My puppy vomited twice last night and had diarrhea this morning... how can I help her?

Question

My 9-month old Boxer drank some disgusting water yesterday when my husband and I took her for a walk. She vomited twice last night and had diarrhea this morning. We think that that might be the reason why she is vomiting. Today she ate her food and drank her water as usual. She seems normal and playfull as always. But how do I prevent her from vomiting and having diarrhea again? I really don't want to take her to the vet cause I know they will charge me a lot of money. Can I just try to give her some peptobismol?

Answer 1

Your puppy was getting rid of the water through vomiting and the loose stool. Only worry if they do not eat or drink and act lethargic. Keep an eye on the little one. However, their body gets rid of foreign things just as ours does.

Answer 2

Do not give her any human medications, they might make the problem worse. Having diarrehea and vomiting is just the body expelling something that shouldn't be ingested. If she seems fine and is eating and drinking don't be to concerned unless there is a change. Keep an eye on her and if you notice anything adverse then take her to a vet. When out for walks keep her away from things that might be dangerous including standing or running water. Carry a water bottle with a pop-up lid for her if she gets thristy. These bottles work great and there is no need for a bowl. Teach her the "Leave it" command.

Answer 3

Heya! I'm a Boxer owner as well and I'll let ya know now. Boxers, in general, have sensitive stomachs. My Boxer is on a special diet to reduce her chances of vomitting and ease her digestion because the fact is, they're going to get into everything they're not supposed to. The vomitting and diarrhea is normal, but I would not at all rule out a vet visit. Monitor her behavior and watch her go to the restroom. If there is no improvement or even a sign that her condition is worsening, get her to the vet. In the meantime, keep her water bowl full. If she's doing well now, I personally would not take her in. Don't give her any OTC medications without veterinary approval. Good luck and good choice of breed!

Answer 4

My dog drinks yucky water just fine. It's eating people food that makes his tummy upset. We follow this diet and it works like a charm. Whatever you do, resist the urge to give your dog people medicine. You're just asking for trouble then.

I have a German Shepherd with a really sensitive stomach. He gets diarrhea & vomiting now and again. These can be very serious for pooches. We've had him treated for pancreatitis caused by too much fat. After one bout of D&V, I took him to the vet for meds and treatment. She advised when D&V happens in the future, to follow this home treatment.

Day 1. No food. No liquids. It's really, really hard to do this, but it helps the dog's tummy settle down. Prepare bland diet of 1 lb. of extra lean ground beef to 2-4 cups of prepared white rice. Boil the beef and drain, then add to the cooked rice.

Day 2. Every 2 hours, feed the dog a tablespoon or 2 of boiled beef mixed with cooked white rice. A little water mixed in helps the dog chew it up. If the dog does not vomit, continue the feeding.

Day 3. Every 4 hours, feed the dog half to one cup of the mixture. Have about half a cup of water available to drink.

Day 4. Feed dog twice a day, half her daily amount at each feeding. Allow her to drink what she wants.

After this, if your dog has normal stools, you can reintroduce her normal diet.

Please note: my dog is only 50 lbs, so you may need to adjust amounts according to your dog's size. If bigger, you may have to do the Day 2 feeding more often, as it's important the first day to feed only a tiny amount at a time.

Answer 5

Please do NOT give your dog pepto bismol. Even though we love our pets like children they can't take all the same medications that humans do. My suggestion is to keep her closesly monitored over the next few days. It is a good indication that she is doing alright because she is playful and acting normally. If her demeanor changes, or the diarrhea/vomiting lasts for another 2 or 3 days then you MUST take her to the vet.

It will be more costly to find out something is terribly wrong because you waited for too long, when she might just have an upset stomach or small infection at the moment.

Answer 6

I would advise a chk up to be safe, but if she vomits or has diarrhoea, do not feed her for 24 hrs, water only, allow her stomach and bowel to flush the toxins out without having to deal with additional food, when stools are normal again and vomiting should have stopped, feed her a bland food, boiled chicken, add a little boiled rice if you wish, feed her this for the day, then she should be ok, but if vomiting and diarrhoea persists for more than 6 - 8 hrs, continuously, then you will have to take her to the vet, invest in pet insurance, well worth it, takes the worry out of vet bills....never know when an emergency will arise.
vet nurse

Answer 7

Don't give pepto unless the vet prescribes it. If your dog is trying to get something OUT of its system, the pepto only helps keep it in.
Best course for a vomiting dog is no food - water only - for 24 hours, then feed home cooked chicken and rice for 1-2 days, then gradually re-introduce their kibble by mixing it in with the rice.
http://placervillevet.com/canine%20gastroenteritis.htm
There is an infection called giardia that dogs get by drinking contaminated water; if there is blood in the stool (think chocolate pudding) or the chicken and rice diet does not stop the symptoms you are going to have to bite the bullet and get the dog to the vet for a round (or usually 2 rounds) of antibiotics.

Answer 8

There are very few human remedies that you can safely give your dog so don't go down that route. It seems that you might have been lucky this time but keep her away from rancid water in future. They can endure rotten meat (hence the fact they bury things for later) but their stomach cannot take bad water. If I am travelling to a Working Trial and I am to be away for a couple of days I take water from my own area with me rather than risk a change. It's as simple as that!
Good luck

Answer 9

I think it's all been said here, but I want to add - NEVER avoid taking a sick animal to the vets because of money! Vets can't force you to spend money, but they CAN give you an idea of what's wrong - unlike people on here.

You wouldn't let money get in the way of helping your child, it's no different with a pet.

Chalice

Answer 10

If you can't afford to take your dog to the vet - you can't afford your dog.

Peptobismol is bad for dogs. There's something in it that is not good for them.

Make sure she has her shots - Parvo begins with vomiting and diarrhea.