My Dog Keeps Whining and Dry-Heaving – What Could It Be?

A dog that wants to vomit but cannot is showing signs of retching. First, it may be caused by a foreign object stuck in the throat; gently open the mouth to check or visit a clinic for an X-ray.

It could also stem from a gastrointestinal problem; give some pet-specific probiotics to aid digestion. If there is no improvement, acute gastrointestinal inflammation is possible, so take the dog for basic blood work to check for elevated inflammation markers and use antibiotics and acid suppressants as needed.