Older Lethargic Dog Regurgitating Food and Vomiting

by Paul
(ozark, alabama)

Reader Question Regarding an Older Dog that is Regurgitating Food and Vomiting:

My dog is a 16 year old mixed breed. Part Labrador and possibly German Shepard. I do not know how this dog was raised and he has never had any problems. He was always very active and a happy dog.

For the last 3 days he has been very lethargic and has vomited his food up for 2 days. I only feed my dogs 1 time each day a diet of boiled chicken breast and brown rice cooked together.

They also have access to dry dog food,and plenty of fresh water. so I am wondering if there is any need for alarm, and is there any home remedy that might alleviate the problem? Maybe just his age? this dog is a male, weighs about 85 lbs.

Vet Suggestion Regarding Treatment for Vomiting Dog

Hello Paul,

Yes, I do think you need to take your dog’s symptoms seriously. At age 16, an 85 pound dog is quite elderly. This increases the risk that you could be dealing with a significant health problem like organ failure or cancer.

Of course, something much more benign (e.g., gastroenteritis) could be to blame for your dog’s symptoms, but even if that is the case, an older dog may not quite have the ability to bounce back that he used to.

It is always better to be safe than sorry with health problems, and this especially applies to the very old and very young. I would skip the home remedies and make an appointment with your veterinarian ASAP.

Good luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM