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My dog has an upset stomach for 3 days, not eating. Fast or chicken?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | West Highland White Terrier | Male | neutered

My dog has had an upset stomach for 72 hours, not eating or drinking much accompanied by being sick. Is it best to fast him or still offer small portions of chicken?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on February 29th, 2020

Poor Louie! I'm sorry to hear that he's sick. My general rule of thumb with vomiting and not eating much is that if it goes on for more than 24 hours, a vet visit is warranted. So if this has been going on for three days now, I would really recommend having him seen by a veterinarian today rather than continuing to try and manage at home, since I would be concerned that he has something more serious going on than a simple upset stomach. If you're not able to get him in to an emergency clinic today, then it's probably best to continue offering small amounts of something bland such as plain boiled chicken every few hours until you are able to see the vet. But I would focus on finding a way to have him seen as soon as possible.

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    Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on November 27th, 2017

    I worry more about the fact that he can’t get comfortable than I do about the vomiting. He’s a large dog and won’t get as dehydrated as quickly as a small breed. A small amount of turkey I wouldn’t expect to make him so sick, but some dogs are more sensitive than others. Other possibilities include pancreatitis and intestinal foreign object obstruction. I agree with a veterinary exam tomorrow, but it certainly would not be wrong to have him seen tonight. If nothing else they could at least give him an anti nausea injection (my favorite is cerenia) to make him more comfortable. I would definitely fast him tonight though. No food at all, and small amounts of water at a time so he doesn’t gorge and the vomit the water. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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