How to Help Your Dog Vomit

You come home to find your dog is feeling unwell. After searching the house, you realize that your dog has ingested a harmful substance that could be life-threatening if left in their system. Although assisting your dog to vomit may not be pleasant, it's a crucial first step in removing toxins from their body. To help your dog vomit, you need to learn how to administer hydrogen peroxide, take your dog to the vet, and follow general guidelines for inducing vomiting.

Identify if your dog needs to vomit. Before helping your dog vomit, you must determine whether it is necessary. If your dog has ingested any of the following substances, you should attempt to induce vomiting at home:

• Antifreeze chemicals, if ingested within 2 hours
• Chocolate
• Grapes or raisins
• Tylenol or Aspirin
• Toxic plants, such as azaleas and daffodils

Move the dog to another area. If your dog is lying on its bed or on the carpet, you should move them to another location to make it easier to clean up after they vomit (such as a room with linoleum flooring).

Feed your dog a small meal. It might seem odd to feed your dog to help them vomit, but dogs actually tend to vomit more easily if given a small amount of food. You can offer your dog a small portion of canned food or a slice of white bread.

Call the veterinarian or animal poison control center. This step is crucial! Don't try to induce vomiting in your dog before contacting a vet or animal poison control center. When calling, provide as much information as possible so the vet can guide you on what to do next. Important details include:

• What your dog ingested (toxic plants, cleaning products, chocolate)
• How long ago you think the dog ingested the toxin
• Your dog's symptoms
• The size of your dog

Determine the amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide to use for your dog. Use hydrogen peroxide (or 3% hydrogen peroxide) if the vet or poison control center tells you to induce vomiting. This product is widely available at pharmacies and is commonly used to make dogs vomit. Administer 1 teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide for every 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of your dog's weight.

Administer the hydrogen peroxide to your dog. Use an eyedropper or ear syringe to draw up the hydrogen peroxide. Squeeze the measured amount of hydrogen peroxide into the back of your dog's mouth as deep as possible.

• Do not mix the hydrogen peroxide with your dog's food or water before administering it with the dropper.

Take your dog for a walk. Walking your dog can help stimulate vomiting by encouraging the contents of your dog's stomach to mix with the hydrogen peroxide. Walk your dog for a few minutes. If your dog is unable to walk, gently shake or massage its belly.

Wait for your dog to vomit. After administering hydrogen peroxide, dogs typically vomit within a few minutes. If your dog hasn't vomited after 10 minutes, give them another dose of hydrogen peroxide.

• Some sources suggest not giving more than 2 doses of hydrogen peroxide, while others say 3 doses might be acceptable. It's best to consult your vet before giving a third dose.

Visit the vet. Even if you successfully helped your dog vomit, they still need to see a vet for further treatment. Vomiting is a quick solution, but it doesn't entirely remove the toxins from your dog's stomach. A vet visit is crucial if your dog doesn't vomit, meaning your dog may need a stronger treatment than hydrogen peroxide.

• Don't delay in taking your dog to the vet.
• If your dog has already vomited, consider taking a picture of the vomit to show the vet.

Inform the vet about what happened. Even if you've already discussed the situation before administering the hydrogen peroxide, you should still provide the vet with the details when they examine your dog. Additionally, inform the vet of how much hydrogen peroxide you gave and how many doses were administered.

• If your dog has vomited, describe the appearance of the vomit or show the vet a picture of it.

Allow the veterinarian to treat your dog. The vet may administer medications to induce vomiting and substances to prevent toxin absorption. For example, the vet may give your dog activated charcoal, which binds to the toxins in the digestive system and prevents further absorption.

• Apomorphine, an opioid painkiller, can be used to induce vomiting. This medication typically works within 5-10 minutes.
• Xylazine is another medication that can stimulate vomiting in dogs.
• The veterinarian will determine the best treatment approach for your dog based on the toxic substance ingested.

Learn about substances you should not induce vomiting for. After your dog ingests certain substances, vomiting can cause additional harm. Do not try to make your dog vomit if they have ingested any of the following:

• Bleach
• Drain cleaner
• Petroleum-based products, such as gasoline

Observe signs of severe poisoning. Inducing vomiting can be dangerous if your dog is too weak or unresponsive. If your dog shows signs of severe poisoning, you should not try to make them vomit and should immediately take them to the vet. Watch for the following signs of severe poisoning:

• Difficulty breathing
• Weakness
• Seizures
• Slow heart rate
• Unconsciousness

Do not use Ipecac syrup or salt to induce vomiting. Ipecac syrup was once recommended to make dogs vomit, but it can stick to the stomach lining and irritate it if the dog does not vomit. Salt is no longer recommended for vomiting induction, as excessive amounts can be toxic to dogs.

Help the dog vomit quickly. If possible, you should help the dog vomit within 2 hours after it ingests toxic substances. After this time, the toxin will have moved to the intestines, and at that point, inducing vomiting will no longer be effective.

• Reading the label of the toxin is a useful way to determine whether inducing vomiting is appropriate for the dog.

• Sharp objects can damage the lining of the stomach or esophagus. If you know the dog has swallowed something sharp, you should not attempt to make it vomit.