First, how urgent is this?
Go now
- Blood in the vomit.
- Vomit that looks like coffee grounds.
- Repeated retching that brings nothing up, with a swollen belly.
- Deep-chested large breeds (Great Dane, German Shepherd, Irish Setter and others) are the high-risk group.
- Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus) progresses fast and can be fatal.
- Obvious effort to breathe.
Contact your vet today
- More than two episodes of vomiting in 24 hours.
- No food at all for 48 hours.
- Vomiting straight after drinking, unable to keep water down.
- Yellow fluid or white foam, coming back repeatedly.
Record and observe
- One vomit of undigested food or bile, then normal energy and drinking.
- One vomit after eating too fast or exercising right after a meal, then back to normal.
- Already under vet care: record when and how often it happens, and what came up.
Before you set off
- When and how often, and a photo of what came up.
- Whether there was food, a foreign object, blood or coffee-ground material in it.
- Anything eaten or chewed around the episode: bones, toys, plants, the bin.
- When the dog last ate, drank and passed stool.
- A list of medicines and the time of the last dose.
- Do not give human medicine or anti-sickness drugs; do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.
What your vet may ask and do
- Ask: when it started, and whether it was once or repeated.
- Ask: any blood, coffee-ground material or foreign object.
- Ask: any chance it ate a bone, a toy or something from the bin.
- Do: weight, hydration check, abdominal palpation.
- Do: blood tests (liver and kidney values, electrolytes, pancreatic markers).
- Do: X-rays or ultrasound for a foreign object, obstruction or a dilated stomach.
- Do: suspected bloat is handled immediately, stabilising circulation and assessing surgery.
- Do: fluids for dehydration or ongoing vomiting, with admission for severe cases.
Where to go in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong 24-hour vet list
- 24-hour emergency, Hong Kong Island
- 24-hour emergency, Kowloon
- 24-hour emergency, New Territories
- Clinics with ultrasound
- Clinics with inpatient care
- What emergency and test fees look like
Call the clinic before you drive over, to confirm tonight's arrangements and the location.