Dog Vomiting: When Do You Need an Emergency Vet?

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If your dog has started to vomit, then it may just have eaten something that disagreed with it or it may have a minor bug. Sometimes, however, vomiting can be a sign of something more serious.

If this is happening outside of your vet's clinic hours, then you may not be sure whether your dog needs to go to a vet emergency clinic or not. What signs should you look out for?

Your Dog Can't Stop Vomiting

Throwing up a couple of times may not be a serious problem. Your dog may seem happy enough and may even want to carry on eating and drinking.

However, if your pet has vomited a lot and is now dry-heaving because nothing is left in its stomach to get out, then it may need to be looked at. Often, if a dog gets to this stage, it may have lost its appetite and may not even want to drink water. Even though nothing new is going into its stomach, it keeps trying to vomit.

Your Dog Has Other Symptoms

While minor vomiting may not affect your dog's mood, problematic vomiting may give it other symptoms. For example, your dog may be a lot more listless than usual; it may not want to engage with you or do any of its normal activities.

If vomiting is a sign of something more serious, then your dog's stomach may look bloated and it may be tender when you touch it. Your dog's gums may look less pink and healthy than usual. Other concerning symptoms include loss of balance or control, blood in the vomit and projectile vomit rather than a regular throw-up.

You Think Your Dog May Have Eaten Something it Shouldn't

Some dogs like to eat stuff they shouldn't, like socks and other non-food items. You may not have seen your dog eat something like this recently, but if it has done this before, then it may have ingested something that is causing an obstruction.

In some cases, dogs eat something harmful by accident like plants or even foods that are bad for them, like chocolate. In this case, your dog may be having a toxic reaction.

If you are concerned about your dog's vomiting, then don't worry about calling an emergency vet. Make the call. You may be able to talk to a vet on the phone first who can advise you on whether they need to see your pet or whether you can deal with the vomiting at home.


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