My dog is laying around and just threw up once. And it just started today. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed

If she has only vomited once and was acting normal until today, you could try withholding food for the next 12-24 hours to help settle her stomach. Starting tomorrow, you can offer her some plain boiled chicken and white rice - this is very bland and easy to digest. If she keeps it down, you can gradually transition back to her regular food over the next 2-3 days. If she continues vomiting over the next few hours, becomes more lethargic, or develops any other symptoms, then I would recommend having her seen by a vet right away since something serious could be doing on - he/she can palpate her belly to see if anything feels abnormal, and also do some blood work and x-rays if needed to determine the problem.

She might have eaten something spoiled that is causing this. withhold food for 12 hours then offer her boiled boneless chicken and rice every 6 hours in small portions. if she is eating and not vomiting, continue with this diet for 2 days. After 2 days, you can put her back gradually on her normal food. If she continues vomiting or is not eating, take her to the vet to get treatment.

Princess may have eaten something she was not supposed to eat. Take your dog off food for about 12 hrs, then feed bland food such as boiled rice with boiled white chicken meat in small quantities over several feeds a day,. Do this for a day, then start replacing small quantities of rice with her normal food over the next two days until she is at the normal quantity of her regular food. If the vomiting does not go away , or your dog is lethargic and dehydrated,you will need to take your dog to a veterinarian for an exam.

Poor Pochie! This vomiting could be caused by a GI illness, eating something rotten, pancreatitis, a foreign body, or pyometra (an infection of the uterus). If she has only thrown up once, you can try a home remedy first before having to take her into the vet. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the vomiting continues in the absence of food, she vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away.

My rule of thumb for my patients (and my own dog) is if they vomit once or twice but seem to be acting normal otherwise then I usually recommend skipping 1 Meal and then using a bland diet of chicken and rice for a few days. However, the lethargy increases my concern. Vomiting and lethargy together and I would recommend a veterinary exam soon. Young dogs with vomiting and lethargy concern me for intestinal obstruction. Has she chewed anything up lately ? Toys? Bedding? Other possible concerns could be dietary indiscretions, Addison’s disease, viral infections, colitis or hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, and less common at her age but possible would be a uterine infection called a pyometra. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

It sounds as your puppy is suffering from a gastrointestinal condition, possibly an infection. it could also be due to ingestion of a foreign body material. i would recommend taking her to the vet the first chance you get, she will need to be checked first, if the vet thinks it's a simple gastrointestinal infection she will need an anti vomiting injection, antibiotics and a special food for a few days in order to get better. if the vet thinks it is more serious she will need a blood test and possibly an ultrasound in order to find out what is wrong.

My dog just threw up once and is lethargic. Should I take her to vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed

My dog is laying around and just threw up once. And it just started today.

7 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS 102

Veterinarian

Published on July 5th, 2016

It sounds like Princess is unwell. She could have a GI illness, may have eaten something rotten, a foreign body, or pancreatitis. I see that she is unspayed, and an infection of the uterus called a pyometra occurs in unspayed dogs and causes these symptoms. For now, I recommend monitoring her. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, and then feed her boiled white meat chicken and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. If she keeps that down, you can slowly add back in her normal diet. Monitor her closely for signs of a pyometra, such as more vomiting, her belly becoming swelling, extreme lethargy, and discharge from her vagina. You can also take her temperature to monitor for fever, which would be above 102.5F. If you see any of those signs I mentioned above, take her into a vet immediately. In addition, if the vomiting continues in the absence of food, she vomiting the bland diet, she develops diarrhea, she stops drinking water and start vomiting water, or she becomes very lethargic, take her into your vet right away.