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What to do if my dog is lethargic, throwing up white foam, not eating?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 8 months and 19 days old | 12 lbs

My dog has been lethargic and throwing up white foam he won't eat or drink for the past 24 hrs

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on April 20th, 2018

It sounds as Romeo 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 him to the vet the first chance you get, he will need to be checked first, if the vet thinks it's a simple gastrointestinal infection he will need an anti vomiting injection, antibiotics and a special food for a few days in order to get better.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 27th, 2017

    Whatever Rocky ate could be causing some intestinal distress or gastritis (inflammation of the lining of the stomach). Oftentimes if you withhold food for 12-24 hours the inflammation will settle down and the dog will go back to normal. After fasting Rocky I would feed him a bland diet (like plain boiled chicken) for a day or two then slowly reintroduce his normal food. If Rocky still seems nauseous and inappetent I would recommend taking him in to see your vet as there could be a more serious problem going on. Your vet can prescribe something for nausea and do a physical exam that can help rule out things like a intestinal blockage.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on December 26th, 2016

    Oh dear! If King is vomiting white foam and is too sick to even get up, this is very serious - I'm afraid this is not a problem that can be treated at home, he really needs to be seen by a vet right away. It's hard to say what might be causing this without more information, but some possibilities would include a serious GI illness like pancreatitis or parvo (if he is young and not fully vaccinated), an intestinal obstruction, a severe systemic illness like liver or kidney disease, or ingestion of something toxic. Your vet can do blood work and x-rays to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate treatment right away.

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on October 2nd, 2018

    Hi there! Sorry to hear that Bella 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 Bella 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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