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My dog is vomiting, wobbly, lethargic, pale gums. What's wrong?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkipoo | Female | spayed | 1 year and 9 months old | 7.5 lbs

1yr old YorkiePoo was fine when we left at 5p, we returned about 8p & found she had vomit, acts lethargic, head & stance is wobbly. Seems to be breathing normal. Pale gums not a bubble gum color. What could be wrong?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Lotus Altholtz

Veterinarian, Board-Certified Lab Animal Medicine Specialist

Published on March 13th, 2019

It’s possible she had a seizure. If she does not steadily return to normal over the next few hours, it would be best to have her checked by your vet in the morning. Routine screeening bloodwork can help determine if a liver or kidney issue could be the cause of the seizure. Medical treatment for seizures is usually not started unless the pet has multiple seizures in one month, repeated seizures or a grand mal seizure lasting more than several minutes. Seizures generally have a pre-ictal phase where the pet is anxious and may vomit, the ictal phase during which paddling/convulsions are seen, and the post-ictal phase where the pet is disoriented and often wobbly. Best wishes for Nola to steadily return to normal and not have another episode!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. B. DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
Veterinarian
Published on July 3rd, 2018
Oh no poor Beauty! That must have been frightening to see. If she did not seem aware of you or her environment it is possible this was a seizure event. I see you posted an hour ago so i hope she has recovered. I would recommend she be seen by a vet right away. Because she is so young is there anything she could have ingested at home (medication, got in to the trash, etc.? Has she eaten today? The first step is a physical exam and then they will likely want to run some blood work to look for any common issues with her organ function and blood sugar. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on April 27th, 2019
Poor GiGi! It’s possible she is experiencing some significant pain. Pain can come from many places and common locations are at the spine and the pancreas. With the history of seizures, that is a possibility that she is a experiencing some neurologic abnormalities as well. I recommend to play it safe and have her examined by the veterinarian right away. The physical exam is the best starting point to figure out what’s wrong. Best of luck and I hope she starts feeling better quickly.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog is throwing up, weak, with pale gums. What should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is very concerning as severe vomiting can result in hypovolemic shock (decreased circulating blood volume) which can be life-threatening. This can result in pale gums and weakness as you describe. The vomiting can happen from many conditions such as a gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction, pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible for further evaluation and treatment. This is a medical emergency. At the very least, they can start IV fluids and start medications to try to stop the vomiting while they find out what is affecting her. I hope that she makes a full recovery! Good luck!

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Why is my old dog having seizures, white gums, and leaking urine?

I hate to hear that your friends dog is so sick! Make sure to stay in contact with the veterinarian and follow all the recommendations. The pale gums are concerning for blood loss or not producing enough red blood cells. This condition could cause a seizure but would normally show up on bloodwork. Seizures can be caused by many conditions including toxins, brain tumors, infections in the brain, liver disease, low blood sugar or epilepsy. Bloodwork will generally also help to determine if one of these is the cause of the disease. Urinating uncontrollably is worrisome for a bladder infection, a problem with the sphincter or a neurological disease. This sounds like a complicated illness and the pup may need various diagnostics and even sometimes a repeating of diagnostics to look for progression. I hope this helps to provide a little insight and that because of the illness is quickly identified and treated. Make sure to have her examined quickly for the pale gums. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

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Dog shaking, warm, then wobbly. Are these signs of a seizure?

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I'm sorry to hear that Oscar isn't feeling well. The symptoms you describe are very concerning to me. It may be that he has a neurologic disease, or (especially if he's older) he may a tumor which has started to cause some internal bleeding. Though his gums are pink, this is still possible. Is there any chance he got into something in terms of a possible toxin? If he will get up and walk to you, and he responds to his name each time, and will eat and drink; it is reasonable to wait until morning if you don't have a vet emergency center near you. If he is unable to rise on his own, if he won't respond to his name, if he's vomiting, seems painful, or if he seems to be getting worse at all, please seek an emergency veterinarian. Best of luck with him, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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Why is my dog wobbly and lethargic after vomiting? Is it serious?

I'm wondering if Jax may have had a vasovagal episode after vomiting. This is a reflex that sometimes occurs after vomiting and results in a low heart rate and low blood pressure, and sometimes even collapse. While it is not necessarily a sign of something more serious if the vomiting continues or another episode occurs I would recommend seeing your veterinarian so they can make sure something more serious isn't going on - low blood sugar, ingestion of a toxin, or even liver disease could also cause similar symptoms.

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My puppy is wobbly and unstable after napping, is it dehydration?

I am sorry to hear about Sailor! I would be concerned given her history about a possible hypoglycemic episode (low blood sugar) which is not uncommon in toy breed puppies. I would also be concerned that prior seizures could be a result of hypoglycemia. We don't normally see seizures as a result of not having vaccinations unless your dog had contracted distemper. I would recommend having your vet examine her. We also worry in young puppies with seizures about a liver shunt. If she has another episode like this, rub karo syrup or honey on her gums and take her to an emergency vet if your vet isn't open for an exam and treatment https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952329 .

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