My dog had diarrhea & threw up. Can I leave her alone for 5 hours?

Withhold food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet (1:1 ratio of plain boiled boneless chicken and plain white rice). Feed in small, frequent amounts waiting at least one hour between feedings. If the vomiting stops, transition slowly to the regular diet. If not or if she develops other symptoms (diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, etc.), see your veterinarian.

Unfortunately, it is quite common for some dogs to experience GI upset ([vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/vomiting-1/) or [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/diarrhea-1/)) when switching food. As long as Bo is behaving normally otherwise, you may be able to [manage her at home](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea). I recommend withholding food for 12-24 hours. Resume feeding a bland diet (boiled boneless/skinless chicken breast mixed with plain cooked white rice) in small, frequent amounts. Begin with 1 tablespoon of food every hour and gradually increase the amount as long as she doesn't vomit. Feed the bland diet until the stool is consistently normal (usually several days), then transition slowly to the new diet over another 5-7 days. [Veterinary probiotics](https://www.petcoach.co/article/probiotics-and-prebiotics-bacteria-aren-t-all-bad) may be considered to promote gut health. If she continues to vomit and have diarrhea, or develops lethargy, loss of appetite, or abdominal pain in spite of a bland diet, she will need to see a vet as soon as possible.

I would suggest to withhold food for the next 8-12 hours and then start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice diarrhoea, more vomiting, lethargy or inappetence. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that he is not feeling well. The symptoms you are describing could be due to multiple possibilities. If you have recently switched his food or added in a new treat it could be dietary indiscretion causing this. If this were the case, I would withhold food for 12 hours and introduce a bland diet as outlined below. If, however, there has been no recent switch to his food and he has been on the same thing his whole life this is likely something else. My recommendation would be to have a veterinarian take a look at him and run some testing such as blood work to see if there are any concerning changes that need to be addressed. If you are concerned about money, then you can start the bland diet as outlined below but if the vomiting and lethargy persist for more than 24 hours I would strongly recommend he be seen by a vet. CareCredit is a good option to look into. This option will allow you to put Veterinary expenses on a line of credit specifically for that purpose and you will pay Care Credit on a monthly basis. I would call and check to see if the vet clinic accepts Care Credit First. If he is one that choose toys and things that he shouldn't, then there is a chance this could also be a intestinal foreign body obstruction. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other concerns. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm.

If she did not eat the plastic baggie then she should probably be fine. Her symptoms should be self-limiting (meaning they should resolve on their own in 24-36 hours). If she actually ingested the baggie then I would be a bit concerned that it is causing an obstruction. If she ate the baggie, I think a vet visit is in order. The diarrhea is not as concerning as the vomiting. I would recommend you hold her off food for 8 hours to give her GI tract a rest. If after 8 hours there is no more vomiting, then you can start feeding her. Small feedings of her regular diet every few hours for a couple days. You can also add in probiotic (one made for dogs, not humans). You can pick up a probiotic at your local Petco or any large pet store. Other than the probiotic do not give any medications. Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

With hold food for six to twelve hours to have his intestinal tract calm down. If he becomes lethargic or the diarrhea becomes bloody or with a lot of mucus then take him in right away. Give small amounts of water every hour, if he drinks too much at one time that may make the vomiting continue. Keep him quiet and let him rest also. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Blitz.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Allie is likely going to be just fine. As long as she is eating, drinking and not lethargic / inappetant then I would just monitor her at home. If she begins to exhibit any of the above mentioned symptoms, I would get her seen by a veterinarian for an examination and to have abdominal x-rays taken to make sure that there is no intestinal obstruction from the bully stick. I would feed her a bland diet as outlined below for at least 3 days past the resolution of the vomiting. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be happy to help you further. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.