How to Safely Induce Vomiting

Sometimes dogs purposely induce their own vomiting by eating grass.

Inducing vomiting in your dog is easy. Deciding when and when not to make your dog vomit can be more difficult. Careful and quick consideration is critical, as vomiting may either save your dog's life or make him worse.

Generally, it's safe and advisable to induce vomiting if your dog has ingested a pesticide containing organophosphates, carbamates, metaldehyde or arsenic. You should usually induce vomiting if he's ingested street drugs, aspirin, acetaminophen, sleeping pills, diet pills, heart pills, antihistamines, chocolate, house plants, antifreeze, acetone, alcohol, bait, pine oil, crayons, vitamins or products containing lead, strychnine, warfarin, phenol or vitamin D3.

Things You'll Need

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Water
• Measuring cup
• 2 bowls
• Tablespoon
• Syringe
• Teaspoon
• Syrup of ipecac
• Salt
• Apomorphine tablet

Instructions

Hydrogen Peroxide

1. Pour 1/2 cup of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide into a bowl. Add 1/2 cup of water and stir well with a spoon.

2. Calculate your dog's correct dosage. The website eDogAdvice.com advises that one tablespoon per 10 pounds of your dog's body weight induces vomiting.

3. Administer the mixture with a spoon or (needle-less) syringe. If you need more than one spoonful, place it into a smaller container for easy measurement and suction with a syringe.

4. Hold your dog's head and pull his lip away from the side of his mouth. Slowly deposit the mixture into the pocket formed between his cheek and teeth. Don't deposit the mixture straight into his mouth, as he could inhale it and contract aspiration pneumonia.

5. Repeat this procedure every 10 minutes for a maximum of three times until your dog vomits.

Syrup of Ipecac

1. Measure your dog's correct dosage. DoctorDog.com advises that one teaspoonful of syrup of ipecac per 10 pounds of your dog's body weight will make him vomit.

2. Hold your dog's head and pull his lip away from the side of his mouth.

3. Deposit the syrup of ipecac with a spoon or syringe into the pocket formed between his cheek and teeth.

Salt

1. Estimate your dog's dosage between 1/2 to 1 teaspoonful of salt, according to DoctorDog.com. The lowest dose is for small dogs while the largest dose is usually adequate to induce vomiting in large dogs.

2. Open your dog's mouth. Jam your finger into the side of his mouth, between his teeth, if he hesitates. His mouth should open.

3. Place the salt, using a spoon, onto the back of his tongue.

Apomorphine Tablet

1. Hold your dog's head firmly but gently so he cannot move.

2. Pull his lower eyelid gently away from his eye as far as you can without causing him discomfort.

3. Place an apomorphine tablet under his lower eyelid. Hold it in place with gentle pressure on his eye until the tablet is at least partially absorbed. Apomorphine works more quickly and efficiently to induce vomiting than hydrogen peroxide or other agents, according to the Eden Consulting Group website.

Tips & Warnings

• Store supplies and vomiting agents in a handy and safe place. Pack them in your dog's emergency kit, especially if he is traveling with you.

• Call your veterinarian, veterinary emergency clinic or poison control center prior to inducing vomiting in your dog. Never induce vomiting until you're certain it's safe to do so.

References

• Dog Owner's Guide: Intestinal Upsets: Poisoning: Inducing Vomiting
• DoctorDog.com: Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook: Vomiting, How to Induce
• Eden Consulting Group: Poisoning Issues: Excerpt From "K9 Officer's Manual"
• eDogAdvice.com: How to Act With Dog Poison Symptoms?