Have you ever watched in disgusted amazement as your dog, who has just vomited on the rug, feverishly tries to eat it up before you can get to it? This behavior may seem bizarre to us but in the dog world it is par for the course and is considered a delightful course indeed. Dogs probably strive to hard to eat their vomit because 1. their mothers regurgitated food for them when they were puppies and 2. their heightened sense of smell reveals the actual food particles in it.
Some vomiting is normal for dogs. Dogs vomit for many reasons including an irritated stomach, eating too fast or too much, or sometimes because of nervousness. A large amount of the time, vomiting is not something to worry about but sometimes it can indicate a serious condition. If your dog vomits once or more a week and it is accompanied by diarrhea, lethargy, or loss of appetite, check with your vet. The trick is know a bit about canine vomiting, what to do, and when to haul your butt to the emergency vet.
How to Know Your Dog is Going to Vomit
This may seem silly but it helps to know the signs of a dog getting ready to vomit so you can have necessary equipment on hand before the expulsion. A well-prepared dog owner can recognize the signs, grab her cleaning carrier and paper towels and beat the vomit to the floor. It can also help you prepare in case it is a situation where you'll need to get help immediately.
Signs of a Pre-Vomiting Dog:
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Wretching - that noise that comes from your dog that sounds like he has something stuck in his throat. You will also see his throat straining back and forth.
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Stiff Stance - your dog may become rigid as he attempts to keep from vomiting.
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Wandering - a dog will often wonder aimlessly right before he vomits.
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That Look - sometimes your dog will come to you right before he vomits and give you that "look" that something bad is about to happen.
How to Deduce if Your Dog Has Eaten Something Poisonous or an Object
The first thing to do is to check your dog's vomit. It may make you a bit queasy but, by doing this, you can look for any bits of foreign objects. Keeping an eye on your dog, look for food or products he might have eaten in the immediate area and the area he has just come from. Signs of things eaten include wrappers, crumbs, pieces of an object (such as a plastic bag) and things that used to be there that aren't now.

List of Some Common Dangerous Things Swallowed
Food
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Chocolate
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Avocado
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Any fruit pits
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Raisins or grapes
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Mushrooms
Potato peelings
Household Products
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Cleaning products - any cleaning product is dangerous to dogs, though the natural ones are far less toxic.
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Anti-freeze
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Auto oil
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Cocoa mulch
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Gardening chemicals
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Some household plants.
Things We Forget About
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Bones that splinter
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Toys with removable parts
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String, rubber bands and even dental floss
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Sugarless chewing gum
How to Induce Vomiting
Try to always call your vet or emergency clinic before inducing vomiting. Induce vomiting only when it's necessary and you've talked to a professional unless you suspect he's eaten something dangerous (especially anti-freeze), has lost consciousness, or has trouble breathing.
To induce vomiting, open your dog's mouth gently and, using a syringe, squirt the emetic down her throat. Wait ten minutes and retry. If she doesn't vomit after the thrid try, get her to a vet immediately.
Some Emetics to Keep on Hand
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Peroxide - use 3 cc's for every 20 pounds.
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Activated Charcoal - use one activated charcoal tablet.
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Salt - place about 1 tsp. at the back of the mouth.

What to Do After Your Dog has Vomited
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Make Certain There is No Obstruction - gently place your hand in his mouth and at the top of his throat. If he is wheezing or has trouble breathing, there could be an obstruction further down so get him to the vet immediately.
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Give Him Fluids - including electrolytes.
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Keep Him Warm - a blanket and hugs work well.
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Reassure Him - make sure he doesn't think he's done something wrong.
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Feed Bland Food - feed your dog a diet of cooked chicken and white rice for a few days.
How to Know When to Go to the Emergency Vet
Safe is always best so if you have any reason to be worried, call your vet or the emergency clinic immediately and go there. Also, look for signs of poisoning or obstruction. These include chills, shaking, breathing difficulty, seizure, drooling or staggering. And when you check your dog's vomit, if you see any more than a few drops of blood or any amount of yellow bile, it's an emergency.
Different Ends of the Spectrum - Puppies and Senior Dogs and Vomiting
Puppies and senior dogs vomit more than those in between. Follow these guidelines to look for danger signs but, if after your vet checks him over, don't worry too much if they throw up almost daily, unless it is accompanied by other signs of illness. They both have less ability to keep food down than adult dogs.
With a bit of preparation you can be a Super-Vomitocious Dog Owner and be certain that your dog will be healthy and safe. Carrying a cloth and some Nature's Miracle around doesn't hurt either.
Advice from Other Dog Owners
Items for Your Dog's First Aid Kit
We have all the usual products found in human kits plus peroxide (used to induce vomiting), vet wrap, antibiotics (from our vet), a suture pack, lidocane (topical), some anti-inflammitory drugs, panalog (great for ears or other itchies), and some eye wash and eye lubricant. Also have some flagyl for travel trots, and pepto. We do a lot of long road trips with the dogs, and also do dog shows, so our kit is pretty complete. Lots of this stuff is only available from your vet, but if they know you and your pets well they usually have no problem providing enough for emergency use.
Remember, Tylenol is a no-no for dogs - it causes liver problems!
~Evelyn C.
, owner of Miniature Poodle

