Staff of BAH Blog

Blog Series: Medical Emergencies for Pets

PT 1: Vomiting and Diarrhea

Euraysia Duhaime: BA, Veterinary Assistant BAH

“Be honest and be kind.”

Pets are prone to a wide variety of illnesses, and it can be difficult to sort out which symptoms are emergencies. I’ve written a series of short blogs to help you determine when your fur-baby needs immediate medical attention. Today, we’re discussing vomiting and diarrhea.

There is nothing that wakes you up faster in the middle of the night than the sound of your dog vomiting! We’ve all been there; cleaning up vomit and runny poop, worrying about our pet and trying to figure out the causes and if this is an emergency. While vomiting and diarrhea may be common in dogs, it can also be a sign of serious illnesses . Most cases are signs of stomach upset, which can usually resolve in 24 hours, but if your dog develops other signs including lethargy, weakness, pain in the abdomen, vomit and diarrhea that contains blood, or it persists for more than 24 hours call your vet immediately as this may constitute an emergency.

Repeated or continuous vomiting and/or diarrhea could be a sign of poisoning, obstruction, or gastrointestinal infection. If you notice your pet repeatedly trying to vomit, do not wait - call your vet immediately.

Bringing up a hairball:

One common complaint for cat owners, and something to note, are hairballs. A hairball is a damp, cylindrical wad of undigested hair, moistened by bile and other digestive fluids. Vomiting a hairball once every 3 months may be completely normal for some cats, but more than this may be a sign of an inflammatory condition of the GI tract. Left untreated, these inflammatory conditions may result in the development of cancer. If your cat vomits hairballs often, an investigation into the cause should be done.

If you have any questions, or would like to book an appointment, fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you within 48 hours. If you have a possible emergency during our hours of operation, please call the clinic at 519-648-9738. If you have an after hours emergency, please contact Campus Estates Animal Hospital at 519-837-1212.