Dog has diarrhea & vomiting on vacation, acting normal. What to do?

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.

4 days is very long for a dog to have vomiting and diarrhea. I recommend that Alexa see a vet as soon as possible. Potential causes for her illness include dietary intolerance, dietary indiscretion, food allergy, intestinal parasites, GI blockage, gastroenteritis, bacterial or viral infection, IBD, pancreatitis, among others. Your vet may recommend abdominal x-rays, bloodwork, or an intestinal parasite screen to help diagnose her ailment and create an appropriate treatment plan.

Unless she was outdoors her exhaustion is not very likely. It could be a mild case of gastritis (upset tummy) or even a mild toxin exposure. Sometimes giving small amounts of water frequently and seeing if the pet holds that down and, if so, then slow re-introduction of food is all that is needed. If they vomit the water it is more serious and a veterinarian should examine the pet. If, however, your dog continues to vomit, has bloody diarrhea, seems painful or has a distended appearance to her stomach she should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Possible causes for vomiting and diarrhea in dogs include dietary intolerance or indiscretion, food allergy, intestinal parasites, GI blockage, gastroenteritis, bacterial or viral infection, IBD, pancreatitis, among others. Being slow or sore in the back end could be from pain, discomfort from the diarrhea, intervertebral disc disease, hypoglycemia, etc. If this goes on longer than 24 hours or you are concerned about Bully, I would recommend having him examined by a vet.

There are many reasons why dogs develop diarrhea. Some of these reasons are that they are something they shouldn't like trash, fatty foods, or possibly ate something that isn't food at all, such as a piece of a toy, stick, or stone. A dog may also develop diarrhea from parasites, ingesting a toxin, or some sort of infectious disease, among many other possibilities. My general cutoff if a dog is eating and drinking well and acting normally is 36 hours without the diarrhea resolving likely warrants a trip to the veterinarian. Your vet will examine Natty Boh and may recommend abdominal radiographs and possibly some bloodwork. The vet may prescribe an antidiarrhea medication and because diarrhea can lead to dehydration, they may offer to give her some fluids either under her skin (subcutaneously or in an IV). Until you can get Natty Boh to the veterinarian I would recommend making sure she is drinking well. You can also try a bland diet of plain boiled boneless skinless chicken breast and white rice to help settle her GI tract until she can be examined by her vet. I hope this was helpful!

Vomiting could be caused by a number of things, including parasites, diet changes, toxin ingestion, infectious viral diseases, blockage in the intestines caused by ingestion of a foreign body, food sensitivity/allergy, decreased pancreatic function, or a mass/growth in the gastrointestinal tract. Please have your dog seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible to allow for diagnosis and treatment. If your dog could have eaten anything such as medications, household cleaners, plants, toys, food scraps, or garbage, please let the vet know about it to help them determine if there could be a toxicity. Best of luck to you both, and I hope your dog feels better soon!

Poor Merida! The vomit looks more like regurgitation, or indigested food. Her nose scratch may be from digging to get out of her crate. All of her symptoms may be caused by separation anxiety, especially because she is behaving differently or if this is the first time you have left her. However, this can be coincidental with parasites, an infection, or ingestion of a toxin or foreign body. I recommend keeping a close eye on her and having her seen by a vet if she develops bloody diarrhea, continues vomiting, or starts acting lethargic. You can hold off food for the rest of the day and give small amounts of water. I hope this helps!