by Megan Kingsley

Created on: August 25, 2009   Last Updated: August 26, 2009

Most dogs, at one point or another, ingest something toxic or harmful. In many cases, it is beneficial to induce vomiting, but there are several instances where doing so can put your pet at greater risk.

When in doubt, always call your vet or a 24-hour animal poison hotline. If vomiting would be helpful, they can instruct you on how best to induce it, and will let you know if the animal should be immediately transported to a vet or if you can wait and see what happens.

Here are some general instances in which inducing vomiting may prove unsafe.

- If the dog has ingested something that may prove to be a choking hazard. If your pet swallowed a sock, toy, or other solid item, inducing vomiting may be more harmful than leaving the item in the dog. Choking is a very real possibility. Still, there is a risk that the swallowed object may cause more harm-the dog may vomit it up when nobody is around and choke, or the object could cause an intestinal obstruction. Take the dog to a veterinarian as soon as possible. If they choose to induce vomiting, the dog will have immediate care should something go wrong. Sometimes, though, surgery may be your only option.

- If the dog is too weak to stand. Inducing vomiting in a dog that can't stand is extremely dangerous. The risk of the dog choking on the vomitus, aspirating vomit, or being physically unable to vomit is high. Seek medical attention immediately.

- If the dog is already vomiting. It sounds obvious, but never induce vomiting if the dog is already doing so. You don't want to further damage the dog's system. Again, seek veterinary help right away. Continued retching or vomiting can be a symptom of life-threatening issues such as bloat.

- If the dog is seizing or is unconscious. Never try to induce vomiting on a dog that is not fully conscious. Doing so may be deadly. A dog cannot swallow or vomit in this instance, and the condition is an emergency. Call your vet right away.

- If the dog has swallowed something caustic, such as bleach, drain cleaner, lye, or petroleum products. These types of liquids will cause even further damage to the dog's esophagus and mouth if vomited. Rush the dog to an emergency clinic instead, and let them decide what to do.

- If the dog ingested the material more than two hours ago. It takes about two hours for most things to clear the stomach. Inducing vomiting for something that was eaten earlier is pointless. In many dogs, particularly those fed a raw diet, food and ingested items may pass through the stomach and into the small intestine even faster, making vomiting useless. Call your vet.

Again, always call your veterinarian immediately if you know or suspect your dog may have ingested a poison or foreign object. Never induce vomiting unless the vet advises you to do so.

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