First Aid for Dog Vomiting

Most cases of dog vomiting are not serious but they do require a little sleuthing to figure out why the problem is occurring. Gulping food or a change in a dog’s diet may bring on a vomiting episode. The ingestion of grass and weeds can also be the culprit. Dogs may vomit when no illness is present but vomiting may also be a sign of a serious medical condition or poisoning so monitoring your dog’s symptoms is the first step in rendering first aid for vomiting.

Things You'll Need

• Cottage cheese
• Cooked rice
• White-meat chicken
• Liquid antacid

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Instructions

• 1

  Observe the contents of the dog’s vomit. Although most vomiting episodes are a result of the dog eating something that disagrees with his stomach, be aware that black vomit or blood in the vomit are signs that your dog may be suffering from something more serious. In addition, repeated episodes of vomiting, more than three times in two hours, should prompt a call to your veterinarian.

• 2

  Feed your dog smaller amounts of food more often if he vomits before feeding time and if his vomit is clear and frothy. The natural acid that forms in a dog’s empty stomach may irritate the lining, causing him to vomit. This acid builds up during the time between feedings and in some dogs it can cause vomiting. Divide your dog’s food into two or three daily feedings to eliminate the problem.

• 3

  Notice if your dog eats green grass before vomiting. This may signal a bout of gastritis, a simple irritation of the stomach lining, which is often caused by ingesting something disagreeable. Unfortunately, it’s normal for a dog to chew on dead animals or moldy food. This causes abdominal discomfort and a dog’s instinct is to eat grass which then acts as an emetic and allows the dog to vomit up the disagreeable substance.

• 4

  Remove all food if your dog vomits more than once after ingesting rotted food. Once the natural flora balance in your dog’s stomach is disturbed, he may continue to vomit when new food is introduced into his stomach. Don’t feed your dog again for at least three hours after his last vomiting episode. If your dog is still vomiting after 8 hours without food, call your veterinarian.

• 5

  Administer a bland diet when you begin feeding your dog again. For the next 12 hours reintroduce foods that are calming to the lining of your dog’s stomach. Good choices are reduced-fat cottage cheese mixed with boiled and shredded white chicken meat. Add small amounts of cooked white rice or pasta. Feed a very small amount, waiting at least an hour before feeding more.

• 6

  Offer your dog a little stomach relief with an over-the-counter antacid if your veterinarian recommends one. Liquid Pepto Bismol or a generic brand, given at the ratio of 1 tsp. per 10 pounds of the dog’s body weight, may offer some relief.

• 7

  Make fresh water available after a vomiting episode subsides. Vomiting may cause dehydration in your dog so replacing fluids is imperative. If your dog vomits the water, wait an hour and allow him to drink only a little bit. Give him a little more every thirty minutes until you are sure he will keep it down.