Different Methods & When To Do It

If you need to make your dog throw up, a quick online search could give you a variety of methods. Sadly, though, not all of these methods are reliable or effective, and others are downright dangerous. Let’s find out why you might need to make your dog sick and some of the safest ways to do it.

Why Might You Try To Make A Dog Throw Up?

The main reason why you might need to make your dog throw up is that they have eaten something they shouldn’t. Foods like chocolate, grapes, and raisins are toxic to dogs, and foreign objects can easily cause a blockage in your dog’s guts.

In the right situation, making a dog vomit will prevent further complications and may avoid your dog from showing any symptoms altogether. However, there are also situations where making your dog vomit is unlikely to help and could even make them more unwell.

In What Situations Could Making Your Dog Vomit Be Useful?

If your dog has eaten something toxic within the past two hours, inducing vomiting can help reduce absorption. However, if the toxic substance is an irritant and could cause ulceration or damage the esophagus on the way back up, it’s not a good idea.

If your dog has eaten a sock, soft toy, or another small, soft, and smooth foreign object, they may bring it up safely when they vomit. On the other hand, if it’s too large, they could choke, and if it has sharp edges, it could perforate the esophagus or cause inflammation (esophagitis).

When Should You Not Try To Make Your Dog Sick?

If your dog has eaten something caustic, sharp, large, or an irritant, you should avoid making them sick. You should also avoid trying to make your dog throw up if they are struggling to breathe, acting neurologically abnormal, fitting, weak, or drowsy.

How To Induce Vomiting In A Dog

If you’re wondering how to make a dog vomit safely and whether you should do it with or without substances like hydrogen peroxide, salt, bicarbonate, or soda crystals, the safest way will always be to get them to a veterinarian. Here’s more information about some of the common methods you might have heard about.

How To Make My Dog Vomit With Hydrogen Peroxide

You should never use hydrogen peroxide to make your dog vomit without speaking to your veterinarian first. Your veterinarian will be able to tell you how much hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting in dogs if they think it is appropriate.

It’s really important to check the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide and not to give too much because you risk accidentally causing your dog to become severely unwell.

How To Make A Dog Vomit With Fingers

Trying to make your dog throw up using your fingers isn’t very safe for either of you. You could cause damage to the fragile structures at the back of your dog’s throat, and you might end up getting bitten. After all, even the most gentle and placid dog could cause damage if your hand is in their mouth and your fingers are reaching to the back of their throat.

How To Make A Dog Vomit With Salt

Using salt to make your dog throw up is dangerous. Not only is it an unreliable method because not every dog will vomit due to salt, but if they consume too much salt, they can develop salt poisoning, which can be fatal.

How To Make A Dog Vomit With Baking Soda

Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda isn’t a good idea for making your dog sick. This is because it is strongly alkaline, and in too large amounts, it could disrupt the pH balance of your dog’s body. It’s also likely to create a lot of foam in your dog’s stomach (part of the mechanism for making them throw up), which means they risk aspirating and developing pneumonia.

How To Make A Dog Vomit With Soda Crystals

You might read about giving your dog soda crystals to make them sick, and this is a method that has been used by veterinarians, especially before the wide availability of the emetic injection apomorphine.

With your veterinarian’s guidance, this can be given, but only if you are unable to attend the veterinary clinic quickly. Soda crystals should only be administered once rather than repeatedly, as they can irritate the mouth, throat, and esophagus.

What Is The Safest Way To Make My Dog Sick?

If your dog has eaten something they shouldn’t have, it’s best to act as soon as possible. However, the safest plan is to contact your veterinarian and make an emergency appointment. Your vet will be able to administer an injection that will make your dog vomit.

Once they have emptied their stomach, the vet may give an anti-emetic injection to settle their stomach and provide some activated charcoal to absorb any remaining toxins.

If the toxin may have been partially absorbed, they might recommend putting your dog on a fluid drip or rechecking blood tests after a couple of days to check the health of the kidneys and liver.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will hydrogen peroxide make a dog throw up?

If you give your dog the correct concentration and the right amount of hydrogen peroxide, they shouldn’t vomit for more than an hour. However, if you are concerned about your dog, you should call your veterinary clinic.

How to make my dog vomit without hydrogen peroxide?

The best and safest method to make your dog vomit is for your vet to give them an emetic injection. The drug often used for this is called apomorphine. If you are unable to attend your veterinary clinic urgently, phone them to find out which emesis method they would recommend.

Keeping Your Hound Healthy & Hydrated

If you’re worried that your dog has eaten something toxic or a foreign body, it’s easy to feel panicked and flustered and try to make them vomit right away. Beware, though, of taking unnecessary risks that could make your dog even more sick. The best course of action is to call your veterinarian for advice so they can make your dog vomit safely or help you choose a safe method.

If your dog is sick with an upset stomach or from vomiting, you’ll want to make sure to keep an eye on their temperature for a fever and keep them hydrated with plenty of water.

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