Despi (back) comforted Agapi (front) after he threw up six times in about half an hour, poor guy.

by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

The Saint (a.k.a. my hubsy) comforted him too.

Recently I posted a photo on Facebook of our fine fellow Agapi feeling poorly. He had just vomited five times in a row. Within a couple of hours he had recovered and gone back to normal, so we didn’t visit the veterinarian.

That evening a friend emailed me to ask, “When is a dog’s vomiting OK? How do you decide whether or not to go to the vet?”

Well, it’s never really “OK” for a dog to vomit. Especially not when said act is committed upon the blankets and sheets of one’s bed, which always seems to be a prime target around our house.

Preventing dehydration is important if your dog has been vomiting frequently.

And even if it happens in a more appropriate spot, it’s no happy moment for your dog. It indicates that something has upset his tummy, or that something else in his body has gone awry. Thus careful observation of your pooch is always necessary.

But in my completely nonprofessional, layperson’s experience during three decades of pooch rescuing, fostering, and adopting, I’ve developed a few criteria for deciding whether or not a throwie-uppie episode requires professional medical attention. Otherwise I might spend half my life on the road back and forth to the vet.

My don’t-rush-to-the-vet-yet criteria

In answer to my friend’s question, “When is dog vomiting OK?” here’s my answer.

Under all the following conditions, I don’t rush to the vet right away:

. If it stops within a few hours

. If there are no other symptoms—for example (but not limited to) pacing, agitation, gagging, coughing, diarrhea, pale gums, lethargy, stumbling or staggering, eye twitching, convulsions

. If the dog is not vomiting possibly harmful items, for example anything sharp, stringy, or toxic

, If the dog begins retaining at least small amounts of water within a few hours

. If the dog begins retaining small amounts of food within 12 hours, then he returns to normal, with no more vomiting, within 24 hours

. If you can be there to closely monitor him and to take him to the vet in case things get worse

. If vomiting is not a symptom that your vet has told you to watch out for as part of a certain illness or suspected illness

If the dog can keep down small amounts of food without vomiting, that’s a good sign.

However…

Please note: Repeated vomiting can be a symptom of a variety of many extremely bad ailments. It might even be a health emergency that requires you to drop everything and rush Fido to the nearest vet immediately. So a phone call to your vet or the emergency vet hospital is never a bad idea, just to make sure.

Chances are, though, if the episode meets all the criteria listed in the answer that I gave my friend (above), you’re probably safe staying in “Wait and Watch” mode for a little while.

A few hours after his vomiting episode, Agapi started to act chipper again and waited eagerly with Julia by the door for a walk.

During that time, you can go ahead and get those blankets and sheets from your bed into the washer, and make sure that if trouble starts again, you’re on hand to aim your furry friend’s ammo in a different direction.

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The next morning he was back to work on his archaeological projects in the play yard.

Here at Spicy Stories Save Lives, we depend on sales of our romantic fiction to help create real-life happy endings like those of Claire, of Noble, Granger, and Raza, and of Rhea and her Earthquake Puppies.

When we have a new Spicy Story  available (soon we hope!), won’t you please use a couple of bucks to enjoy a fun read, to spice up your life, and to replenish our rescue fund?

We, the animals, and our fellow rescuers will thank you kindly!

Spicy Stories Save Lives proudly sponsors needy animals in the U.S. and around the world.

For example we help Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs) provide free spay/neuter for hundreds of animals per year, which is one of the best ways to prevent the abandonment and misery of puppies like Noah and Kyla. Please give to KATs via PayPal or bank transfer. Spay/neuter and education are the animals’ best hope for a better future.

Also please consider Animal Rescue Kefalonia (ARK), another group on the Greek island of Kefalonia who run a shelter  and work miracles with terribly few resources. 

Spicy Stories Save Lives and the author of this article have no affiliation with the rescue groups mentioned above, other than as a friend, volunteer, and donor.

Seen our book?  Your Adopted Dog: Everything You Need to Know About Rescuing and Caring for a Best Friend in Need, by Shelley Frost and Katerina Lorenzatos Makris, available through Amazon.com.