All of us have been there. Our first thought when our dogs eat something they shouldn’t—human medication, another dog’s medication, or a delectable treat like chocolate or raisins—is, “How can I make my dog puke up? A dangerous substance like chocolate can be quickly removed from your dog’s body by making them vomit. But it’s crucial to know how to safely induce vomiting in dogs. Before you make your dog puke, you should be aware of the following.
When to (or Not to) Make a Dog Throw Up
A dog might vomit anything up on his own if he consumes something toxic that he shouldn’t have. Making your dog vomit something he’s eaten could seem like a smart idea if that doesn’t work. However, the truth is that you should only try to induce vomiting when under the supervision of a veterinarian. This is for very excellent reasons. Keep in mind that some businesses offer live chat and video options to connect you with a vet if yours is not available.
Batteries, other caustic compounds, and sharp items are just a few examples of things that, if regurgitated, might inflict dangerous and even fatal harm. The act of making someone vomit itself carries hazards, such as aspiration pneumonia, which is brought on by breathing poisonous chemicals, typically gastrointestinal contents, into the lungs. Swallowed objects can also result in obstructions or perforations. After producing vomiting, you might think about calming your dog’s throat with a liquid respiratory supplement appropriate for pets.
Because there is a risk of aspiration pneumonia in brachycephalic breeds like Pugs or Pekingese, it is best to see a veterinarian before attempting to induce vomiting in them. Inducing vomiting in a dog that is groggy, comatose, or having convulsions is not advised. Depending on what was swallowed, if your dog consumed something more than two to six hours ago, it might be too late to induce vomiting.
The best course of action is to take your dog to the veterinarian’s office right away. If you can’t make it there, you might have to make yourself throw up at home. Before you act, consult a veterinarian or, in the event that your dog ingests something harmful when your veterinarian’s office is closed, dial a pet poison control hotline to seek guidance from the professionals. When you contact, be prepared to give crucial details including what, when, and how much your dog consumed, as well as his weight and any potential medical issues.
Why Hydrogen Peroxide?
To induce vomiting in dogs, a 3-percent solution of hydrogen peroxide is advised. Fortunately, many of us already have it in our medicine cabinet. A bottle should be included in your dog’s travel first aid pack as well.
Hydrogen peroxide is a topical antiseptic that is “orally delivered as a home-administered emetic in dogs when clients are unable to take the patient to a veterinary hospital in a timely way,” according to PetMD. In general, hydrogen peroxide takes 10 to 15 minutes to start working, recovering roughly 50% of the stomach contents that your dog has swallowed. Hydrogen peroxide is irritating to the dog’s intestinal tract. Make sure your dog is given the medication in a location where he will feel as comfortable throwing up as possible because the vomiting could last up to 45 minutes.
When provided by a veterinarian, hydrogen peroxide is typically regarded as safe. However, you do not have the luxury of veterinary knowledge at home. If your dog displays any of the following signs or ailments, do not force him to vomit:
- Already throwing up.
- quite sluggish.
- Comatose.
- decreased capacity for swallowing.
- trouble breathing
- seizures or erratic behavior.
- Megaesophagus or recent abdominal surgery (a generalized enlargement of the esophagus).
- consumed poisons, sharp objects, or corrosive substances.
Steps to Take to Make a Dog Throw Up
Always call your veterinarian first. Even if you intend to induce vomiting in your dog at home, your veterinarian is a great resource and can give you the most up-to-date details regarding your dog’s health.
- Giving your dog a tiny meal can increase the likelihood that he will vomit if he hasn’t eaten in the previous two hours.
- Make sure you have a solution of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. Higher levels are poisonous and can result in significant harm.
- Administer the recommended dosage as directed: by mouth, 1 teaspoon is recommended for every 5 pounds of the dog’s body weight, with a maximum dose of 3 tablespoons for dogs over 45 pounds. However, only induce vomiting if your dog consumed the item within two hours, and consult your veterinarian about the ideal amount for your dog.
- Utilizing a feeding syringe or turkey baster, dispense the medication by drawing back the patient’s lips and squirting it between his back teeth. Additionally, you can squirt from the front into the canine’s mouth or tongue. Don’t allow your dog breathe the stuff in as this could cause aspiration. Give your dog a second dose if he doesn’t throw up within 15 minutes.
- While your dog throws up, be by his side. Do not allow your dog to re-ingest the substance; instead, collect the vomit for your veterinarian to examine.
- Watch out for side effects and complications include vomiting that lasts longer than 45 minutes, diarrhea, lethargy, bloating, gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), or stomach ulcers.
- Contact your veterinarian as soon as you can for a follow-up.
The best course of action is to bring your dog to a vet clinic or emergency room to have vomiting artificially induced because timing is crucial. In some circumstances, further therapy—like intravenous fluids—may be required. If you are unable to induce vomiting in your dog, your veterinarian may administer a stronger prescription to help him vomit up the hydrogen peroxide as well as the drug he swallowed.
Emergency First Aid for Dogs
A sudden injury or illness cannot always be prevented, even by the most diligent pet owner. Receiving emergency medical care for your pet could mean the difference between life and death. To find out more about what to do in an emergency, download this e-book.
How can a dog be made to vomit?
Push the hydrogen peroxide slowly into your dog’s mouth while holding his head upright. The peroxide should be inhaled when it fills his mouth. After giving the complete dose, walk your dog about the yard to help the peroxide’s bubbling action produce stomach irritation and induce vomiting.
How long after using hydrogen peroxide will my dog vomit?
If your veterinarian has advised you to try to induce vomiting in your dog, they will provide you with instructions on what to use and how much. Typically, your veterinarian will advise using 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.
