Vomit and Diarrhea: What to Do to Ease Your Pet's Symptoms

Pets can experience vomiting and diarrhea for a wide range of reasons, including eating something they can't digest, a change in their food, or a bacterial infection or virus. Unfortunately, bouts of vomit and diarrhea may also be the result of a more serious problem, such as diabetes, cancer, or pancreatitis. If your pets are experiencing excessive vomiting and diarrhea, it can cause them to have an extreme loss of fluid, which will lead to dehydration. Dehydration can lead to a wide range of other problems and can be life threatening, so it is essential that your pets be seen by their veterinarian at Greenfield Veterinary Clinic in Milwaukee if you suspect dehydration. Here is some information about vomiting and diarrhea, including steps you can take at home to ease your pets' discomfort.

Treating Vomit and Diarrhea at Home

If your pet only has a small amount of diarrhea or has only vomited once, the problem will typically resolve itself. If you find that your pets have gotten into something they shouldn’t have, such as the trash or a houseplant, it’s important to make sure there wasn’t anything that could harm them in the trash or that the plant is not toxic. If your pets are vomiting several times throughout the day and/or have severe diarrhea, it’s important to take them to a veterinarian or call a vet clinic for advice. Some things your veterinarian may recommend include:

• Stopping feeds for a short period of time to give your pets' stomachs a rest.
• Stop medications. Some medications can be toxic, which may cause vomiting.
• Although water is important to prevent dehydration, it’s important that water be offered in small amounts. For instance, offer them a few tablespoons at a time over about 20 minutes at a time.
• When reintroducing food and water, start with small amounts of water and once water can be tolerated, introduce small amounts of food.
• Leash walk your dog to encourage and observe bowel movements. Make sure to be aware of whether they are having normal outputs of urine.

If you notice blood in your pets' vomit and/or diarrhea, it is extremely important that you take them to the vet clinic immediately. If your pets are refusing to eat, become lethargic, or the vomit and diarrhea continues for more than a day, they should be seen immediately by their veterinarian.

Vomiting and diarrhea can lead to serious issues, if you have any concerns about your pet, contact Greenfield Veterinary Clinic.