As a pet owner, the last thing you want is for your furry friend to become ill.
Unfortunately, it is almost inevitable: especially when they seem to want to eat everything and anything they can get their little paws on.
Sometimes you can’t be careful enough, and your dog will sniff out items that you have tucked away on the counter, seemingly out of their reach.
Maybe your kids have dropped a chocolate bar on the carpet, or sometimes, it can be as frustrating as litter being left in the street, out in the open for your pet to virtually inhale before you’ve even had a chance to react.
It happens to all of us, and that is why it is so important to know what to do in those situations. It is never nice to induce vomit from a pet, but in cases like these, it is for their own good.
Here is how you can make your dog throw up as safely as possible.
WARNING: If your dog is a brachycephalic breed, such as a pug, King Charles spaniel, bulldog, etc, please contact your veterinarian before attempting to induce sickness.
Brachycephalic breeds are more at risk of having aspiration pneumonia, an infection caused by substances from the stomach or mouth entering the lungs.
Call Your Veterinarian
If your pet has ingested something bad and you’re worried that they could become ill over time, you should get in contact with your vet as soon as possible.
They will give you more advice than we can, giving you specific instructions on how to safely induce vomiting for your specific breed of dog.
If the substance was particularly toxic, your veterinarian may ask that you take your dog to them. It is far better to be safe than sorry, and while you may feel that you can save your pet alone, you’ll be in a much better, safer position if you have medical advice to guide you.
Check That It’s The Safe Option
In some cases, making your dog throw up can cause more harm than good.
It all depends on what exactly they have ingested: if they have eaten something corrosive, such as bleach, or some kind of battery, bringing the substance back up may cause trauma to their esophagus and lungs.
If they have swallowed a sharp object, you should definitely not attempt to make them sick!
Bringing the sharp object back up could tear their esophagus and cause bleeding, which could lead to choking, infection, and more.
You should research what will and will not harm your pet through induced vomiting, as you don’t want to make them become more poorly.
It’s also important to note that you should not induce vomiting if your dog has already been sick, has trouble breathing, is having seizures, or is unconcious.
Make Sure Your Dog Has Eaten Beforehand
If this harmful material was the first thing your dog has eaten all day, or if they haven’t eaten a proper meal for a couple of hours, you should probably feed them something else before inducing sickness.
Don’t feed them a huge meal as that may cause them to become more ill if they have already swallowed something harmful: just feed them something small to line their stomachs.
This will also help them when they eventually need to vomit, as their stomachs won’t be so empty that there is nothing else to bring back up.
If their stomach is completely empty, it will be more difficult for them to vomit up the harmful material that you want to get rid of.
Use Hydrogen Peroxide
There is only one for-sure safe option when making a dog vomit, and that is giving a dose of hydrogen peroxide.
This is something that every dog owner should already own as part of their dog’s first aid kit.
The dosage given is different for each dog, depending on their size, breed and age.
It is extremely important that you give the correct dosage to your pet, as giving too much could result in an overdose: this could be fatal. If you’re unsure, check online or call your veterinarian.
Provide the hydrogen peroxide through a feeding syringe, making sure that your pet has ingested the entirety of the medicine correctly by squirting it between his/her back teeth, down their throat.
Hydrogen peroxide typically works within 10-15 minutes, and can cause your dog to vomit on-and-off for the best part of an hour.
If they haven’t vomited within 15 minutes, you may give a second dose.
Comfort Your Dog
Just like us humans, it is fairly uncomfortable for a dog to vomit.
Make sure that they are as comfortable as possible, perhaps setting up an area for them to lay down and try to relax while they are being sick.
It would also be a smart idea to pay down some towels or leftover training pads to catch the vomit, just to make the clean up a little easier afterwards.
It is very important that your dog doesn’t eat the vomit after it’s come up, so make sure it’s cleaned up as soon as possible.
If you’d like, you can sit with your dog and comfort them.
It is important that you keep an eye on them regardless, checking for any abnormalities while they are being sick: if your pet experiences diarrhea, bloating, or is vomiting for more than 45 minutes, you’ll need to contact your veterinarian right away.
Call Your Veterinarian (Again, if You Already Have)
Even if you have followed all the correct steps and your dog appears to be feeling better, it is so very important that you inform your veterinarian.
If you can, collect some of the vomit to take and show them, so they may do tests to work out if there is anything left to do to ensure your dog remains healthy after ingesting the toxic materials.
They may ask to see your pet in person, but if it appears that they are feeling better and behaving normal again, this might be the end of the journey!
Hopefully your dog will have a quick recovery, and will be feeling back to normal in no time.
The most important factor in scenarios like this is timing: it can be the difference between your pet being ill for just under an hour, or them having to be put on an IV drip in the vets for a much longer time.
The key is to keep calm, comfort your furry friend, and help them along their road to recovery.
