Dog Vomitting – Urgent or No Big Deal?

Over the night marley slept soundly woke up overly thirsty gave him some water he seems better right now. I'm at work and he's in his crate.

Hi Meghann,
Thank you for submitting such a cute photo of Marley!! To answer your question on "Dog vomiting-Urgent or No Big Deal", it depends on the physical exam. Here are some things to look for when this happens:

1. Check his gum color. Lift a corner of his lip above the canine teeth, the gums should be a PINK color. NOT white, not a blue or purple color, not yellowish, but a healthy pink. If his gums are pink, it is no big deal.

2. Press lightly on the gum area for one second. The gum will 'blanch' to white, and then it should return to the original pink color in one second. If it takes 3-4 seconds to become pink again, it means that Marley has become very dehydrated because of too much vomiting (and/or diarrhea) and should be taken to a veterinarian ASAP. If he is NOT dehydrated, there is no big deal.

3.Take his temperature. It is sometimes easier to do this with a (human) rectal thermometer and put some vaseline on the tip. NORMAL dog temperature is 101-102 degrees Farenheit. If he has a normal temperature, there is no big deal.

4. Monitor his energy level. If all of the above are NORMAL, but Marley is very depressed, quiet, refuses to eat, take him in to see a veterinarian. If he has a GOOD energy level, there is no big deal.

The BIG question though is WHAT is triggering these episodes? Certainly, your veterinarian has given you a good plan to follow, once he gets sick:

"Take away food for 24 hours and slowly introduce white rice then bring back normal food after three days slowly."

I would add that if he is vomiting food AND water, that you may need to also take away water, and allow him to have only ice cubes. Sometimes you can place 'chicken broth' in an ice cube tray, and make chicken broth ice cubes, to give him something to chew on.

Also, I would then offer some white rice about 1/4 cup plus 1/2 jar of chicken or turkey baby food, for a 'first' meal, to see if he can hold down bland food. Feeding 3-4 small meals daily, and observe if he is able to hold it down.

If he seems to be improving, I would then add 1-2 capsules of Acidophilus is available in capsule form, such as PB8 to his food, to help replenish the normal flora to his intestinal tract. Continue the acidophilus for about 2 weeks. This may also prevent the occurrence of diarrhea.

If he is on a DRY DOG food, that may be the culprit, since DRY DOG food is MORE difficult to digest. See if the brand of food you are feeding comes in a canned version. Then gradually add the canned dog food to the rice and baby food, and decrease the rice and baby food as you increase his canned food (And consider avoiding DRY DOG FOOD altogether).

TO BE CONTINUED ON PART TWO

Hi Meghann,
Here is the continuation of my response.

Gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestine) can be triggered by many things. Change of diet, 'indiscriminate eating of non-food items, reaction to a vaccination, stress if you are working longer hours, and if Marley is prone to separation anxiety, etc. This is the point where a holistic veterinarian will have the advantage over the conventional veterinarian.

Rescue Remedy to help with stress, behavior modification, homeopathic remedies and improved nutrition are all methods to keep Marley healthy. See our page on alternative medicine for dogs for more information.

You might want to seek the help of a holistic veterinarian for a more in-depth work up and to try to prevent any more gastro-enteritis attacks from occurring. Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Related Pages:
- Dog Vomiting,
- Ask a Vet Online Library - Dog Vomiting Section