Add the Pet Poison Helpline Number to Your Phone
This helpline is staffed by the board-certified veterinary internal medicine (DACVIM) and emergency critical care (DACVECC) specialists at costs $35 per call unlike the Animal Poison
Control Center which costs $65 per call. The Pet Poison Helpline's number is: 800-213-6680. Add it to your phone address book (or speed dial)!
~Mary C.
, owner of Saint Bernard
Choosing the Best Microchip
My dog had an Avid chip that migrated into his shoulder. We found it after he got a ResQ chip at our shelter. My other dogs alsp have a ResQ Chip because it is what our shelter and animal control uses. I wanted to make sure that they would be able to easily read the chips if any of them fell into their hands. Most of our vets have universal readers. The one who found the Avid chip also found the ResQ chip. Unless you are moving or going overseas, I would call your local animal control and find out what chip they put into the shelter dogs that are adopted and go with that one. What ever chip you get, make sure it is registered with an international registry as well as the company you got if from.
~Betty M.
, owner of Siberian Husky

If your pet is injured, it could be in pain and is also most likely scared and confused. You need to be careful to avoid getting hurt, bitten or scratched.
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Never assume that even the gentlest pet will not bite or scratch if injured. Pain and fear can make animals unpredictable or even dangerous.
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Don't attempt to hug an injured pet, and always keep your face away from its mouth.
Although this may be your first impulse to comfort your pet, it might only scare the animal more or cause them pain.
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Perform any examination slowly and gently. Stop if your animal becomes more agitated.
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Call your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary clinic before you move your pet so they can be ready for you when you arrive.
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If necessary and if your pet is not vomiting, place a muzzle on the pet to reduce the chances you'll be bitten. o Dogs may be muzzled with towels, stockings or gauze rolls. o Cats and other small animals may be wrapped in a towel to restrain them, but make sure your pet is not wrapped in the towel too tightly and its nose is uncovered so it can breathe.
NEVER muzzle your pet if it is vomiting.
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If possible, try to stabilize injuries before moving an injured animal by splinting or bandaging them.
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While transporting your injured pet, keep it confined in a small area to reduce the risk of additional injury. Pet carriers work well, or you can use a box or other container (but make sure your pet has enough air). For larger dogs, you can use a board, toboggan/sled, door, throw rug, blanket or something similar to act as a stretcher.

You should always keep your pet's medical records in a safe, easily accessible place.
Bring these with you when you take your dog for emergency treatment.

Emergency treatment and first aid for pets should never be used as a substitute for veterinary care. But it may save your pet's life before you can get your pet to a veterinarian.
Poisoning and Exposure to Toxins
Poisoning is a pet emergency that causes a great deal of confusion for pet owners. In general, any products that are harmful for people are also harmful for pets. Examples include cleaning products, rodent poisons and antifreeze. But you also need to be aware of common food items that may be harmful to your pet. The AVMA brochure What You Should Know About Household
Hazards to Pets offers a summary of what foods and common household items may pose a danger to your pet. Additional information and examples can be found on the other Web sites listed in this section.
If your pet's skin or eyes are exposed to a toxic product (such as many cleaning products), check the product label for the instructions for people exposed to the product; if the label instructs you to wash your hands with soap and water if you're exposed, then wash your pet's skin with soap and water (don't get any into its eyes, mouth or nose). If the label tells you to flush the skin or eyes with water, do this for your pet as soon as possible (if you can do it safely), and call a veterinarian immediately.
If you know your pet has consumed something that may be harmful, or if the animal is having seizures, losing consciousness, is unconscious or is having difficulty breathing, telephone your veterinarian, emergency veterinary clinic or the Animal Poison Control Center hotline
( 888.426.4435
– available 365 days/year, 24 hours/day) immediately. There is a fee for the consultation.
If possible, have the following information available:
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Species, breed, age, sex, weight and number of animals involved
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Symptoms
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Name/description of the substance that is in question; the amount the animal was exposed to; and the length of time of the exposure (how long it's been since your pet ate it or was exposed to it).
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Have the product container/packaging available for reference.