Dr. Jennifer Coates of PetMD advises that the steps listed below can be safely used to induce vomiting in your dog in case of an emergency1. One milliliter (ml) of hydrogen peroxide should be administered for every pound of body weight. One teaspoon is about equal to 5 ml, hence there should be one teaspoon for every pound of body weight. If your dog doesn’t throw up within 15 minutes, you can provide the medication once more.
How long will my dog vomit after giving hydrogen peroxide?
Your dog may vomit for up to 45 minutes after receiving the appropriate dose of hydrogen peroxide. As much as you can, strive to maintain their comfort and calm.
Does salt make dogs throw up?
The canine chocolate season officially began on Halloween and lasts through Valentine’s Day before peaking around Christmas. Of course, chocolate consumption happens all year long, but during these holidays, I notice a spike in the number of people calling my office for advice on how to make their dog throw up.
Vomiting frequently is a crucial component of the management of chocolate intake as well as many other toxic exposures. Many people believe that inducing vomiting at home is a good idea. Typically, it isn’t.
If a person believes that the poisoning may be too far along to be treated by the time they get to the vet, they may seek to induce vomiting at home. The brief delay that results from taking your pet to the vet to induce vomiting, unless you live in a remote area, usually has no impact on the outcome.
Numerous other people wish to produce vomiting at home since they don’t want to visit the veterinarian for one reason or another (read: they don’t want to or may not be able to afford a veterinarian visit).
Unless there is no other option, I generally do not advise causing vomiting at home. There are several causes.
Vomiting carries risks
It can result in difficulties and is physically taxing. The vagal reaction is something that can happen to dogs who vomit. This results in a state that, clinically speaking, resembles an anaphylactic reaction and necessitates immediate medical attention. A condition known as aspiration, in which the vomit is inhaled into the lungs and causes discomfort, distress, and pneumonia, can also affect dogs. Additionally, veterinary care is required. Pugs, Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, and other snub-nosed breeds are notorious for aspiration.
There will be staff available if you take your dog to the vet to induce vomiting so they can assist avert difficulties and deal with them right away if they do arise.
The agents used to make dogs vomit also can lead to dangerous complications.
Ipecac syrup was once advised as a way to make pets and kids throw up. Every sensible parent had a bottle of ipecac in her home when I was a child in the 1970s and 1980s. It later became evident, however, in an unfortunate turn of events, that ipecac itself is harmful. It is no longer widely available, and the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly warns against using it. Additionally, it is no longer advised for dogs.
Table salt and hydrogen peroxide are two additional substances that can be used at home to make dogs vomit.
A dog might in fact throw up from eating table salt. For humans, a small amount of salt in food is delightful, while big amounts of salt taste awful. The administration of salt to dogs is almost always met with resistance, and many owners have experienced dog bites while attempting to administer salt to their animals.
Additionally, not all dogs who are force-fed salt puke. If they don’t, they run the risk of both salt poisoning and whatever they were originally eating. Salt poisoning can cause serious digestive distress, weakness, dizziness, kidney failure, neurological issues, and even death. Particularly problematic are the neurological issues for dogs that bit their humans while receiving salt. According to rabies legislation in many places, dogs that bite someone and then exhibit neurological signs must be put to sleep in order to undergo rabies testing.
The finest summary of the situation can be found on the website of the Pet Poison Helpline, which is managed by veterinary toxicologists: “Using salt to induce vomiting in dogs and cats is no longer the standard of care and is not encouraged for usage by pet owners or veterinarians!
The use of hydrogen peroxide is dangerous. It irritates tissue. It can harm the esophagus and stomach, potentially causing ulcers. If the dog does not vomit after receiving it, which many do not, then this is extremely likely. In my experience, using hydrogen peroxide to treat chocolate consumption is particularly prone to failure. After hydrogen peroxide treatment at home failed, I have long since lost track of the number of dogs I had to treat for chocolate consumption and possible gastrointestinal ulcers.
Apomorphine is a considerably safer method of causing vomiting available to veterinarians. Apomorphine can be given intravenously through injection. It causes nausea to start very quickly, then vomiting, then a quick recovery. It is uncommon, although not unheard of, for apomorphine to fail to induce vomiting. When apomorphine does not function, it does not provide the same hazards as other medications.
My recommendation for any owner whose dog has consumed poison is to get to the vet immediately.
But what if you are completely powerless? What would you do if you lived 10 hours away from the closest clinic and your dog had just devoured six blocks of bromethalin rat bait? The least risky substance to use to induce vomiting at home is hydrogen peroxide. However, you won’t get a dosage amount from me or my clinic; instead, you’ll need to look Dr. Google up.
Owners of cats should be aware that all of the agents covered in this article are just as hazardous to cats, if not more so. They are also more prone to failure. However, there is a somewhat secure and dependable method for making a cat throw up at home: Purchase a valuable handwoven Persian rug, and put your cat right in the middle of it.
Procedure
You can get away with one teaspoon of soda in one cup of water, but the dosage depends on the size and breed of the dog.
A second person may be required to hold the dog as you feed it the combination.
As the dog throws up, stay beside him. Don’t leave the dog’s side when he vomits just yet.
Keep following him till he is done. This aids in his relaxation and, ideally, enables him to pass whatever is lodged in her stomach.
Furthermore, we all know that our dogs aren’t always picky eaters and will occasionally eat whatever they vomit. This could erase all the steps you took to get him to vomit.
Always visit the animal hospital after making your dog puke as a safety measure to make sure they’re both doing okay. Physical and psychological damage might result from the entire process.
If after one attempt nothing happens, stop. Your dog becomes poisonous from too much baking soda.
Stop the exercise completely and take the dog to the doctor if he doesn’t vomit 20 minutes after receiving the baking soda combination.
