How To Make A Dog Vomit?

Key points

• If your dog has swallowed a poisonous substance, it does not automatically mean you should make the pet throw up;
• It can be dangerous to induce vomiting in dogs that have ingested sharp objects, caustic liquids, or oils. Also, you shouldn’t try to make the dog vomit if it is unconscious or having a seizure;
• Hydrogen peroxide is the safest option for inducing vomiting in dogs at home.

It’s safe to say that all caring dog owners worry about the possibility of accidental poisoning in their pets. After all, dogs have a habit of putting all sorts of nasty things in their mouths. And unfortunately, in some cases, your dog may even get poisoned on purpose. Regardless of the circumstances under which the pet has swallowed a harmful substance, your first question will probably be “How to make my dog throw up?”. Vomiting is an effective way to remove poisonous substances like raisins or human medications from your dog’s stomach. However, you should know how to induce vomiting in dogs safely.

When Should I Make My Dog Throw Up?

If your dog has eaten something harmful, making the animal vomit should not be your first priority. Instead, it is more important to contact a veterinarian as soon as possible and to find out what you should do in the specific case.

Whether a dog needs to vomit after swallowing a certain substance always depends on the toxin. Your vet can tell you over the phone whether it is a good idea to make the dog vomit.

Here are some substances that allow for vomiting:

• Antifreeze
• Poisonous plants (daffodils or azaleas)
• Paracetamol or acetylsalicylic acid
• Chocolate
• Raisins and grapes
• Xylitol
• Slug pellets

The Pet Poison Helpline provides a whole list of toxins that don’t belong in a dog’s body and have to be vomited up right away.

If your dog has ingested sharp objects or corrosive/caustic substances such as bleach, chlorine acid, or other cleaning agents, it can be dangerous to induce vomiting in the animal, as these chemicals should not pass through the dog’s esophagus twice.

The chemicals listed below will cause chemical burns if thrown back up. You should never make a dog vomit if it ingested any of these:

• Household cleaners and toilet detergents
• Laundry detergent
• Petrol/Diesel
• Bleach
• Crude oil
• Chlorine acid
• Turpentine
• Insecticides
• Caustic soda
• Drain cleaner
• Fertilizer
• Motor oil
• Cooking oil
• Nail polish

If your pet has ingested any of these substances, it is essential to consult a doctor immediately! You shouldn’t ever make the dog vomit if it ingests any of the chemicals mentioned above. This also applies if you are unsure of what your furry friend has eaten.

Furthermore, vomiting can be dangerous for brachycephalic breeds, such as Pugs or Pekingese, since it might cause these pets to develop aspiration pneumonia. Dogs with other medical conditions such as seizures should not be made to vomit either. Another contraindication for inducing vomiting is megaesophagus or laryngeal paralysis.

Keep in mind that you should only make a dog vomit when it is awake. Otherwise, the animal can end up choking on its own puke. Also, if the pet shows signs of nerve damage such as disorientation or loss of balance, you should refrain from inducing vomiting.

Moreover, you shouldn’t try to induce vomiting if:

• the dog has vomited recently;
• your dog is having trouble standing;
• the dog is lethargic or comatose;
• it has been more than two hours since your dog ingested the toxin (if you manage to make your dog throw up no later than 30 minutes, up to 50 percent of the toxic substance can be removed);

Use Hydrogen Peroxide To Make Dog Vomit

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most widely used chemicals in the world, and it’s mainly used for disinfection. According to Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook, 3% hydrogen peroxide is a “topical antiseptic that is used orally as a home-administered emetic in dogs when clients cannot transport the patient to a veterinary hospital in a timely manner.” However, note that the chemical is not a reliable emetic in cats.

As you may have guessed, hydrogen peroxide is toxic to ingest, but it’s not fatal except when consumed in very large quantities. When used in small amounts, hydrogen peroxide irritates the intestinal tract. Therefore, it is an effective and safe way to induce vomiting in both humans and pets.

All authoritative sources for pet owners suggest using hydrogen peroxide at home. There are certainly other methods to make a dog throw up, but most of them involve some degree of danger. For this reason, no veterinarian will recommend alternative treatments.

Once you obtain hydrogen peroxide, you need to make sure it is a 3-percent solution. This shouldn’t be too difficult, as most commercially available hydrogen peroxide comes in this concentration. However, there are more concentrated solutions that are not safe for your dog. For example, hair bleaching kits typically contain 15% hydrogen peroxide. You should never use this type of peroxide, as it is just too strong and will kill your pet.

How Much Hydrogen Peroxide To Give A Dog?

Even if you’re experiencing an emergency, you should at least try to call your veterinarian before inducing vomiting in your pet. The specialist can advise you on this matter and let you know if vomiting is safe for the type of toxin ingested. So be ready to tell your vet what the dog ate. If you don’t know what substance the pet consumed, you need to describe the symptoms, and your vet can go from there.

