Puppy Education

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Our pets are like our children, and just like first time parents, first time puppy owners can be a bit at a loss about how to react to certain situations.

This isn’t just exclusive to puppy owners. When my cat, Sebastiana, was a kitten, I had her spayed. She was really tired and quiet the rest of the day, which was to be expected. I managed to stay calm. But a few days later, I looked at her stomach and noticed that she’d eaten the stitches! There was a giant whole in her tummy! (Really it was a very small opening, but in my eyes it was a gaping wound.)
I panicked and called my mom, asking if I should take her in to the vet. Maybe she’d bleed out! Maybe she’d get infected! I should have watched her closer!

My mom told me to calm down. Wounds heal, and as long as it wasn’t any weird colors, and nothing was oozing out, she’d be fine. And as usual, mom was right.

It can be difficult to tell when we’re over reacting to our pets’ ails. Vomiting is a situation where it’s hard to tell what to do. Like humans, dogs often vomit because something is not sitting right in their stomach. Sometimes, that’s all it is. They ate too much, or got into something weird.

But when the vomit is continual, or contains blood or foam, bigger issues are at hand. If your dog is vomiting foam, blood, or just can’t keep anything down, it can be scary if you don’t know the cause of vomiting, or what to do.

For full-sized, healthy dogs, it can be safe to treat initial vomiting like you would a hangover. Hydrate the body, withhold food for 12-24 hours, and see if the vomiting ceases.

For puppies though, or senior dogs with health problems, a vet should be consulted immediately. There really isn’t over-reaction in this scenario. Take note of what the vomit looks like, how often it occurs, and try to note other behaviors so that you can give the doctor as full of a report as possible. They might tell you to observe for a short amount of time, or they might have you come in immediately. The more accurate your statements are, the more the vet can help you, both over the phone, and if you have to take your puppy in.

If your puppy seems sick, don’t feel like you’re overreacting by looking up information online or consulting a doctor. Even if nothing’s wrong, you’re better safe than sorry, and you can always blame it on first-time parent syndrome.