from the small intestine into the stomach. (If you've studied my FAQ, you know this is called the retrograde giant contraction.) Then you see the material move as the dog retches and then ... up it goes. Then the whole process is repeated.

I recommend this clip for emets because instead of vomiting being terrifying and disgusting, we see the process that lets the dog (and us) live instead of dying from the poison.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6y5SykbqJE

[r311dude]

You bring up such a perfect point. When the body needs to v* it does so out of neccessity for our own protection. I always find it ironic, cause I always feel like I'm going to die if I v*, but in reality, you can do much harm to your body if you prevent yourself from v* when the body needs to.

Ah, if ony those rational thoughts would stay with me during panic episodes =(

[sage]

Dude. Maybe you didn't think that was gross, but I thought it was totally nasty. That poor dog!
I also could see from those x-rays why you feel like HELL later - your whole body seems to be involved in the process. Yetch! Disgusting...

[lgood22573]

I thought it was really graphic and disturbing as well. But I do understand why you posted it. It made me really anxious.

[nightowl720]

That was very hard to watch. It took a long time and many attemps of hard contractions and retching before it was all over. Poor thing. [img]smileys/smilies_03.gif[/img]

[centipede]

Watching someone v* on tv doesn't bother me that much and yet I thought this was more disgusting.

[prncesspnk]

i thought it was very interesting.

[kellygirl]

Although I was somewhat disturbed by the video the process seems almost natural the way the body handles it. I do agree that it is very hard on the entire body especially the diaphram. No wonder it takes a day or two for the body to recover from SV.

Thanks for sharing -- I was a little grossed out but I find that somehow "satisfying" in the sense that I was able to watch it knowing full well what IT was...

[gumdropper1]

Well, it was the dog's own fault for eating the rat poison. Vomiting is a better outcome than a lot of things that could happen as a result. Doug

[dreamer]

That made me feel queasy to watch, but it was fascinating all the same. It certainly explains why all my throat and abdominal muscles ache after I v*.

[KaydeeJayde]

I really like this video. I think it's kind of useful, because of what you said. The dog needed to get something out of it's body, so it vomits. Simple cause and effect really. It's gross because I can imagine what it's going through, but it's interesting seeing the process.

[afraid213]

this video made me cry...i thought once the stomach emptied into the small intestine that you were okay...that u wouldnt v*...the v* came all the way from the bottom of the small intsestine ...ugh

[hairyfairy]

I`ve not seen that video, & I wouldn`t want to, & I think that it`s a bit cruel to give a dog something to make it v, I mean, a human can refuse to take a drug or poison, but a dog doesn`t know any better, they just trust the person giving them the stuff.

[IceMaiden]

I`ve not seen that video, & I wouldn`t want to, & I think that it`s a bit cruel to give a dog something to make it v, I mean, a human can refuse to take a drug or poison, but a dog doesn`t know any better, they just trust the person giving them the stuff.

If it wasn't made to vomit it would be dead.

Interesting video, although very cringe worthy!

[allyjune]

I found this interesting too. I was however also disturbed that the v* came all the way from the small intestine. I thought it was just in the stomach.

[arora]

i really want to watch this video bc i was just thinking lastnight that i want to see pictures, or a diagram or something of the inside of your body when V* happens. Like how it all works, so then maybe it wont seem so scary to me. But i just want to know if you can see the dog actually V*. Or if you just see the X-ray. Eventho when animals V* it doesnt scare me, im still hesitiant on watching this if it shows it actually being sick...

[allyjune]

You can't see any v*. Its only an x-ray

[arora]

k thanks im gonna be brave and watch

[allyjune]

Let me know what you think

[arora]

it was very interesting...it wasnt gross to me at all, it was just a little crazy how it pushed its way through the intestines and how the dog had to retch so much to finally get it out. it was almost like a big relief when it finally did V*. A little scary seeing it move so fast through the intestines and stomach lol. But very interesting

[allyjune]

Its so crazy what our bodies can do. Especially when it comes to the horrible feeling of anxiety!

[mooki]

I still can't bring myself to watch this. I get a bit spooked looking at the internal mechanics of our bodies. I find it disturbing. Then it will turn me into a hypochondriac. Anytime I feel any movement in my belly in the small intestine area(such as gas), I'll panic thinking it's the onset of this retrograde giant contraction. And all the contents of the intestine must be on their way to my stomach.

I wish I never knew about this. But I guess it does solve the riddle of why I still had something come up that looked vaguely like the last night's meal. Ugh, nasty...I wish our bodies would rid themselves of toxin via diarrhea and not vomiting. I sooo wish there was no such thing as vomiting. Everything about the act is vile on many levels.

[kristinak]

I`ve not seen that video, & I wouldn`t want to, & I think that it`s a bit cruel to give a dog something to make it v, I mean, a human can refuse to take a drug or poison, but a dog doesn`t know any better, they just trust the person giving them the stuff.

The dog ate rat poison and was given something to save it's life. My dogs ate Viagra a few weeks ago and I had to give them Peroxide to make them both throw up. It would have killed them had I not induced the vomiting, so that's not CRUEL at all!
I love watching videos like this. If I can turn any bodily function into something "medical" it makes it so much better for me.
Thanks, Doug, for posting!

[afraid213]

mooki, id say dont watch it....it was extremely disturbing to me.....and seeing real v*, like on the sidewalk, doesnt bother me...but the act of it scares the crap out of me!! and i was brave and watched this video....then cried..lol....scared the shit out of me...i thought it was graphic even though they didnt show v*

[KaydeeJayde]

KristinaK, I'm glad your dogs were okay!

The dog in the video needed to vomit, so it did. The dog would have walked away from it as if nothing had happened, too. I wish I could be like that :P

[mooki]

I wonder if all vomiting involves the small intestinal matter? My guess is that vomiting from alcohol or motion sickness would be mostly stomach vomit as opposed to material deep in the intestine I would think the intestinal stuff would come up with noro or food poisoning. I've heard that ipecac will bring up everything that hasn't made it to your colon.

[jenna23]

Mooki, I agree. Because that dog ate something which was genuinely poisonous, then the body possibly only recognised it from it's position in the small intestine, meaning that because it did pose such a threat to the body, was it 'ejected' quite so violently.
When something merely disagrees with your digestive system (too much sugar/grease, etc) it is immediately rejected from the stomach, rather than digestive system?
Just a thought.
Also, when it's 'outside nausea', eg motion sickness, alcohol, it's just the stomach trying to balance out the body and get rid of the nausea.
In short, the body is just trying to help, bless it!

[Guitarfreak]

That is horrible, I couldn't watch that, I had to leave the room until it finished

[Verity]

gosh!
bit disturbing