How to Deal with Dog's Vomiting and Diarrhea

There are numerous causes of vomiting and diarrhea. Sometimes the problem can be due to a mild reaction to food or an infection and will spon­taneously resolve within several days. Alternatively, vomiting can indicate very serious conditions such as pancreatitis, gastrointestinal obstruction, liver, kidney or hormonal disorders or even cancer. Similarly, diarrhea can be due to a mild upset or due to a more serious disturbance. Often it is impossible for you to judge whether the vomiting or diarrhea is something that will resolve itself or if it indicates a more serious problem.

If you feel that the vomiting and or diarrhea is not, or not yet, an emergency, the best thing that you can do is to fast your dog for 12-24 hours. Dogs can happily survive a long time without food so this is not at all cruel. When fasting your dog you should never withhold water. If you feel that your dog is continuing to vomit because they are drinking too much at one time, you can give them smaller amounts of water more frequently. Alternatively you can give them an ice block instead of water so that they can slowly drink or lick this as it melts. Young puppies require large amounts of energy and so they should also not be fasted for more than six hours. Similarly diabetic dogs are sensitive to changes in food intake and those that are vomiting or fasted may need to have their insulin dose adjusted.

If the problem seems to have resolved after the period of fasting, you can then reintroduce some bland food. There are some commercial foods that you can obtain from your veterinarian that are suitable for this. Alternatively you can cook some lean boiled chicken and white rice. You should prepare this as around 1/3 chicken and 2/3 rice. Only offer a very small amount initially. If your dog has a good appetite you can then feed small amounts every 6-8 hours for the next day or two. If there are no further problems you can then gradually wean your dog back onto their normal diet over two or three days. All diet changes should be made slowly. If there is any further vomiting or persistent diarrhea during the fasting, or when food is reintro­duced, you should seek veterinary attention. Similarly if your dog is not inter­ested in food after a period of fasting then they should see your veterinarian.

Sometimes a medication your dog is taking can cause vomiting or diarrhea. Other medications should be stopped if this occurs. Examples are non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Another example are drugs used to treat Cushing's disease, most commonly Trilostane (Vetoryl™) and Mitotane (Lysodren™). If vomiting occurs during treatment with these drugs you should stop them immediately. Your veterinarian may have given you addi­tional instructions on what to do if this occurs, which you should follow. See your veterinarian as soon as possible. Some antibiotics will cause vomiting and diarrhea and if this occurs you should discuss it with your veterinarian.

Other treatments for vomiting and diarrhea should only be used if they are specifically prescribed by your veterinarian.

Vomiting can also cause a problem if your dog is on regular oral medica­tion. If your dog is vomiting you cannot be sure that they are receiving their medication. This may be especially dangerous if your dog has a medical problem such as heart condition, epilepsy, encephalitis or Addison's disease. If your dog is vomiting and has a life threatening condition requir­ing long term oral medication, you should take them to a veterinarian because missing even one dose may be dangerous. Your veterinarian may be able to give the medication, or an alternative medication, as an injection rather than orally.