My dog has diarrhea and is throwing up. When should I call the vet?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If he does not have anymore episodes of vomiting or diarrhea and is feeling better, I would keep an eye on him until the morning and then take him in. If he is lethargic right now, I would get him seen now because he is likely dehydrated and needs fluids administered under the skin for hydration. He may also have eaten something that caused all of this, have an infection or have an intestinal obstruction. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If your Otto continues to vomit, producing diarrhoea and if he looks unwell and uncomfortable, then please take him to your nearest vet now. If the vomiting stopped and he is able to rest and relax, you can withhold food and water for him and see your regular vets in the morning.

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Given Boomer's older age and the acute onset of the vomiting/diarrhea, I would have him seen sooner rather than later by a veterinarian. Boomer could just have an upset stomach, but he also could have a foreign body, an infection or even a tumor causing these signs. Your vet will perform a full physical exam and determine if any additional diagnostic testing is needed (bloodwork, xrays ) and what treatments he made need. Good luck!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear that Moka is having problems. Yes, any pet that has persistent signs especially vomiting and diarrhea should be evaluated immediately. Once dehydration and electrolyte imbalance develop, they will just continue to get weaker and weaker unless treated. Reasons for vomiting/diarrhea are many and range from intestinal problems or problems with other organs in the body causing the signs. Intestinal worms, dietary indiscretion (eating things she is not supposed to eat), dietary intolerance/sensitivity, a foreign body (especially in younger dogs), infection, inflammation, toxins, pancreatitis, kidney/liver problems, etc. Your vet can do a physical exam and some tests which could include a fecal exam, blood work, x-rays, ultrasound, etc. to try to determine what is causing the problem. Once a diagnosis is made they will advise a treatment plan to address the issue. Your vet can also address the itching of her muzzle and whining which may or may not be related. I hope this is just temporary and it resolves quickly for you and Moka.

Poor guy. As long as Oscar is relatively stable (normal vitals- no fever, breathing normal, nice pink gums, mentation normal), then you can wait the few hours for the vet to open up. He mostly sounds like he is having a severe GI upset right now. GI upset can be caused by something he ate, or can be an early indicator of another disease process altogether. The vet will run the necessary tests to determine what is the most likely cause and get him started on much needed medications as soon as possible.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that he is not feeling well. The symptoms you are describing could be due to multiple possibilities. If you have recently switched his food or added in a new treat it could be dietary indiscretion causing this. If this were the case, I would withhold food for 12 hours and introduce a bland diet as outlined below. If, however, there has been no recent switch to his food and he has been on the same thing his whole life this is likely something else. My recommendation would be to have a veterinarian take a look at him and run some testing such as blood work to see if there are any concerning changes that need to be addressed. If you are concerned about money, then you can start the bland diet as outlined below but if the vomiting and lethargy persist for more than 24 hours I would strongly recommend he be seen by a vet. CareCredit is a good option to look into. This option will allow you to put Veterinary expenses on a line of credit specifically for that purpose and you will pay Care Credit on a monthly basis. I would call and check to see if the vet clinic accepts Care Credit First. If he is one that choose toys and things that he shouldn't, then there is a chance this could also be a intestinal foreign body obstruction. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other concerns. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vomiting can be observed with conditions such as gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction, among other possibilities. For this reason, I highly recommend that you have Bambi evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as soon as possible as I am afraid he is likely becoming dehydrated. They would be able to check for these possibilities and also check his hydration status and give him medications to make him feel better. Good luck!