My dog is vomiting. Is this a veterinary emergency?

My dog is vomiting, is it serious?

Q: What should I do if my puppy vomits?

In puppies, vomiting is considered more serious. In fact, several serious viral diseases, such as distemper and parvovirosis, can cause vomiting. These diseases are fatal if not treated quickly. Puppies are also much more susceptible to dehydration and can quickly become sluggish and anorexic.

Q: Is it serious if my dog eats what he has vomited?

Yes, this situation is problematic because the vomit may contain the poison or foreign body responsible for the symptoms. You must therefore take the necessary steps to ensure that your dog does not eat what he has vomited again.

Q: If my dog vomits, when should I call the vet?

If your dog vomits, you can contact the vet as soon as the symptoms do not spontaneously return with a 2-hour diet or when the aggravating symptoms mentioned above are present. If in doubt, our veterinary emergency call centre is on hand to answer your questions when your usual veterinarian is closed.

Is this a veterinary emergency?

Key points to remember

Vomiting in dogs has a wide variety of causes, some of which are serious. Aggravating factors include your dog's age, the presence of other symptoms associated with vomiting and the presence of blood in the vomit. A rapid assessment of your dog's health is often essential.

Frequency of vomiting in dogs

High frequency in dogs

Severity of vomiting in dogs

Variable severity, guarded prognosis.

vomiting in dogs, First aid measures
Main causes of vomiting in dogs
vomiting in dogs, what care is provided at home?

Vomiting in dogs, first aid measures

If your dog is vomiting, here is some advice from our vets on what to do and the first aid measures to take:

Cutting out food and drink for your dog. Don't give him anything to eat or drink for at least 2 hours. This will put the stomach at rest and prevent any mechanical stimulation that could provoke further vomiting.
Have your dog swallow a gastric bandage, which will act as a real dressing for the irritated gastric mucosa. If you have prepared a first aid kit for your dog, you should find this type of medicine in it: Gaviscon® or Ulcar® (sucralfate-based dressing).

If vomiting persists despite these initial measures, contact our emergency service to arrange for your dog to be seen as soon as possible.

If the vomiting disappears spontaneously with a 2-hour diet, resume normal feeding gradually over 2 to 3 days. Do not try to make up for missed meals.

Vomiting can be a real veterinary emergency, sometimes life-threatening. Here are the worrying symptoms that should alert you:

Haemorrhagic vomiting indicates bleeding in the upper digestive tract (oesophagus and/or stomach). The presence of blood is an emergency criterion.
Your dog is markedly depressed, possibly associated with fever.
Your dog has diarrhoea in addition to vomiting. The combination of these two digestive symptoms can lead to rapid dehydration and serious complications.

Causes of vomiting in dogs

Vomiting in dogs is part of the clinical picture in many illnesses and accidents. Identifying the cause of vomiting is essential if you are to offer the right treatment and hope that your pet will recover.

Here are some of the most common causes that our out of hours vets advise you to be aware of:

Indigestion or dietary indiscretion: your dog's stomach reacts to the ingestion of a food or substance that is unusual or unsuitable for his body. The lining of the stomach becomes irritated, leading to gastritis.
Upper digestive obstruction: if your dog swallows a foreign object such as a ball, fruit stone or sock, this can block intestinal transit as soon as it leaves the stomach. This obstruction results in vomiting of the food bolus, often associated with a loss of appetite.
Poisoning: there are many foods and products that are toxic for dogs, and eating them usually causes acute vomiting. The most common types of poisoning seen in veterinary emergency departments are chocolate poisoning, compost poisoning, onion poisoning and poisoning caused by anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen).
Chronic metabolic diseases such as kidney or liver failure. The associated symptoms are often diarrhoea, reduced appetite, increased drinking and more or less marked despondency.

As a general rule, bear in mind that a dog that is vomiting should be taken to a vet. Here are some vet emergencies in which vomiting is often observed: envenomation by toad mucus, gastric volvulus (bloat), chocolate poisoning, intestinal blockage, distemper, parvovirus, anti-inflammatory drug poisoning.

Vomiting in dogs, what care is provided at home?

If your dog requires it, we can offer you a home consultation with our emergency vet in London and the surrounding area. Thanks to equipment adapted to the management of emergencies, our teams can manage your dog's vomiting and carry out the following examinations and treatments:

Full clinical examination
Basic blood test, creatinine and haematocrit
Abdominal ultrasound scan
Medical treatment with anti-vomiting drugs and gastric dressings
Intravenous infusion if your dog is dehydrated.

At the end of the consultation, the vet will prescribe the medication required for the treatment and give you advice and recommendations for the coming days.

If vomiting is accompanied by other worrying symptoms, our vet may advise you to continue treatment and investigations in a veterinary hospital. We will then work with you to organise your dog's transfer.

Frequently asked questions about vomiting in dogs

What should I do if my puppy vomits?

In puppies, vomiting is considered more serious. In fact, several serious viral diseases, such as distemper and parvovirosis, can cause vomiting. These diseases are fatal if not treated quickly. Puppies are also much more susceptible to dehydration and can quickly become sluggish and anorexic.

Is it serious if my dog eats what he has vomited?

Yes, this situation is problematic because the vomit may contain the poison or foreign body responsible for the symptoms. You must therefore take the necessary steps to ensure that your dog does not eat what he has vomited again.

If my dog vomits, when should I call the vet?

If your dog vomits, you can contact the vet as soon as the symptoms do not spontaneously return with a 2-hour diet or when the aggravating symptoms mentioned above are present. If in doubt, our veterinary emergency call centre is on hand to answer your questions when your usual veterinarian is closed.

My dog is trying to vomit, but to no avail. Should I seek medical advice?

Yes, you should plan to seek advice, especially if your dog is large, over 25kg. Attempts to vomit, combined with profuse salivation and abdominal swelling, are signs of a possible gastric volvulus, or bloat, which is a vital emergency.