Lesson title : “Gag or Barf? Decoding Regurgitation and Vomiting in Dogs”

Instructional Guide

Learners will explore the differences between regurgitation and vomiting in dogs. Through engaging visuals and activities, students will learn to identify the physical signs and understand the internal processes behind each action.

Intended Grade Level

High school students interested in veterinary medicine. Students should be familiar with the basics of gastrointestinal anatomy, including the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. (If they do not, this should not effect their learning on this topic, but it would help the understanding.)

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Explain key physical differences between regurgitation and vomiting.
2. Describe how the body processes each action.
3. Understand the importance of distinguishing these actions in veterinary care.
4. Identify treatments for common causes of regurgitation and vomiting.

Lesson Format

Help them with planning. How long will the lesson take? What supplies will be needed? Will students be working independently, in small groups, or as a whole class?

Write out the steps of the plan.

• Time Required: 40-50 minutes
• Materials Needed:
  • Access to online activity. (Computer and WiFi)
• Group Size: Individual

1.  Introduction (5 minutes):
   • Present the question: How can you tell the difference between regurgitation and vomiting in dogs?
   • Explain in simple terms the path of food through the gastrointestinal tract using the second photo of the canine GI tract in the book.
   • Briefly discuss why knowing the difference is important in veterinary care (e.g., diagnosing esophageal vs. gastrointestinal issues and how treatment is different depending on the condition being presented).
2. Mini Lesson 1: What’s Happening Inside? (10 minutes):
   • Share the e-book and start teaching the students the differences between regurgitation and vomiting.
   • Compare and contrast the two conditions using the information from the ebook and the lesson background (below).
3.  Mini Lesson 2: How Do We Fix These Problems? (10 minutes):
   • Share the e-book and start teaching the students the causes and treatments for regurgitation and vomiting.
   • Compare and contrast the different causes and treatments using the information from the ebook and the lesson background (below).
4. Fun Comparison Activity (5 minutes):
   • Ask students to think of regurgitation as a quick “oops” response and vomiting as an “emergency evacuation.”
5. Guided Practice (10 minutes):
   • Use a scenario-based activity where students are presented with symptoms (e.g., “The dog brings up undigested food right after eating”). After presenting examples, ask students to identify which dogs are exhibiting vomiting, and which are exhibiting regurgitation.
6. Hands-On Learning (10 minutes)
   • Have students independently work through learning activities and assessments listed at the end of the chapter to assess their knowledge and learning progress on the subject.

Lesson Background

Key Information:

• Ingested food normal one-way flow through gastrointestinal tract:
  • Food>>Mouth>Esophagus>Stomach>Small Intestine>Large Intestine>Rectum>>Feces
  • Back flow is vomiting or regurgitation
• Regurgitation: Passive process, food comes back up from the esophagus without warning, no nausea. Causes include eating too quickly, esophageal obstruction, or structural abnormalities.
• Vomiting: Active process involving stomach contractions, triggered by the brain’s vomiting center. Usually preceded by nausea, with causes such as spoiled food, toxins, or illness.

Lesson Breakdown:

• Mini Lesson #1: What’s happening inside?
  • What?: Active vs Passive process- Regurgitation (passive), Vomiting (active)
  • How?: Esophagus relaxation (regurgitation) vs Stomach Contraction/Expulsion, Vomiting center in brain triggered, Nausea (vomiting).
  • Why?: Esophagus dysfunction, Eating too fast (regurgitation) vs Toxins or illness (vomiting).
  • What is looks like and timing: Undigested food, usually occurs within minutes after eating (regurgitation) vs Partially digested food, bile likely present, sour smell, and can occur anytime (vomiting). Note: Vomiting may occur after eating, but it may not always be triggered by eating. The consistency of the material expelled and the bodily process (heaving/retching vs quiet expulsion) are the primary differences between the two processes.
• Mini Lesson #2: How do we fix these problems?
  • If either action occurs just once, it is unlikely to need treatment. If it occurs more than once, treatment and intervention may be necessary.
  • Regurgitation
    • Causes: enlarged esophagus(1), flow blockage in the esophagus (tumor(2) or obstruction(3)), structural abnormalities(4), and other diseases(5). Optional: Neurological dysfunction is an example of a disease or underlying cause for regurgitation in dogs. This can cause difficulty in processing (chewing) or swallowing food. Have students brainstorm how a neurological condition could cause regurgitation. 
    • Treatments:
      1. Smaller, frequent meals, medications- such as antacids, and slow feeding bowls
      2. Removed surgically- incision into affected area and removal of tumor
      3. Removed manually or surgically
      4. Corrected with surgery or medication to reduce or control symptoms
      5. May require surgery, diet change or/and medications
  • Vomiting
    • Causes: Unknown cause (idiopathic- explain what this word means to the students, it is a word commonly used in medicine to describe many conditions with an unknown cause)(1), allergies to ingredients(2), changes in diet or introducing new treats(3), poisons or toxins(4), and other diseases(5).
    • Treatments:
      1. Fluids, bland diet, and medications to reduce vomiting and nausea
      2. Feeding a hydrolyzed diet to eliminate allergens in food. Hydrolyzed diets are special formulated diets that have ingredients (proteins) that are broken down into small particles to reduce the risk of the body responding to them with inflammation and/or vomiting.
      3. Eliminating the treat or food that started the vomiting. Included in this category is bones, rawhides and pigs ears- these often are accompanied with stomach upset and occasionally vomiting.
      4. This is an emergency situation if the dog consumes toxins or poisons. In this case, the dog is attempting to eliminate the harmful material from the body which can be a good thing. In the veterinary clinic, vomiting is sometimes induced to eliminate toxins or poisons. Typically fluids are given to flush out the system and charcoal is sometimes given to absorb toxins in the dog’s body.
      5. May require surgery, diet change and/or medications.

Activities

True or False: Choose correct answer for each prompt

1. False (Regurgitation is a passive process)
2. True

Sorting: Sort images or phrases into correct category

1. Regurgitation: esophagus, pug with undigested food, “passive ejection of undigested contents from esophagus”
2. Vomiting: toxins, stomachache, dog vomiting, “active ejection of partially digested contents from stomach”

Common misconceptions and challenge points

Think about what was confusing to you or what you think might be a challenge for your learners. Address it here so the teacher has a ready resource to answer those questions.

Common Misconceptions:

• Misconception: Both actions look similar.
• Clarification: Regurgitated material is undigested, often tubular and expelled soon after eating, while vomit is partially digested, sour-smelling, and mixed with bile.

Assessment

Multiple Choice: Choose the correct answer for each questions

1. Regurgitation takes place soon after eating a meal, while vomiting can take place hours later
2. Vomited food may contain bile and be green/yellow in color
3. Vomiting can be caused by ingestion of toxins or foreign bodies which may require hospitalization or surgery

Further exploration

Matching: Match the image of the treatment to the image of the condition

1. Pug with undigested food with antacid bottle
2. Dog vomiting with charcoal suspension