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My dog is throwing up and has diarrhea. Should I take him to the vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | unneutered | 60 lbs

My dog has been sick all day, he can't even hold water down. He has diarrhea and is wanting to drink a lot of water. He was fine last night. Is this a stomach bug most likely?

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on April 17th, 2017

Yes it could be due to a infective or inflammatory gastroenteritis, but pancreatitis can be responsible for it as well. I would recommend a check up as all these disease can be easily diagnosed and treated. In the meantime I would suggest to withhold food for the next 8 hours and then start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. If the signs persist a check up is absolutely needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Oh no, poor Worth! It's quite serious that he can't even hold down water, and when a dog is experiencing both vomiting and diarrhea, it's time to see a vet right away. He could have a severe GI illness, may have eaten something rotten, could have a foreign body, pancreatitis, or parvovirus if he isn't fully vaccinated. He needs to see a vet now. The vet can diagnose what is causing his symptoms so he can be treated. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

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    Answered By Summer Walker, DVM, MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 15th, 2017

    Puppies can develop diarrhea and vomiting for various reasons. Our biggest concerns are infectious causes (parvovirus) or possible foreign body ingestion. Other causes can include internal parasites or gastrointestinal sensitivity to their pet food or to something else they may have consumed (such as table food). It is very important to have them evaluated by a veterinarian when they are no longer able to hold down their food or water and diarrhea is persistent as dehydration and hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) can occur very quickly in this age group. The veterinarian will most likely want to test a fecal sample for internal parasites, abnormal bacteria, and parvovirus, and a radiograph may also be performed to rule-out a foreign body if the previous tests are negative. Routine blood work (complete blood count, serum chemistry) may also be recommended in some cases. I would recommend scheduling an appointment with Tyson's veterinarian to have him evaluated. Treatment will depend on what the underlying cause.

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 27th, 2018

    I am sorry to hear that Jules isn't feeling like himself. With diarrhea occurring all day long, there is a pretty likely chance that he may already be feeling dehydrated. If he is also starting to vomit additionally, the chance for dehydration is increasing by several fold. There are many different causes for vomiting and/or diarrhea ranging from primary gastrointestinal reasons, causes relating to pancreas / kidneys / liver, toxic exposures, inflammatory / infectious diseases, GI parasites, and several other less common reasons. A thorough history must be obtained and physical exam to rule out certain causes must be performed. I would recommend having Jules examined some time this morning or afternoon so that they can at the very least get the symptoms under control and try to make him feel more comfortable. They may also want to obtain some diagnostic imaging and laboratory work. Hope this makes sense.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 5th, 2019

    Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Moose. Poor boy! He sounds very sick if he is also vomiting water. He could have a severe GI illness, may have eaten something rotten, could have a foreign body, or could have pancreatitis. When a dog can't even keep down water when they are vomiting as well as having diarrhea, a home remedy is never recommended. This is because the dog can easily become dehydrated from this. He needs to see a vet now, and I advise you to take him into one immediately. Best of luck.

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