Dog Vomiting

February 1, 2005 3:21 PM

what do you do for a dog who has been vomiting? He's not listless, remains quite energetic. Going to the vet in the AM, but what can I give him in the meantime? Thanks for any suggestions.
posted by terrier319 to pets & animals (8 comments total)

More info is needed. How many times, how often, what does the vomit consist of, has he eaten anything unusual, etc. Also, what kind/size of dog is he and how old?

Dogs do vomit from time to time and it's normally no big deal, but if it's continuous or regular, it needs veterinary attention.

Assuming we're not talking about a dog who's vomited once, but rather a dog who's been vomiting repeatedly, at very least I would withhold food (but not water) until he sees the vet. Depending on the answers to my above questions, I might also be concerned enough to call my vet's emergency pager (or an emergency clinic, but they will be less willing to advise you over the phone) to describe the symptoms and ask if it's something that can wait until morning. Regardless, good dog owner, you, for planning to take him to the vet tomorrow morning.
posted by biscotti at 3:36 PM on February 1, 2005

Thanks so much biscotti. He is a Golden / poodle mix, just under a year old. He has vomited 3 times today, smells earthy and looks like a mix of gravy and yellow corn kernels (sorry for the unpleasant imagery). I noticed same thing twice this weekend but did not concern myself with it since he is quite active and into everything. Not sure what he may have ingested but it is unlikely it was anything outside since there is significant snow cover.
Thanks again.
posted by terrier319 at 3:54 PM on February 1, 2005

My experience:

My miniature schnauzer was waking up, and consequently waking me up, vomiting every single night at 4am. Sometimes she wouldn't even wake up and would vomit all over the bed. The vomit wouldn't have solids in it, but was mostly bile. The breed commonly has gastrointestinal problems, and turned out that she needed to be fed, not more food, just more often. She now gets three small scoops a day instead of two medium scoops and is much better.

If the vomit has solids in it, I would echo the idea of withholding food. I have given a dog some Pepto Bismal for an upset stomach before (the chewable tablets are much better for animals because nothing can get stained that awful pink).
posted by rhapsodie at 3:58 PM on February 1, 2005

Not sure what he may have ingested but it is unlikely it was anything outside since there is significant snow cover.

If it is something he ingested, and he swallowed it recently, you could induce vomiting. Works wonders if your tiny dog just ate a 12" sub sandwich or a pound and a half of chocolate. Have him swallow two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide.
posted by rhapsodie at 4:01 PM on February 1, 2005

From your descrtiption, his body can't or won't digest whatever he's been horking back up. (Ugh. I loathe doing vomit archaeology.) Take up his food but leave plenty of water and let him drink as much as he wants. And keep him under supervision; confine him to his crate, or keep him around people.

Since he's still young, my guess is that he's found something that smells like it would be fun to eat but really isn't. Dogs are gorge eaters, so unfortunately if something they find does disagree with them, it'll do so frequently and messily until their bellies are empty. Your vet will be able to tell you more--good on you for making the plans to go tomorrow.
posted by cmyk at 5:03 PM on February 1, 2005

my lab is 9 months old, and we've had good success with pepto bismol tablets when she's vomited due to an upset stomach. in her case, we're fairly sure she ate something she shouldn't have (roadkill).
posted by netsirk at 6:20 PM on February 1, 2005

I would not induce vomiting - that's for immediate treatment of toxin ingestion and should only be done with certain things. I would definitely NOT try and prevent vomiting if the dog could have eaten something it shouldn't have, the dog is vomiting for a reason - to get whatever it is out of there. I would also not treat it with anything, Pepto or otherwise, the dog's going to the vet in the morning, treating the symptoms is unlikely to help the vet with a diagnosis. You could certainly discuss this with the vet, depending on the diagnosis, but I would not treat it now (I don't normally treat symptoms as a general rule, and especially not before a diagnosis, symptoms are often beneficial, even if they're unpleasant).

I would take a look at the diet your dog is on, and how long he's been on it, I am not making a diagnosis, but this is not incompatible with a food intolerance. It could be helpful for your vet if you can get a sample of the vomit. I would also think through things like: diet, frequency of meals, anything unusual the dog may have gotten into, any change in stools (consistency, frequency, etc.), that sort of thing. If you're anything like me, you forget half the things you want to talk to the vet/doctor/dentist/whatever about until after the appointment. Since animals can't talk, we have to do the best we can to try and figure out what's up with them, careful observation without embellishment will be most useful.

I feel pretty strongly that most dogs should be on at least two meals a day, what rhapsodie describes is extremely common, regardless of breed or mix, and normally simply results from meals spaced too far apart (many people solve it simply by giving the dog a couple of biscuits at bedtime, since sometimes the time between dinner and breakfast is too long for some dogs, but spacing the daily ration out into four meals is great if you can do it).
posted by biscotti at 6:51 PM on February 1, 2005

if he's been vomiting, you may want to get some Pedialyte to rehydrate him.
posted by petebest at 10:00 AM on February 2, 2005