My dog is sick: not eating, diarrhea, and throwing up. What to do?

Just like people, there are many conditions that can make pets feel sick. This could range from bacterial over growth to intestinal blockage. Also like us, diseases are best addressed early and this may result in a better prognosis. If Dolly has been sick for over 24 hours, I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian today. The doctor will need to learn the underlying cause in order to give appropriate treatment. Bring in a stool sample in case the doctor needs to test it. I hope Dolly starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions.

What you are describing can have many causes, but is suspicious of a colitis ( inflammation of the colon). This tends to present as small amounts of diarrhea that sometimes has blood in it and tends to cause a great deal of straining. If this only happens while you are at work, then I would be suspicious of a stress colitis. Below is a link to some good information about this. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/colitis-in-dogs Again, there are many causes of the problems you are noting. Infection, parasites, food intolerance, and certain cancers are among the possible causes. For this reason it’s best to have Dolly evaluated by a veterinarian in the next day, or two. They can help narrow-down the potential causes and ensure the appropriate treatment is given. I hope that helps and Dolly gets better soon.

This is concerning, especially for an older dog to have severe gastrointestinal symptoms. I would first fast her for 12 hrs and then slowly introduce a bland diet of boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese. But then it's best to get her to a vet right away. She needs to have bloodwork analysis done and potentially further testing to determine what her underlying illness is. Once we know what is wrong with Stella then we will know what she needs to get well again. I hope she gets well soon. Best wishes and take care.

I'm sorry to hear that Lola isn't feeling well. Obviously, taking her to the vet for an exam would be the ideal scenario, but given your current circumstances, I understand that that might not be possible. Diarrhea can be caused by a multitude of different issues, including parasites, an upset stomach from a virus, eating something unusual, or other internal diseases. Since Lola is still drinking some water, I would encourage her to drink a bit more by putting a small amount of low sodium chicken broth in her water. Just be sure to change the bowl every few hours so that it doesn't spoil. You can also give her a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice to try to help settle her stomach. At only 5 pounds, she should eat a total of 1/2 cup of this mixture per day, so divide that into 3-4 smaller meals. However, if she refuses to eat or drink, begins to vomit, or becomes more lethargic, you'll have to seek emergency veterinary care. I hope that the bland diet helps her and that she's feeling better soon!

I am very concerned about Pilly, it sounds like he has a very upset stomach! My top concern would be a blockage in his intestines caused by something that he ate, like a toy, bone, sock, trash, etc. This would also prevent food from moving through his system and turning into feces. Other possibilities include bacterial or viral infection, intestinal parasites, or other internal issue. I recommend that Pilly see a vet as soon as possible. Your vet will probably recommend x-rays and maybe even blood work depending on what they discover during the physical exam.

Poor Dharma, I'm sure you are very worried, but you will be able to get her sorted. So with diarrhoea by far the most common cause is gastroenteritis. This is inflammation of the gut and can be caused by many reasons ranging from eating something rancid to infection. Usually it takes a mild form where the dog will feel poorly for a day or two, but it will resolve by itself. In other cases they will need veterinary treatment as there can be more severe infections etc. My general advice in the first instance of diarrhoea, is to starve the dog for 24 hours as long as it is drinking and keeping water down. This allows the guts a chance to rest as if they do eat it will simply run through them. Then following this feed plain chicken and rice until faeces return to normal. Now, if Dharma is in a lot of pain, bearing in mind some will be expected as it is uncomfortable, or she starts to vomit or experiences blood in her diarrhoea, I would take her to the vet as it could be a more serious issue. Alongside starving her make sure she is up to date on wormer. Many vets sell an over the counter paste which helps to restore good bacteria in the gut, you could give this a go also. Similar to a human it can take a few days to get over diarrhoea so don't worry overly. However if she is not improving within another 24 hours, or starts to deteriorate, please take her in for an examination.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Daisy. Contact your local rescue groups, humane societies, low-cost clinics in your area and seek help. Persistent vomiting, bloody diarrhea and lack of appetite are emergent clinic signs due to fluid/electrolyte losses. This leads to dehydration, weakness, and further downward deterioration unless the vomiting stops and the appetite returns. I would advise taking Daisy to your vet as soon as possible to have her evaluated. Many causes are possible including intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion (eating things dogs aren't supposed to), other dietary problems, gastrointestinal inflammation/infection from various sources, toxin exposure, foreign body ingestion, GI ulceration, side effects from drugs or products used, or even problems outside of the gut including pancreatitis, liver/kidney problems, among many others. Your vet can get a detailed history and perform a thorough exam. Once done, a diagnostic plan and preliminary treatment plan can be started. Most likely a minimum database of fecal/blood/urine tests and some x-rays will be advised. Treatment will be focused on the cause but early treatment could include fluids/electrolytes, anti-nausea/vomiting medicines, acid blockers, etc. Good luck with Daisy.