How To Make Your Dog Vomit?

Your dog may get its paws onto something they shouldn’t, like chocolate, and sometimes the best course of action is to make your dog vomit.

As dog owners, it is our duty to keep our pets safe and healthy. We should know what to do in any situation. It is impossible to keep an eye on your dog 24/7, and sometimes, they will get into trouble by eating something that can be toxic. Our homes are full of things that could harm our dogs, things like:

Chocolate
Alcohol
Plants
Vegetables
Fruits
Cleaning chemicals

Despite our best effort, our dogs can ingest something potentially toxic. The best thing to do at that moment is to call your vet and ask for advice on how to make your dog vomit.

When to make your dog throw up?

Understanding the dangers of specific situations can make a difference between your dog’s life and death. You shouldn’t attempt to induce vomiting on your own without any counsel or guidance from a veterinarian.

Some objects can cause more problems if regurgitated. Things like batteries or glass can cause irreversible damage to your dog’s lungs. Gastric contents and toxic substances can get inhaled when regurgitated and can cause aspiration pneumonia.

dog eating something

Many sources give advice on how to safely induce vomiting. Some are accurate, but most are not. Inducing vomiting is not a good idea if you don’t know what you are doing. We would recommend you do this at home under certain conditions, and only if your vet said that is the right thing to do. Those conditions are;

If the ingested things are poisonous (raisins, chocolate, chemicals, plants, etc.).
If the ingestion happened under an hour ago.
If your dog is not showing symptoms of poisoning.
If your dog doesn’t have airway problems (collapsed trachea, laryngeal paralysis).
If you use the safest option - 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Do you know everything there is to know about dog diarrhea? Here is everything you need to know about it: Dog Diarrhea: What You Need To Know About This Messy Problem.

When to avoid induced vomiting

You should never induce vomiting if your dog ingested something harmful, but you are unsure how long ago it happened.

You should never try to make your dog vomit if they are comatose, having a seizure, or if they seem lethargic.

puppy eating

Specific brachycephalic breeds have a greater risk if you try and make them vomit. Breeds like:

French Bulldogs
Boxers
Pugs
Affenpinscher
English Bulldog
Pekingese
Boston Terrier
Shih Tzu
Lhasa Apso

There are many brachycephalic breeds, so make sure your dog is not one of them if you need to induce vomiting. The next thing you should do is call your vet. If they are not available, contact the Animal Poison Control in your country.

Wrong ways to try and induce dog vomiting

Making a human throw up is not the same as making a dog throw up. That is important to know. It is possible that in stressful situations, our brain is not thinking clearly, so preparing for the worst is sometimes the best option. Here are some of the examples of what NOT to do to make your dog throw up;

Do not stick your fingers in your dog’s throat.
Do not give your dog mustard.
Do not induce vomiting with salt (many problems can happen if your dog gets high sodium levels).
Do not use ipecac syrup (that is exclusively for induced vomiting in humans).

golden retriever puppy

Safe way to make your dog throw up

The safest thing to do is take your dog to the pet ER or to your vet’s, but sometimes that is not an option. If the nearest pet ER is not close or your vet isn’t close, you might have to take matters into your own hands. As a dog owner, you should know how to safely induce dog vomiting and not cause your dog any harm. The answer is - 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide.

There are a couple of steps you should follow and some precautions you should take. Again, when the situation is tense, and you’re fearing for your beloved dog’s life, it is easy to forget things. Follow these steps to safely make your dog vomit;

Call your vet - No matter if you have done this before or not, calling and describing the situation to your vet or a person from Poison Control can provide you with guidelines. All substances are different, and having someone in your corner is a great thing, even if it is over the phone.
Give a bit of food - This might sound surprising, and to many owners, it is. But giving your dog a little bit of food can actually help your chances of inducing vomiting. A small amount of canned food or their regular food will benefit them.
Verify the solution - Make sure you have the 3% solution. Higher percentages solutions can be severely toxic and can end up causing more harm than good.
Confirm the dosage - The wrong dosage can be fatal. Make sure you understand the dosage and administer the proper amount. (the right dosage is 1 teaspoon for every 5 pounds your dog weighs, with the maximum of 3 tablespoons for heavier dogs)
Administration - After you made sure the dosage is right, administer the hydrogen peroxide directly in your dog’s throat or behind their back teeth. Make sure they do not inhale the solution.
Take them to a cleanable place - It would be a good idea to take your dog to a place that will be easier to clean. You are trying to make your dog throw up, so why not make it easier to clean?
Monitor - Monitor your dog after administrating the solution. Look for complications and signs of bloat, lethargy, diarrhea, or ulcers. If administered properly, your dog should throw up in about 15 minutes.
Vet check-up - Just because everything was completed successfully doesn’t mean it is over. You should take your dog to your vet for a check-up and ensure they are not in any further danger.