My dog is vomiting and has diarrhea before a flight. What to do?

Jaxx is very cute! I'm sorry he isn't feeling well. Jaxx could be car sick, as some puppies and dogs do get car sick when they take car trips with their owner. This may be the case since he did eat a very large meal prior to the trip. However, I would be concerned that something else could be going on and causing him to vomit, such as intestinal parasites, bacterial or viral infection (like parvovirus), a congenital problem, or eating something he shouldn't have and having general intestinal inflammation. I would recommend taking him to your veterinarian as puppies this young and small can get dehydrated quickly and become ill very quickly. After an exam your vet should be able to help you get him back on tract and feeling better.

I am very sorry to hear that Roman is experiencing these problems, I am sure it is very unsettling for you both. There are a number of potential causes of such clinical signs, including dietary indiscretion ( eating something he shouldn’t have), pancreatitis, parasite infestation, infection, and ingestion of a toxin or poison. Because you have only noticed these signs over the course of a few hours I would continue to monitor Roman at home until your vet appointment this afternoon. Here is what you can do in the meantime; Rest Roman’s gastrointestinal tract by holding back food for a few hours. Then you can continue with a bland and easily digested food of the boiled chicken breast and white rice diet and provide plenty of fresh water. Low sodium chicken broth can help fluid intake if he won’t eat or drink. I also find that boiled, mashed skinless sweet potato is helpful for diarrhoea if he starts to have that, otherwise do not add in. Here are indications to call your vet back, try to locate an emergency vet, or post a further question here on the forum (feel free to use my name Dr. Macartney in the post so I can help you directly); If Roman does not improve or seems to worsen, has profuse vomiting or diarrhoea, you notice fresh blood, Roman seems increasingly lethargic, in pain or depressed. Roman starts to vomit and does not stop retching or seems restless and bites at his abdomen. This would indicate he potentially has something stuck in his gastrointestinal tract, like a sock for expample, and needs immediate medical intervention. Here are some links to helpful resources for you if h develops diarrhoea; https://www.petcoach.co/article/most-common-causes-of-diarrhea-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea/ I hope that answer was helpful and more importantly that Roman feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both and please keep us updated if you require further help. We at PetCoach are here to support you and Roman!

Hello, I am sorry that Jaxon is not feeling well. Other than lots of TLC, there is not much you can do other than trying to keep him drinking. Low sodium broth is always a good option, but do not force him to drink. Do not worry about getting him to eat, unless he will take some skinless chicken, or cooked hamburger. Fortunately, his temperature is perfectly normal. Your vet will figure things out & get Jaxon feeling better soon. Take care.

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.

Hello, and thank you for your question. I don't see a problem with administering a single dose of kaolin and pectin to Luca. In addition, I would offer him a bland, easily digestible diet in small, frequent portions, such as boiled ground beef and plain white rice. For his weight, 2 tbsp every 2-3 hours should work. If his diarrhea worsens or if he starts to have vomiting, reduced appetite or lethargy, he may need to see a vet before your travel tomorrow. I hope this helps, and that Luca feels better soon!

He might have eaten something spoiled that is causing this. withhold food for 12 hours then offer Jackson boiled boneless chicken and rice every 6 hours in small portions. if he is eating and not vomiting, continue with this diet for 2 days. After 2 days, you can put him back gradually on his normal food. If the diarrhea carries on, take him to the vet to get treatment.

I'm sorry to hear Charlie isn't feeling well. It sounds like he has an upper respiratory infection. This is common for puppies that fly. They don't have a strong immune system and the stress of flying makes them susceptible to everything. I would also be concerned for parvovirus as that is also very contagious. I would take him to a vet right away to diagnose him and get him started on medications. Because he is young he can get worse very quickly. Good luck and kisses to Charlie!