Upset Tummy – Rhodes 2 Safety

Upset Tummy – Rhodes 2 Safety

Upset Tummy: You know what dogs are like, very often it’s a case of “if its not nailed down, they’ll have a go at eating it!” and invariably, some of the things they eat are not always very agreeable to their digestion. Vomiting and diarrhoea are often the outcome but, confusingly, these symptoms can be caused by many things including mild bugs and diseases or a sudden change in diet. Maybe the symptoms could relate to a more serious life threatening cause, however, and so establishing a diagnosis for the tummy upset is a major consideration.

So, if your dog gets an upset tummy, either with vomiting, diarrhoea or both, what should you do? Well, firstly its important to assess the severity of the problem and take it from there. Treatment for vomiting can range from simply starving the dog and then giving a bland diet (as described below in the treatment for diarrhoea) all the way through to surgical procedures, so it is important to assess the situation carefully:-


Mild Vomiting
is described as follows.
Seek a routine appointment if these signs fit:-
.
* Sporadic vomiting/retching (once or twice daily)
* Gradual onset
* Dog behaves much as normal
* Swallows saliva normally
* Abdomen normal size
* Eats as normal

Severe Vomiting
is described as follows.
Seek immediate veterinary attention with any of these signs:-
.

* Frequent vomiting/retching (more than 4 times daily)
* Sudden onset
* Dog depressed and subdued
* Swallowing problems; drooling saliva
* Abdominal distention (swelling/firmness)
* Will not eat

If your dog has diarrhoea and you know it is down to something he has eaten (say a change in his normal diet or something he has managed to get hold of) then please read our blog specifically on this problem: Runny Bum after Eating

However, if the diarrhoea is unexplained and you think it could be down to a bug perhaps, then the following is our recommended treatment for an otherwise healthy dog:

1. Starve for 12 hours but allow constant access to water
.
2. DO NOT give milk, raw eggs, raw meat or processed human foods
.
3. Every 3 hours or so, start to introduce small blands meals such as cooked chicken, scrambled egg or fish with equal parts of boiled rice.
.
4. Gradually start to leave the gap between feeds a little longer and incease the size of the portion
.
5. After a couple of days it should be safe to start reintroducing your dog’s normal food and phasing out the bland diet
.
.
NB Large quantities of blood, or poo that appears to be made up just of blood require immediate veterinary attention. Please ‘phone your vet straight away and request emergency advice.