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My puppy is vomiting, has diarrhea, and won't eat. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | unspayed | 5 months and 2 days old

My pet is suffering from cold.. She is not eating anything and is frequently vomiting and she is also going through loose motions What should be done and what should i give her to eat?

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4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on January 3rd, 2018

Dogs don't usually get a "cold" like humans do. The symptoms you have mentioned (decreased appetite or anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea) can be caused by many things, some serious and some not so serious. Common causes of these symptoms in a puppy include food intolerance or allergies, intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, bacterial or viral infection, stress colitis, among others. One virus that can cause these symptoms is parvo virus. This can be a life-threatening infection. I would strongly recommend that you have Sasha examined by a vet as soon as possible so that her illness can be diagnosed and the appropriate treatment can get started. Until her appointment, continue to encourage her to drink water or pedialyte to stay hydrated. You can offer her canned or dry puppy food, baby food, or small amount of boiled chicken breast.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Ann Dion, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 1st, 2018

    Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Not eating for 2 days for a puppy is very concerning. Also, vomiting and now not eating is very concerning. I would be worried about an obstruction in her gut. I recommend getting her to a vet right away where they will likely do bloodwork, x-rays, and likely IV fluids and medications, and if needed, surgery. Best of luck with Pixie!

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 20th, 2017

    I'm sorry to hear Mia isn't feeling well! Based on her small size, I assume Mia is a young puppy. The most common reasons for the clinical signs are worms, giardia, bacterial over growth or parvo. Take her into the veterinarian's office ASAP and have her checked out. Parvo is an often fatal virus that tends to affect puppies/dogs that haven't finished their vaccine series. The sooner you start treatment, the better the diagnosis. Additionally, young puppies do not have the reserves of adult dogs so they dehydrate faster and need more constant calorie intake. Best of luck.

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on June 30th, 2019

    Hi there! Sorry to hear that Lulu is not feeling well. The clinical signs you describe are concerning when they occur in a puppy as they can be seen with serious gastrointestinal infections such as Parvovirus. Other possibilities include intestinal worms and dietary indiscretion, among other possibilities. The sooner these conditions are treated the better the outcome tends to be. For this reason, I recommend that you have Lulu evaluated by your veterinarian to check for these possibilities and to start therapy based on findings. At the very least they can address dehydration if present and start her on anti-nausea medications. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed for your girl!

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