A Veterinarian’s Real-World Advice

I’m a small-animal veterinarian who has spent years in general practice seeing everything from playful puppies with sensitive stomachs to older dogs with severe disease. Dog vomiting is one of the most common reasons people walk through my exam room door. The first thing many owners ask me is, “Is there anything safe I can try at home?”

The short answer: sometimes yes, sometimes absolutely not. Knowing the difference is the fundamental skill.

First, I ask myself the same questions you should ask at home.

Before I suggest any home remedy, even to my own clients, I mentally run through a simple checklist:

How many times has the dog vomited? Is the dog bright and alert or weak and lethargic? Is there blood? Is there diarrhea as well? Did they get into trash, human medication, or a toy they could have swallowed?

That decision-making matters more than the remedy itself.

I remember a family who brought in a young Labrador after “waiting it out” at home with rice water. He had eaten half a sock. No home remedy would fix that. Contrast that with a nervous terrier I saw last spring whose stomach was just irritated from scarfing down rich leftovers; mild home care was all he needed.

When a simple home approach is reasonable

If the vomiting is mild, the dog is otherwise acting normal, and it hasn’t been going on for long, I’m comfortable recommending supportive care at home to my clients. That’s precisely what I do with my own dogs.

I suggest withholding solid food briefly to let the stomach settle. For healthy adult dogs, a short break from food can make a real difference. I don’t recommend long fasts, especially not for tiny breeds, puppies, or diabetic dogs — those dogs can get into trouble quickly.

During this time, the priority is hydration. Plain water in small, frequent sips is far better than letting a thirsty dog gulp a whole bowl and bring it right back up. In my clinic, I often tell owners to think in terms of “tablespoon-sized sips” rather than free access if vomiting is active.

Once the vomiting has stopped for several hours, I reintroduce food gradually. The classic home remedy people hear about — and that I actually use in practice — is a bland diet—boiled chicken with plain white rice, no seasoning, small portions, a few times daily. Many irritated stomachs settle beautifully on this approach.

Pumpkin, probiotics, and what actually helps

There are two “home remedies” I’ve seen help again and again:

• Plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling) — a spoonful mixed into bland food can help regulate the gut
• Veterinary-quality probiotics — I’ve sent countless dogs home with these for mild upset stomachs

One example that sticks with me is an older beagle who would vomit in response to stress during thunderstorms. A brief bland diet and pumpkin after episodes helped stabilize him for years without medication.

What I do not recommend people give at home are human stomach medications they find in their cabinet. I’ve treated dogs made seriously ill by well-intentioned owners giving bismuth subsalicylate or ibuprofen “just to settle the stomach.” Some of those drugs are outright toxic to dogs.

If I wouldn’t give it to my own dog without calculating the dose and checking the history, I don’t advise you to give it either.

What many owners try that backfires

I’ve seen the same mistakes repeatedly:

• letting the dog keep eating normally because they “feel bad saying no.”
• giving large bowls of water that come right back up
• offering fatty soups or milk because they “seem gentle.”
• waiting days, hoping it will resolve, while the dog becomes weaker

One case that still bothers me was a small senior dog whose owners tried home remedies for too long. By the time they came in, dehydration was severe, and what started as something minor turned into several days of hospitalization.

Gentle supportive care can be helpful; delay is not.

Clear situations where I tell owners not to try home remedies

There are times when the safest home remedy is to get in the car and call a veterinarian.

I do not suggest home care if any of these are present:

• blood in vomit or black, coffee-ground material
• repeated vomiting that won’t stop
• a puppy, a tiny dog, a diabetic dog, or an ancient dog
• known ingestion of toxins, human medications, or garbage
• abdominal pain, collapse, or severe lethargy
• vomiting plus swelling around the belly in large-chested breeds (which can signal bloat)

I’ve seen dogs with foreign bodies, pancreatitis, and even life-threatening gastric dilatation arrive after owners tried “home remedies first.” Those cases taught me to be direct: if something feels seriously wrong, trust that instinct.

So, what can you safely try at home?

From my day-to-day experience in practice, here’s what I personally advise owners for mild, short-term vomiting in otherwise bright, normal dogs:

• brief food rest
• small, frequent sips of water
• bland food once vomiting settles
• pumpkin or a veterinary-recommended probiotic

And just as importantly:

• no human medications unless your vet has specifically approved them
• no fatty foods, dairy, or treats “to tempt them” while they’re sick

That simple approach helps a surprising number of dogs whose stomachs are just irritated from dietary indiscretion — the polite term for “ate something they shouldn’t have.”

Vomiting ranges from trivial to serious, and I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum many times as a practicing veterinarian. Thoughtful, limited home care has its place, and I use it myself. But if the vomiting is severe, persistent, accompanied by worrying symptoms, or your gut feeling says this isn’t normal for your dog, that’s not a situation to experiment with home remedies.

I’ve never regretted telling someone to call their veterinarian sooner rather than later.