Acute Vomiting
A common yet sometimes concerning sign in your pet; sudden vomiting makes pet owners question; does this require the attention of a vet?
What Causes Vomiting?
Vomiting can unfortunately have many different causes but commonly includes:
- Dietary indiscretion (new food or treats, table scraps, spoiled food, overeating)
- Food allergies
- Infections (viral, bacterial or parasitic)
- Toxin ingestions
- Foreign body ingestions (fabric, sand, sticks/wood)
- Drug sensitivity/side effects
- Systemic diseases (pancreatitis, liver, kidney, endocrine)
Your Vetline vet will collect an appropriate history to identify the possible underlying cause and provide specific advice for next steps for you and your pet.
What You Can Do at Home
If your pet is vomiting at home there are two simple things you can do at home to help your pet, and your veterinarian.
Diet
- Offer a highly digestible veterinary diet, or a homemade diet consisting of small portions of plain cooked rice and chicken breast
- Offer this diet in small amounts frequently (3-4 meals per day)
- This diet should be offered for 3-5 days before slowly transitioning your pet to their long term diet over a week
Monitoring
If your pet is vomiting at home there are details to take note of to help your veterinarian in clinic:
- The frequency, volume and colour of the vomiting
- The timing; is your pet vomiting before or after eating or drinking, or after exercise
- Your pet’s appetite
- Your pet’s activity levels
When To Seek Veterinary Care
If your pet is vomiting there are critical signs you should recognize that indicate the need for veterinary care, including:
- Vomiting >3 times in 12 hours
- Vomiting immediately after eating or drinking
- Vomiting food >6 hours after last eating
- Dark brown (coffee ground appearance) or bright red vomit
- Anorexia (not eating) for >12 hours
- Lethargy
- Yellow, pale white or dark brown gums
If your pet is showing these signs, please immediately contact us or your local emergency vet.