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My puppy ate shampoo a week ago. Why is he still sick and tired?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 65 lbs

My 11-12 month puppy ate shampoo and conditioner about a week ago and is going thru stages of lack of energy and fatigue and was constantly throwing up.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 29th, 2018

Shampoo and conditioner will definitely make a dog throw up. This should not be a week-long episode though. They usually throw-up a great deal in the beginning, but are fine after 2-3 days. Usually there are no other ingredients in these products that would cause any other toxicity beyond vomiting, but I would have to see the ingredients list to be sure of that. One possibility is that Frankie got dehydrated during his bouts of vomiting. Dogs can quickly get dehydrated with profuse vomiting and it's not easy for them to recover the lost water. Dehydration actually makes them feel bad and nauseous, which can perpetuate the vomiting and dehydration. If this has been going on for a week, then it's best for Frankie to see a vet. The vet can help determine how severe his condition is and at-least give the necessary treatment for dehydration and vomiting. I recommend you take Frankie to the vet within the next 24 hours. It's best to take the bottles of shampoo/conditioner with you to the vet. For now, you can add rehydration salts or pedialyte to his water. This will help to recover lost water and may make him feel better. I hope that helps and Frankie gets better soon.

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