Emergency Guide: How to Induce Vomiting in a Dog Safely and Quickly

It is not unusual for dogs to ingest unsavory items, leading them to potentially dangerous situations. Consuming a toxic or repulsive substance may make you consider the idea of making your dog vomit.

Note that inducing vomiting in our canine pals can be dangerous, and it is best to consult your vet. Vets have the right equipment and medical know-how to help save your dog.

How to Induce Vomiting in a Dog?

The easiest way to induce vomiting in a dog is with the help of hydrogen peroxide. It is the go-to solution, albeit tricky, but it is the only way to make your dog throw up.

Hydrogen peroxide creates a bubbling action in the dog’s GI tract to encourage vomiting. That can cause your dog to vomit. You can also use olive oil for this task.

Also Read: Dog Throwing Up Undigested Food

Step By Step Guide to Make Dog Vomit

The AKC recommends the following steps to make your dog vomit if it has eaten recently something poisonous:

Use 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

You can easily get a bottle of 3% peroxide at the local drugstore without a  prescription. Many of us even keep it in our medicine cabinet.

If you are unable to drive your dog to the vet, animal poison control center, or an animal emergency clinic, you can use this remedy as a quick way to make your throw up in case your dog ate something toxic.

Hydrogen peroxide is an antiseptic. In dogs, it provides an emetic or vomit-inducing action in a timely manner to help eliminate sharp objects or toxic food it has eaten.

Have a Friend or Family Member Hold your Dog

Most dogs will refuse to drink the peroxide due to its sharp, acrid taste.

If your dog refuses to drink hydrogen peroxide solution, you might need to force it down your dog’s mouth.

• Have a friend/family member hold your dog. Keep its head up.
• Pour at least a teaspoon of peroxide down your dog’s mouth. The exact quantity of H2O2 to induce vomiting in dogs will depend on your dog’s body weight. Too much peroxide can harm canines – especially brachycephalic breed, so please be cautious.
• For a small dog, a teaspoon of peroxide mixed with water is adequate to make pet vomit.
• For larger dogs, you can provide up to 3 tablespoons of H2O2 to induce vomiting.

Use a Feeding Syringe or Plastic Dosing Syringe

Many pets refuse to drink hydrogen peroxide due to its taste. In such a case, you can use a turkey baster or a syringe to squirt the H2O2 solution in your dog’s mouth. You can pull its lips up and squirt the solution over its gums.

Make sure your dog swallows all of the hydrogen peroxide solutions and that it goes down your dog’s throat and into the dog’s stomach. This is vital to stimulate vomiting.

Walk Your Dog a Bit

Once you have successfully made your dog drink hydrogen peroxide, you can walk it around in the yard or garden. The walking action will help stimulate your dog’s intestinal tract and make it throw up the stomach contents.

While the quantity of vomiting will vary from dog to dog, most pets that are fed hydrogen peroxide may vomit for over 45 minutes.

So, make sure to keep your dog in an area where it can vomit comfortably after inducing vomiting.

Stay With Your Pet

Some naughty dogs might re-ingest their vomit. So, make sure you stay with your dog while it vomits. You can also collect the vomit in a bag for a veterinary professional to analyze for toxins later.

Monitor your Dog

If your dog continues to vomit for over 45 minutes (after inducing vomiting) or develops stomach pain due to gastric ulcers or gastric volvulus dilation or is severely lethargic, then please see your vet.

See Your Vet Immediately

Pet parents should ideally see a vet as soon as their dog ingests something bad. However, in case the veterinarian clinic is too far or you aren’t able to take your dog to the clinic due to adverse weather conditions, at least call and talk to them on the phone.

• You might have to tell them what your dog ate (forbidden food or sharp objects) and how much quantity it ate.
• Your dog’s body weight.
• Also, tell your vet how long ago your dog ingested the toxic item

If your pet has developed some other symptoms like difficulty breathing or laryngeal paralysis, then please arrange to take it to the veterinarian’s clinic right away.

Also Read: What Can I Give My Dog for Constipation?

How Long Will Hydrogen Peroxide Make a Dog Throw Up?

There is no definite answer here – some of our furry friends tend to vomit for 45 minutes, while others might only vomit a couple of times. The time period could depend on your pet’s size, age, and how much hydrogen peroxide you managed to get down your dog’s tongue.

In case you aren’t sure if the vomiting in your dog has brought out all of the harmful stuff from your pet’s stomach, then please take it to the veterinary hospital. 

Your dog might need IV fluids, veterinary medicine (prescription medication), as well as continuous monitoring to ensure it does not develop any other symptoms of poisoning.

What Happens if a Dog Doesn’t Throw Up After Hydrogen Peroxide?

Vets recommend that you wait for at least 15 minutes for dogs throw up after administering the hydrogen peroxide to re-dose a second time.

However, do not continue giving hydrogen peroxide to your buddy if he does not vomit after the second dose. This could result in H2O2 toxicity and worsen the situation.

What are The Steps for Inducing Vomiting By Hand in a Dog?

If you have decided that the best course of action is to induce vomiting in your furry friend if your dog ate something bad and you do not have hydrogen peroxide on hand, then you could make the dog throw up by hand.

• Wear gloves
• Hold your dog’s head up
• Have a friend or family member hold your dog from behind
• Pull your dog’s tongue out.
• Take a deep breath and stick your gloved fingers down your dog’s throat.
• Tickle the throat a bit to stimulate the same gag reflex in your dog.
• Allow your dog to cough and make the dog throw up.

FAQs

What are some natural ways to induce vomiting in dogs?

In the absence of veterinary medicine, you may use certain natural foods like olive oil, ginger, catnip, fennel, peppermint, etc. can also help induce vomiting in dogs.

According to vets, eating a lot of fresh or dried catnip could make your dog throw up. Similarly, ginger tea can irritate your dog’s system and induce vomiting in some pets.

When Not to Induce Vomiting in Canines?

Do not induce vomiting in pets if you have one of the brachycephalic breeds. These dogs could suffer from aspiration pneumonia. Similarly, do not make a dog vomit if it has had recent abdominal surgery.

How do I make a dog throw up without peroxide?

Dog owners can make a dog throw up after dog eats toxic substances by feeding it some washing soda with a small meal. However, this can be dangerous, and it may be best to call your veterinarian.

What can I give my dog for vomiting?

You can give a small meal of chicken and bland white rice or some crackers to settle your dog’s tummy. For pain management, you can talk to your vet.

Does salt make dogs vomit?

Yes, even a tiny bit of salt can cause vomiting in dogs. Remember: salt is highly toxic to dogs and can cause other symptoms like diarrhea, stomach pain, etc. So, salt could do more harm and is not the best way to make a dog vomit using salt if it has eaten something bad. Get your dog to a veterinary clinic instantly.

Conclusion

To make a dog throw up if it has eaten something toxic, use 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Most dogs vomit within an hour of consuming hydrogen peroxide. But, if a dog does not vomit after administering the H2O2, then pet owners must call the emergency veterinary hospital right away.

Remember, these dangerous at-home remedies could result in aspiration pneumonia which can be fatal. So get your pet the veterinary care it needs.