What to expect
What to expect
We want to give you an idea of what to expect during the whole process, as well as the reasoning behind these steps. Some vets use an injection while others use eye drops, but both work well and are very similar in action.
The purpose of the drops is to induce vomiting in your dog. Just before administering them, it may help to feed them some food as vomiting is more effective with a full stomach. Administer the eye drops divided between both eyes as instructed on your label. Many dogs start to vomit after about 10min, and most start within 30min.
It is important to supervise your dog throughout the process. Some dogs will attempt to eat their vomit again, so please stop them from doing so. Please also keep them in an upright position to minimise the chance of them choking on their vomit.
Common side effects include drowsiness, as well as some redness or irritation to the eyes. These normally go away without treatment.
You can have a look at the vomit to check what was brought up. Sometimes, you will be able to verify that all the foreign material is expelled (e.g. a toy), but often this is not possible (e.g. melted chocolate).
About 80% of dogs vomit after the first dose. If no vomiting has occurred after 15min, the dose can be repeated. If your dog has vomited but has not brought up the foreign material of concern, you can also repeat the dose. Do not administer more than two doses in total.
Most dogs stop vomiting and perk up within an hour of treatment, though up to a third may still be sick after this time. The odd instance of vomiting is unlikely to do any harm but if they cannot keep anything down then they will need to see a vet for anti-sickness medication.
Once they are less nauseous and willing to eat, charcoal treatment can begin. The purpose of charcoal is to absorb any toxins that may still be lingering in the gut despite vomiting. As such if your dog has eaten something not toxic, such as a sock, charcoal is not necessary. Not all toxins are absorbed by charcoal, but if in doubt it is probably best to go ahead as charcoal treatment comes with very low risks.
The charcoal suspension can either be mixed into food, or syringed gently into your dog’s mouth. If doing the latter, make sure they are swallowing the liquid so they don’t choke. Be careful as the charcoal can stain clothing and furnishings. It will also turn their stools black, so don’t be alarmed.
Repeat the charcoal doses at intervals of 4-6h until it is finished (3 doses in total). The reason for this is that some toxins get absorbed into the bloodstream and then secreted into the intestines again via the digestive juices. A further dose of charcoal will thus absorb the toxins that are secreted back into the intestines.
In some cases, you can do a blood test 48-72h after toxin ingestion to confirm that there hasn’t been any damage done, so phone your vets to book this in or ask them if it is necessary. Otherwise, in most cases, you do not need to do anything further once this treatment is completed. If your dog becomes unwell at any point during the process, please phone your vet for advice.