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Prompt vomiting saves lives
Inducing vomiting and emergency help in case of poisoning
Has your pet ingested grapes, chocolate, a toy, rat poison or poisonous plants? In the event of suspected poisoning, time can be of the essence. We offer fast and safe help at home or at our veterinary clinics to induce vomiting and prevent the poison from being absorbed into the body.
Prompt vomiting saves lives
Safe emetic now
Inducing vomiting
Related terms
Dog ate chocolate symptoms, induce vomiting dog salt, poisonous plants cat lily, dog ate grapes acute, xylitol dog honey.
What does inducing vomiting mean?
When an animal has swallowed something dangerous, we give a specific medication that acts directly on the vomiting center in the brain, causing the animal to feel sick and quickly vomit the stomach contents. This prevents the toxin (poison) or object from passing into the intestines and getting stuck or moving further into the bloodstream.
Poisoning in dogs
Dogs are omnivores and often ingest dangerous substances such as chocolate, grapes, onions, rat poison or xylitol from chewing gum. Inducing vomiting is an extremely effective emergency measure that can save lives, provided it is performed in a timely manner by a veterinarian.
Poisoning in cats
Cats are often a bit picky about their food, but some love to munch on green plants. Some common houseplants, not least some lilies, are extremely toxic to cats and can cause fatal kidney failure even if the cat has only bitten a single leaf.
Care guide: How to choose the right form of care for poisoning
Since we offer our services through home visits, at our veterinary clinics (Arken Zoo) and at our animal clinic in Östermalm, you can always get emergency help. However, when poisoning is suspected, time is of the utmost importance.
Home visit
When the accident has arrived and your dog has just swallowed dark chocolate, the clock is ticking. If one of our veterinary vehicles is nearby, a home visit is invaluable. We can be there quickly and give the emetic directly in your hallway. The animal is spared the stress of a car trip and can recover directly in its own basket afterwards.
Veterinary clinic
Our clinics connected to Arken Zoo (among others in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Uppsala) are excellent if you can quickly throw the animal in the car and drive there immediately after ingestion. Here we can act immediately with emetics.
Animal clinic
If it has been more than 2–3 hours since the animal swallowed the poison, or if the animal is already showing symptoms of the poison entering the bloodstream (unsteadiness, tremors, convulsions), inducing vomiting may still be appropriate, but further tests or monitoring may be important. In that case, our clinic in Östermalm is the safest choice, as we have the ability to insert an intravenous drip and take emergency blood tests.
What can Vetathome do in case of poisoning in dogs and cats?
When every minute counts, our availability is your peace of mind. Through our flexible forms of care, we can often induce vomiting where it is fastest – in your home, at our clinic or one of our clinics (Kungens Kurva, Odenplan, Orminge, Askim, Boländerna).
Identify
You call us directly, and we will quickly assess over the phone whether the intake sounds worrying based on what the animal has eaten, how much and what the animal weighs (please have the chocolate bar or packaging ready).
Treat
When we see you, we give a small injection under the skin or a drop on the mucous membrane of the eye. The effective emetic works in just a few minutes. We carefully inspect the vomit to see if the ingested object/substance has actually come up, and then often give activated charcoal to bind the last remains in the intestine if it is a suspected poisoning.
Prevent
Before we leave you, we will carefully review how you should monitor the animal over the next few days, and which symptoms (for example, increased thirst after consuming raisins) require us to take new follow-up blood tests to ensure the function of the organs going forward.
This is how an investigation works
1. Quick booking
You call or come in urgently. Always try to have the packaging (e.g. the chocolate bar or rat poison) to hand when we speak.
2. On-site assessment
We quickly check the animal's breathing and general condition to ensure that vomiting can be safely performed at all.
3. Injection
The effective emetic is given via a small injection under the skin or via eye drops, and then takes effect in just a few minutes.
4. Vomiting
The animal vomits. We inspect carefully to see if the poison (e.g. raisins, chocolate pieces or plant parts) or object has actually come up.
5. Aftercare
We often give activated charcoal and possibly medication for continued nausea, so that the animal quickly feels well and safe again.
Do you have more questions?
Contact our customer service and we will help you further.
When is a home visit not enough?
Inducing vomiting at home or in a small clinic works great and is life-saving if you act in good time (usually within 1–3 hours). However, if the poison has already left the stomach, or if the animal is already showing severe symptoms, you must go directly to our clinic or a fully equipped animal hospital for intensive care.
Instead, go directly to the nearest animal hospital:
- The animal has swallowed corrosive liquids (such as drain cleaner, battery acid) or sharp objects – then vomiting must absolutely NOT be induced.
- The animal shows acute neurological symptoms such as severe tremors, seizures, or uncontrollable shaking.
- The animal exhibits severe lethargy, bleeding from mucous membranes or unconsciousness.
- The animal shows acute signs of intestinal obstruction (e.g. intense vomiting despite a completely empty stomach).
