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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Dog has eaten something... retching - when to go to vet?

32 replies

CantThinkofFunnyName · 03/04/2011 20:37

So our 13 month old labradoodle has been chewing/eating something again. I believe it's a tennis ball from the remnants I found in the garden. He's been retching for hours and just bringing up clear fluid. He doesn't appear in too much distress at any other time than when he's retching and has eaten a little bit (but not properly IYKWIM). He's not choking, can still breathe and well, do everything really.

Presumably if he's still like this in the morning I should go to the vet? Or does it all kind of come out one way or the other and not worth bothering the vet for? Also, is there any particular sign I should look for which would definitely make me go to vet sooner rather than later?

Oh lord, this sounds such an ignorant post Blush

OP posts:
daisydotandgertie · 03/04/2011 20:40

Phone the out of hours vet right now.

They will decide what you need to do - I wouldn't be happy to leave it until the morning.

Olihan · 03/04/2011 20:42

Are you insured? If he's swallowed it fairly whole and can't sick it up then it may well need an op to get it out.

If he's not eating properly then yes, vets in the morning if he hasn't managed to sick it out.

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 03/04/2011 20:44

Yes am insured. He's done this type of thing before and I had to take him to Royal Vet College (our out of hours service), they x-rayed, saw that it was in bits and it passed over the coming days. I guess it's the Lab in him - but he finds things everywhere Blush

OP posts:
ilovesprouts · 03/04/2011 20:44

as above

Lizcat · 03/04/2011 20:46

As a vet answering the emergency phone as we speak get on the phone to vets right now this could be a life threatening condition called gastric dilatation and volvulus not wanting to scare you, but if it is this he will be dead in the morning.

daisydotandgertie · 03/04/2011 20:48

Lizcat - you've said what I was thinking.

phone the vet right now. please.

I so nearly lost one of my much loved labradors to this. Don't put it off.

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 03/04/2011 20:50

Lizcat - really? I'm posting on here because I just have that feeling that it's not too bad really and I'd be making a fuss of nothing. He's sleeping at the mo....

OP posts:
daisydotandgertie · 03/04/2011 20:55

He's been retching for hours, is bringing up clear fluid and hasn't eaten properly. Something is very wrong. You can't leave him like that.

Ring the out of hours vet and describe the symptoms and see what they say. I wouldn't hesitate. The condition Lizcat and I think it could be isn't one to procrastinate over.

kormachameleon · 03/04/2011 20:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

daisydotandgertie · 03/04/2011 20:58

Are you ringing the vet?

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 03/04/2011 21:00

He's just retched again and now gone straight to his food bowl and is scoffing!! I've googled the gastric dilatation - volvulus. He certainly hasn't been exercised after eating and I saw him chewing on a tennis ball earlier today and promptly removed it. I found more remnants later so I'm pretty certain this is what has happened. I'm just rather hoping that this is a reasonably normal thing for chewy dogs and can wait until morning as all DCs are in bed asleep and I've completely lost my voice which would make trip to vets rather difficult if not absolutely necessary....

OP posts:
smartyparts · 03/04/2011 21:01

This happened to my dog over a weekend and she had gristle stuck in her oesophagus and needed an op.

She could however keep down milk and v runny weetabix, so I left vet's appt until the Monday morning.

She wasn't insured at the time and the op cost me £750!

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 03/04/2011 21:03

£750 - bargain! I know from when he chewed a bike handlebar grip before that had he needed an op it would have been 000's. Well, he's had at least half his bowl of food and is settling down to sleep again. Truly, he is fine in himself apart from when he gets up to retch....

OP posts:
washnomore · 03/04/2011 21:13

Don't you think phoning the vet to ask if it's urgent might be a bit more sensible than asking a bunch of internet randoms? Google doesn't know much compared to a professional - the majority of GDV dogs I have seen weren't exercised after food. It's a shit-happens condition.

I echo Lizcat in that you should seek advice right now. Admittedly he sounds quite relaxed for a GDV case but they don't read textbooks and there are other potentially serious causes of unproductive retching. If, for example, he's obstructed he may dehydrate quickly without appropriate treatment. Don't arse about on forums, call your vet.

