My dog ate ashes, vomited, and is still gagging. What should I do?

It sounds like Maximus may have a respiratory infection such as kennel cough, which often causes coughing and gagging without anything coming up. Or, he could be feeling nauseous and trying to vomit - if his stomach is empty, sometimes this gagging can be non-productive. If he is acting normal otherwise and this problem just started today, you can try withholding food for the rest of the day and offering a small amount of plain boiled chicken and rice this evening to help settle his stomach. If this doesn't help, or if he continues to have repeated episodes of coughing or gagging throughout the day, then I would recommend having him examined by a vet - he/she can determine whether Maximus has a respiratory infection or a stomach problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it.

I am sorry to hear about Xena. I would definitely keep a close eye on her for the next few days and if she has any additional gagging, any vomiting, decreased appetite, change in voice or increased drooling or is pawing at her face, stretching her neck or having trouble breathing she should be seen right away. We do see issues with dogs ingesting bones that can range from bones getting lodged in the throat to causing GI obstruction to splintered bone penetrating the tissues. I personally do not recommend the use of bones for dogs because we see problems too often from giving these as treats.

It sounds like your dog was nauseous, and dogs can lick things when they are nauseous. I can give you a home remedy for the vomiting to see if that helps. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in his normal diet. If the vomiting continues in the absence of food, he vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet right away. Best of luck.

He likely aspirated some food. If it's just one day of hacking, then it's OK to wait and see if it clears in the next day or two. However, we always worry about aspiration pneumonia, which can be more serious. If the hacking persists for more than two days and is not getting better, then it's best to take him to the vet. If your dog has always done this, then I would not be too worried about a condition causing him to gag when eating. However, if this gagging is recent (within the last year), then I would get him checked-out by a vet. I'm particularly concerned about laryngeal paralysis, which can happen in older dogs and cause them to aspirate their food and water. I hope that helps and Anubis gets better soon.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Roxxi. I do recommend that she sees a veterinarian if her symptoms do not resolve soon. What you described can be consistent with an upper respiratory tract infection. The dog will commonly cough, gag and may bring up a white foamy material. If she is not getting better, the veterinarian may need to prescribe an antibiotic. If she is not eating/drinking or acting sick, then I recommend that she be seen today. In the meantime, keep her at home as she may be contagious to other dogs. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Auggie could have either some nausea or had something caught in his throat. Reasons a dog might vomit or retch (the gagging without producing anything) include eating something new/different, toxin, infection, organ disease, cancer, or other. If he’s just vomited once, pick up the food and water and monitor. Reintroduce water 4 hours after the vomiting episode and a small meal 12 hours after vomiting episode. If Auggie has vomited several times, it’s time to head to the ER clinic. The veterinarian will do a good physical exam and may recommend x-rays and/or bloodwork to help narrow down the cause of the vomiting. They can also treat the nausea and administer fluids for any dehydration that has occurred. Best wishes to you and Auggie!

If Graham is still gagging and not acting his normal self, then I recommend taking him to a veterinarian. He may have just an upset stomach, he may have pancreatitis or he could have a foreign body. Your veterinarian may want to run blood work and X-rays to rule in or out any of these. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Graham feels better soon.