Photo: Unsplash (free licence).
See the vet straight away if: there is blood in the vomit or stools, repeated vomiting, lethargy, a swollen or painful tummy, you suspect your pet has eaten something toxic or a foreign object, it will not drink or cannot keep water down, or it is a puppy, kitten, elderly animal or has an existing illness.
Quick answer: a one-off episode in an adult animal that is still bright can be monitored for a few hours, always with water available and checking with your vet. Do not give human medicines. Note down when it started, how many times, what it looked like and what your pet has eaten: this information helps a lot at the appointment.
What to note down
- Time of the first episode and number of times.
- Appearance: colour, consistency, any blood, mucus or debris.
- Whether it is eating, drinking and urinating normally.
- Recent changes in food or snacks.
- Possible access to bins, plants, broken toys or cleaning products.
- Date of the last worming treatment.
- A photo can be very useful for the vet.
What not to do
- Do not give human medicines.
- Do not force it to eat.
- Do not switch food suddenly in the middle of an episode.
- Do not wait days if it is not improving or gets worse.
After the episode
Follow your vet's advice on reintroducing food. In some cases they will recommend a specific gastrointestinal diet for a while.
Gastrointestinal diet for cats (on veterinary advice)View product
Schesir Digestive chicken mousseView product
For information only. Not a substitute for an assessment by a vet.