WoodysHat · 03/04/2011 21:26

You really should rung your vet - our Lab swallowed one of DH's socks whole last Feb (not for the first time either Hmm but this time he couldn't pass it out the other end). He had the symptoms you describe and seemed quite chipper in himself for the first few hours but went downhill rapidly as he had a blockage in his bowel which required urgent surgury. Luckily we were insured as that bloody sock ended up costing us £1000!

I should add that we didn't know he had eaten a sock until the vet rang after the op and informed me he had 'removed a gebtleman's sock from his bowel' lol

We were lucky that this all happened over the course of a day so we could monitor him and when he deteriorated we were aware. If your dog gets worse during the night you won't know and could wake up to a very poorly, or even dead, dog in the morning :( Please ring now

WoodysHat · 03/04/2011 21:27

Excuse typos, damn iPhone Blush

daisydotandgertie · 03/04/2011 21:29

My dog hadn't been exercised after eating. And still she had GDV.

If you are so unconcerned about your dog why did you post in the first place?

There are three of us who are saying seek proper advice. Right now.

If you're going to ignore us, why did you post asking for advice?

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 03/04/2011 21:32

I have phoned (or rather my DH has as i have lost my voice) emergency vet. They were unconcerned at his unproductive retching and said if he was being sick constantly, they would be more worried. They have said if he goes downhill in himself (ie if appears distressed, rather than quite happy), to take him in to be seen.

OP posts:
BeerTricksPotter · 03/04/2011 21:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

daisydotandgertie · 03/04/2011 21:51

I'm really glad you've rung the vet and agree with BeerTricks - it sounds as though he needs a close eye keeping on him tonight.

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 04/04/2011 02:07

Yes I'm keeping a close eye on him. Check out the time! Just had another retching episode hence why I'm awake. Food came up that he ate earlier but nothing else. He's clearly got something stuck and its not in his stomach! But his tail still up and looking pretty chipper. Off to our vet as soon as they open! Going to be interesting trying to explain why he needs to see someone. I'll be taking paper and pen with me as my voice.

OP posts:
ilovesprouts · 04/04/2011 07:43

hope hes ok

Vallhala · 04/04/2011 08:22

I hope that this poorly fella's okay and the vet can sort whatever it is easily and painlessly.

In concurrence the other posters, any fear of GDV must not be left until morning but veterinary attention should be sought immediately.

D, a fellow volunteer of mine has Great Danes, a breed particularly susceptible to GDV. As an experienced owner and also a volunteer for Dane Rescue she knows her breed, as does her elder son. They didn't walk their 3 year old Dane just before or after a meal either but that was no comfort when her son saw their girl sleeping in her bed while D was at work... and an hour later found their dog dead in her bed. Their dog wasn't even sick!

But had she been ill overnight my friend would have moved heaven and earth to get her dog into the vet, never mind the comparitively minor inconvenience of disturbing 4 sleeping kids (in her case including a SN child) or having lost her voice. Like you she's fortunate enough to have a husband there and also has a car to get her dogs to the vet.

I'm a lone parent without anyone to call on and have no car. I also have three dogs... and my dog would not be waiting until morning.

I hope that I've made my point about the risk of bloat and I hope too that I've made the other point that doubtless everyone else here has been thinking, without having to spell it out any further.

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 04/04/2011 09:37

Kennel cough! In vets just come around from sedation. I spoke to 2 out of hours vets through the night and they both said to wait until morning. He has not appeared ill in any way whatsoever, hence my initial post querying whether I needed to act urgently. If I honestly truly believed my dog was sick - and you can tell signs of a sick dog, I would have moved heaven and earth. My problem was that he was retching (or it appears coughing) but nothing else was wrong with him therefore I was unsure whether it was something I needed to act on immediately - or whether it could wait until morning.

OP posts:
Vallhala · 04/04/2011 09:47

Great stuff, and in which case I apologise.

I would contest the assertion that "you can tell signs of a sick dog" though, as my friend's experience with GDV which resulted in a dead dog can testify. Likewise I have left a perfectly healthy looking and seeming dog for two hours and come home to find him paraplegic and beyond all help save for euthanasia, with a different condition which also couldn't be seen so I must say that it doesn't do to be complacent.