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My dog vomiting, has diarrhea, and a fishy anal smell. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pomeranian | Male | unneutered

Hello, my dog has been puking and having diarrhea for the last few days, she had a fishy smell coming from her anus during the beginning

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on July 15th, 2016

Withhold food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet (1:1 ratio of plain boiled boneless chicken and plain white rice). Feed in small, frequent amounts waiting at least one hour between feedings. If the vomiting stops, continue feeding until the stool is normal. Transition slowly to the regular diet. If the vomiting or diarrhea don’t stop, see your veterinarian. The fishy odor is likely from her anal glands. These glands are located around her rectum and are responsible for scenting and marking. They get expressed (or emptied) during defecation but sometimes, they can get too full and inflamed or infected. Occasionally, an abscess can form requiring lancing, flushing and antibiotic therapy.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Lily sounds very ill. She could have a foreign body, pancreatitis, or a severe GI illness. Because she has been vomiting and having diarrhea for the last few days, she needs to see a vet immediately. She will need a shot to stop her from vomiting, and will likely need IV fluids for hydration. I recommend taking her into your vet right away.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on

    I'm sorry to hear that your dog isn't feeling well. Vomiting and diarrhea for more than 24 hours is very concerning, because it often indicates a serious problem like pancreatitis, a uterine infection or pyometra in an unspayed female, a systemic illness like liver or kidney disease, or even a partial intestinal obstruction. The fishy smell may have been anal gland secretions which have a very strong odor, or if Lily is a female (not sure since you indicated male), then I would be very concerned that this may be vaginal discharge indicating a uterine infection as mentioned above. I would recommend having Lily examined by a vet right away - she will need fluids and supportive care to prevent dehydration, and may also need blood work and x-rays to find out why she is sick so that they underlying problem can be treated.

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