Collect any material your pet may have vomited or chewed, and place it in a plastic sealable bag to take with you when you bring your animal in for veterinary treatment.
Additional Information on Animal Poisoning:
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) offers additional information and resources:
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Animal Poison Control Center
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Animal Poison Control FAQs
Another resource is Killer Grapes and Other Concerns in Animal Poison Control , available on the
University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine's Web site.
Seizures
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Keep your pet away from any objects (including furniture) that might hurt it. Do not try to restrain the pet.
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Time the seizure (they usually last 2-3 minutes).
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After the seizure has stopped, keep your pet as warm and quiet as possible and contact your veterinarian.
Fractures
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Muzzle your pet.
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Gently lay your pet on a flat surface for support.
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While transporting your injured pet to a veterinarian, use a stretcher (you can use a board or other firm surface as a stretcher, or use a throw rug or blanket as a sling). If possible, secure the pet to the stretcher (make sure you don't put pressure on the injured area or the animal's chest) for transport —this may be as simple as wrapping a blanket around them.
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You can attempt to set the fracture with a homemade splint, but remember that a badlyplaced splint may cause more harm than good. If in doubt, it is always best to leave the bandaging and splinting to a veterinarian.
Bleeding (external)
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Muzzle your pet.
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Press a clean, thick gauze pad over the wound, and keep pressure over the wound with your hand until the blood starts clotting. This will often take several minutes for the clot to be strong enough to stop the bleeding. Instead of checking it every few seconds to see if it has clotted, hold pressure on it for a minimum of 3 minutes and then check it.

If bleeding is severe and on the legs, apply a tourniquet (using an elastic band or gauze) between the wound and the body, and apply a bandage and pressure over the wound.
Loosen the tourniquet for 20 seconds every 15-20 minutes. Severe bleeding can quickly be life-threatening —get your animal to a veterinarian immediately if this occurs.

Bleeding (internal)
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Symptoms: bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum, coughing up blood, blood in urine, pale gums, collapse, weak and rapid pulse.
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Keep animal as warm and quiet as possible and transport immediately to a veterinarian.
Burns
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Chemical
 Muzzle the animal.
 Flush burn immediately with large quantities of water.
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Severe
 Muzzle the animal.
 Quickly apply ice water compress to burned area.
Choking
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Symptoms: difficulty breathing, excessive pawing at the mouth, choking sounds when breathing or coughing, blue-tinged lips/tongue.
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Use caution – a choking pet is more likely to bite in its panic.
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If the pet can still breathe, keep it calm and get it to a veterinarian.
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Look into the pet's mouth to see if a foreign object is visible. If you see an object, gently try to remove it with pliers or tweezers, but be careful not to push the object further down the throat. Don't spend a lot of time trying to remove it if it's not easy to reach —don't delay, and get your pet to a veterinarian immediately.

If you can't remove the object or your pet collapses, place both hands on the side of your pet's rib cage and apply firm quick pressure, or lay your pet on its side and strike the rib cage firmly with the palm of your hand 3-4 times. The idea behind this is to sharply push air out of their lungs and push the object out from behind. Keep repeating this until the object is dislodged or until you arrive at the veterinarian's office.
Heatstroke
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Never leave your pet in the car on warm days. The temperature inside a car can rise very quickly to dangerous levels, even on milder days. Pets can succumb to heatstroke very easily and must be treated very quickly to give them the best chance of survival.
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If you cannot immediately get your pet to a veterinarian, move it to a shaded area and out of direct sunlight.
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Place a cool or cold, wet towel around its neck and head (do not cover your pet's eyes, nose or mouth).
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Remove the towel, wring it out, and rewet it and rewrap it every few minutes as you cool the animal.
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Pour or use a hose to keep water running over the animal's body (especially the abdomen and between the hind legs), and use your hands to massage its legs and sweep the water away as it absorbs the body heat.
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Transport the pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Shock
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Symptoms: weak pulse, shallow breathing, nervousness, dazed eyes.
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Usually follows severe injury or extreme fright.
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Keep animal restrained, warm and quiet.
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If animal is unconscious, keep head level with rest of body.
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Transport the pet immediately to a veterinarian.
What to do if your pet is not breathing
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Stay calm
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If possible, have another person call the veterinarian while you help your pet.
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Check to see if your pet is unconscious.
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Open your pet's airway by gently grasping its tongue and pulling it forward (out of the mouth) until it is flat. Check the animal's throat to see if there are any foreign objects blocking the airway (see the section above on Choking )

