Vomiting and diarrhea.

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that Brutus is not feeling well. I tend to get concerned when dogs this young are vomiting and not wanting to eat. It usually is a sign of something serious.

Has Brutus had all of his recommended vaccinations so far? If not, I would be concerned about parvo virus. Parvo can be treated but needs intensive hospital care. Distemper is a virus that can cause congestion but we don't usually see vomiting and diarrhea with it.

It's also possible that he has an intestinal parasite such as giardia or coccidia. These parasites are not killed by regular dewormers but need special medication to be treated.

Puppies don't do well fighting against dehydration, so anytime I have a puppy that has gone more than 24 hours with vomiting and not eating I usually want to treat it with fluids in the hospital.

Unfortunately it sounds like Brutus is going to need to go back to the vet's as soon as possible. They can test for parvo and also for parasite and treat him with some fluids and some medication to help stop vomiting.

For tonight you can try offering him small amounts of unsweetened pedialyte. You can buy this at the pharmacy. It's meant for children with diarrhea. Unfortunately there really isn't an over the counter medicine for diarrhea or vomiting that I would consider safe for him.

I really hope he does ok.

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

This does change things a little bit. It makes a virus such as parvo virus or distemper less likely.

In an adult dog I usually will feel more comfortable with waiting for 2 days or so to see if he will get over this on his own. In this time period I recommend 24 hours with no food followed by small meals of cooked chicken and rice. This way, if it is just some intestinal upset, say, from something he ate, then this should do the trick.

However, if Brutus is vomiting for a week then it is best to have your vet see him.

It's possible that he has pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). If this is the case he may need a hospital stay for a few days. It's also possible that he has a foreign object in his stomach or intestines. Parasites are still a possibility.

The pedialyte is still a good idea for him for tonight.

I hope he does ok!
I will be offline for the rest of the evening, but I'll check in on you in the morning in case you have more questions.

Dr. Marie.