My Puppy Just Threw-up
I vividly remember the first time my puppy vomited. It was around 2AM, but I knew something was wrong many hours before. He was shuffling around in his dog crate and not falling asleep, and when he finally did throw up, I heard a regurgitating noise. Unfortunately, we all have sick days, including our pups, so here are some ways to prepare for those moments your pup is under the weather.
HAVE YOUR VET’S NUMBER SAVED ON YOUR PHONE
When in doubt, have an emergency vet number on your cell phone. Also have a plan of which vet hospital you will go to in the case of an emergency.
LEARN DOGGY CPR
Hopefully you NEVER have to ever use this, but every dog owner should have an emergency plan and be prepared. Enroll in a doggy CPR class so that you can learn how to identify when your dog is choking or having an emergency that requires CPR.
MONITOR, MONITOR, MONITOR!
In the case of our pup, after he threw up once, he immediately felt better and started playing with us before going back to bed at 2AM. While I am not a veterinarian, I am finely attuned to my dog and knew in my gut that he was okay (mother’s sixth sense). However, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. When in doubt, call or go to your vet.
Some basic things to watch for:
- Eating behavior
- Drinking behavior (e.g., excessive water drinking may indicate kidney issues)
- Playing behavior (energy levels)
- Urination and bowel movements
- Sleeping behavior (related to energy levels)
- Responsiveness to you and others
- Change in overall behavior
- Change in amount of drool