It might sound crazy, but you should try feeding your dog first before attempting to induce vomiting. That seems ridiculous; however, if you want your dog to puke everything contained in its stomach, it shouldn’t be empty. Otherwise, the pet’s body will only react with “dry bumps”.

When you feed your dog, you are essentially mixing the toxin with some type of food. The idea is to have something that can take in most of the poison before it’s thrown up in the stomach. However, you shouldn’t wait too long for your dog to eat. The longer you wait, the more poison will be absorbed or passed into the intestines. Rapid action is required. If your dog refuses to eat, move on to the next step.

The next step is to prepare a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, a turkey baster or feeding syringe (about 12 ml in size), and some water. You may also need to use a bathroom scale if you don’t know your dog’s exact weight. As with many other drugs, the dosage is determined by weight. For every pound of the dog’s weight, you will need about 1 milliliter of peroxide. So a 25-pound dog would need 25 milliliters, and so on. You should use a maximum dose of 45 milliliters for dogs that weigh more than 45 pounds. If you don’t have any way to measure the dog’s weight or the volume of the solution, use this handy guide:

• Small dogs: 5 ml (one teaspoon)
• Medium dogs: 15 ml (one tablespoon)
• Large dogs: 45 ml (3 tablespoons)

Once you’ve figured out your dosage, it’s time to pull that amount of peroxide into your turkey baster. Administer the solution with a feeding syringe or turkey baster. Pull back your dog’s lips and try to squirt the solution between its back teeth. Don’t let your dog inhale the substance since it might result in aspiration. If your dog doesn’t vomit within 15 minutes, you can go for a second dose.

What Happens After Giving A Dog Hydrogen Peroxide?

First, you will see foam in or around the dog’s mouth. Don’t worry, your pet isn’t rabid, that’s just a normal reaction to hydrogen peroxide. What you see is an oxidation reaction. After foaming, your dog will start throwing up violently. This part is always difficult to see, but it has to be done. As they say, “Better out than in”.

Once vomiting subsides, rinse your dog’s mouth with water and give it something to drink. There is no need to offer it food or treats, as it is unlikely to eat right away. Do you usually feel hungry after throwing up? Your dog probably won’t be either. Once you’ve finished flushing, it’s time to take a sample of the vomit for the vet for analysis.

Make sure to keep an eye on the dog after the incident. Observe its behavior. If your pet is vomiting for more than 45 minutes, experiencing diarrhea, lethargy, bloating, gastric dilatation, or gastric ulcers, it might indicate complications. In this case, you should bring your pet to the vet immediately.

After the dog has vomited, you can give it some activated charcoal. Activated charcoal binds the toxins, making it harder for the poison to get into the bloodstream. Activated carbon in the charcoal tablets has a large surface, helping to excrete the remaining poison or toxin contained in the gastrointestinal tract. Generally, the dosage of activated charcoal is one 5-gram tablet per 10 pounds of the pet’s weight.

Other Remedies Used to Make Dogs Throw Up

For specialists who work in veterinary clinics, the first-choice substance for making a dog vomit is apomorphine. Apomorphine stimulates an area of ​​the brain that is responsible for throwing up. The substance is known to be a highly potent emetic because it can cause “insatiable” vomiting. Apomorphine is usually given via an injection, but sometimes, the vet may administer it as a tablet under the conjunctiva. The drug takes about 15 minutes to work.

A year ago, the FDA approved another medication called clevor (also known as ropinole). This substance comes in the form of eye drops that can cause your dog to vomit. Clevor is a prescription medication and can, therefore, be used only by your veterinarian.

You can also use mustard to induce vomiting in your dog. To do this, you should mix mustard with water and pour the mixture into your dog’s mouth. Keep the dog’s mouth closed until the pet swallows the mixture.

However, you should never use at-home solutions containing alcohol, salt, or ipecac syrup, since all of these ingredients might be dangerous for your dog.

Risks of Inducing Vomiting at Home

If you want to make your dog vomit on your own, you should be careful. This is generally not an easy matter and should therefore be carried out in a controlled manner by a veterinarian. Depending on the method the owner uses to try to make a dog vomit, it can cause more harm than good. In addition, dog owners generally don’t know what amount of a substance has been absorbed by the pet and how this amount affects the animal’s body.

Even if the owner manages to make the dog vomit out some of the ingested substance, this is by no means a guarantee that the dog has excreted everything, and there’s no way to check this. Furthermore, the owner can also get injured trying to make their dog throw up.

On the other hand, as a trained doctor, a veterinarian has the necessary knowledge and equipment to clarify whether the vomiting is needed and ultimately carry it out in a safe and gentle manner. So if you suspect that your pet may need to vomit, you should contact a national phone hotline such as the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 to get their advice.

Final Thoughts

Remember that prevention is the best medicine. You should make sure that all toxic substances are kept away from your dog: you can put them on tall shelves out of reach or keep them in locked/bolted cabinets. Basically, you have to make your home “dog-friendly”. Also, do not ever try to replace your veterinarian’s advice with the internet. After all, the specialist has a lot more knowledge and experience treating animals.

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