Perform rescue breathing by closing your pet's mouth (hold it closed with your hand) and breathing with your mouth directly into its nose until you see the animal's chest expand.
Once the chest expands, continue the rescue breathing once every 4 or 5 seconds.
What to do if your pet has no heartbeat
Do not begin chest compressions until you've secured an airway and started rescue breathing
(see the section above, What to do if your pet is not breathing ).

Gently lay your pet on its right side on a firm surface. The heart is located in the lower half of the chest on the left side, just behind the elbow of the front left leg. Place one hand underneath the pet's chest for support and place the other hand over the heart.
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For dogs, press down gently on your pet's heart about one inch for medium-sized dogs; press harder for larger animals and with less force for smaller animals.
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To massage the hearts of cats and other tiny pets, cradle your hand around the animal's chest so your thumb is on the left side of the chest and your fingers are on the right side of the chest, and compress the chest by squeezing it between your thumb and fingers.
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Press down 80-120 times per minute for larger animals and 100-150 times per minute for smaller ones.
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Don't perform rescue breathing and chest compressions at the same exact time; alternate the chest compressions with the rescue breaths, or work as a team with another person so one person performs chest compressions for 4-5 seconds and stops long enough to allow the other person to give one rescue breath.

Continue until you can hear a heartbeat and your pet is breathing regularly, or you have arrived at the veterinary clinic and they can take over the resuscitation attempts.
Please remember that your pet's likelihood of surviving with resuscitation is very low. However, in an emergency it may give your pet its only chance.

Dog owners can treat minor injuries for their pets if they have the appropriate remedies, tools, and equipment available. The following items were included in a first aid kit that the Cincinnati
Veterinary Medical Association gave to police dog handlers at a recent workshop. A home first aid kit needs many of the same items.
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Gauze sponges -- 50 four-by-four inch sponges, two per envelope
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Triple antibiotic ointment
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Rubbing alcohol
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Ear syringe -- two ounce capacity
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Ace self-adhering athletic bandage -- three-inch width
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White petroleum jelly (Vaseline or similar)
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Eye wash
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Sterile, non-adherent pads
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Pepto Bismol tablets ( 0.5-1 ml per pound of weight, every 6-8 hours, or 1 tsp. per 20 lbs of weight. Tablets, ¼ tablet per 20 pounds of weight every 6-8 hours)
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Generic Benadryl capsules -- 25mg, for allergies (1 mg per pound of weight)
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Hydrocortisone acetate -- one percent cream (for itchiness)
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Sterile stretch gauze bandage -- three inches by four yards
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Buffered aspirin (baby aspirin – ½ baby aspirin (less than 10 lbs), 1 baby aspirin (10-30 lbs), ½ regular aspirin (30-50 lbs), 1 reg aspirin (50-100 lbs). NEVER give aspirin to cats).
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Dermicil hypoallergenic cloth tape one inch by 10 yards
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Hydrogen peroxide
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Bandage scissors
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Custom splints
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Vet Rap bandage
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Gas-X (Simethicone) – for unusual flatulence. (Dogs suspected of bloat should get 2 doses immediately before transport to an emergency clinic. Otherwise, small dogs = ¼ adult dose, medium dogs = ½ dose, large dogs = 1 adult dose)

Blanket
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Tweezers
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Muzzle
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Hemostats – also called arterial forceps (for controlling bleeding from a cut if severe)
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Dramamine – for motion sickness (give ½ hour prior to travel, 12.5 mg for small dogs, 25 mg for medium dogs, 50 mg for large dogs)

Rectal thermometer
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Ziplock bags
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Paperwork , including the dog's health record, medications, local and national poison control numbers, regular veterinary clinic hours and telephone numbers, and emergency clinic hours and telephone number.