Symptoms and early signs of poisoning in dogs
Behavioral changes: Symptoms vary greatly depending on what the dog has eaten. When ingesting dark chocolate, the dog may initially appear stressed, experience mild gastrointestinal symptoms, and become panting due to the substance theobromine.
How is it noticeable?: You often spot a chewed-up package, but if you haven't seen your dog eat something poisonous, early signs may include your dog suddenly starting to drool profusely, vomiting, having diarrhea, or an abnormally fast heart rate.
Early signs of specific toxins: If the dog has eaten xylitol, the blood sugar drops rapidly and life-threateningly, making the dog weak, wobbly and shaky. If the dog has eaten alphachloralose (a common rat poison), symptoms can come on quickly with convulsions and unconsciousness, while other older rat poisons only cause symptoms (bleeding) after several days.
When it gets worse: Regardless of the poison, if the dog begins to convulse, becomes unresponsive, vomits blood, or has extreme abdominal pain, the poisoning has progressed beyond simply inducing vomiting. Immediate, life-saving intensive care at an animal hospital is required.
Poisoning in cats and important differences
Cats are generally much more suspicious of what they put in their mouths than dogs are, and they are therefore extremely rarely poisoned by, for example, chocolate. Their great weakness is instead houseplants. Lilies are by far the most dangerous plant for a cat; all parts of the plant (leaves, stem, pollen and even the water in the vase) are deadly poisonous and can cause acute kidney failure. Even common drugs for humans, such as Alvedon (paracetamol), are deadly poisonous to cats in very small doses, as they lack the enzymes that break down the substance. If your cat has chewed on a lily, is breathing heavily or vomiting persistently, it is always urgent to contact us.
When should I contact a veterinarian for poisoning and when is it an emergency?
When it comes to suspected poisoning, you should always, without exception, contact us directly. Never wait to ”see how the animal is doing”, as time is your absolute worst enemy. If you see that the dog has just swallowed a chocolate bar, grapes or rat poison, immediate action to induce vomiting is the best life insurance. However, if many hours have passed since ingestion, or if the animal is already showing symptoms such as tremors, extreme lethargy, seizures or bleeding, it is more urgent. In that case, you should immediately go straight to the nearest 24-hour animal hospital for possible intensive care.
Diagnosis – how do we know if the animal needs to vomit?
You often make the most important diagnosis yourself by discovering what your animal has ingested.
- Calculation of toxic dose and amount: We calculate the amount of poison based on what the animal has eaten, its weight and how much time has passed.
- Clinical examination of general condition: We check pulse, breathing and mucous membranes to ensure that the animal can handle vomiting.
- Assessment of time and risk factors: We determine whether the poison is likely still in the stomach or whether it has already passed into the intestines and blood.
- Decision on treatment or referral: If the animal is stable, we induce vomiting immediately, otherwise we refer urgently to an animal hospital.
Treatment and induction of vomiting in dogs
Once we have determined that it is safe, we inject a highly effective emetic (usually apomorphine). Vomiting usually occurs forcefully within 5–15 minutes. We then give medical activated charcoal (charcoal tablets or liquid) in a specifically calculated dose. The charcoal acts like a sponge that travels through the intestines and binds up the very last microscopic remains of the poison in the stomach, so that they are passed out in the stool instead of being absorbed into the bloodstream.
Treatment and induction of vomiting in cats
Inducing vomiting in cats is done in exactly the same way as in dogs, but we use a different specific drug because cats do not respond as well to apomorphine. Since cats can become extremely stressed and panicked by being forced into a cage, a home visit is invaluable in the event of acute poisoning.
Prognosis and expectations in acute poisoning
The prognosis in case of poisoning is almost entirely dependent on how quickly we can get the poison out of the stomach. If we act quickly and manage to induce effective vomiting in time, the prognosis is excellent in the vast majority of cases.
- The time factor: the faster the stomach empties, the less time the poison has to be absorbed into the blood.
- Correct information: knowing exactly what the animal ate allows us to implement targeted treatment.
- Activated carbon: binding up remaining toxins in the intestines prevents further absorption into the body.
Quality of life always comes first
Our absolute focus is to save your animal's life and future health. Should we realize that the poisoning has progressed so far that the animal's organs have already failed, and intensive care is deemed hopeless, we will have an open and honest dialogue with you.
Self-check and what is toxic in your home?
To reduce the risk of life-threatening accidents, do a quick self-check of your home today. Do you really know which plants are poisonous to dogs or cats in your windows?
- Identify the plants: Check carefully which houseplants are poisonous (e.g. lilies, monstera, ivy) and consider replacing them with safe alternatives (such as ampelous lilies).
- Secure the pantry: Store dark chocolate, raisins, grapes and xylitol chewing gum high up in closed cabinets where animals absolutely cannot reach them.
- Check the garage: Ethylene glycol (which tastes sweet and deadly good to dogs) and rat poison must always be kept completely locked up.
- Never try it yourself: Never try to induce vomiting in your animal with salt! Salt water poisoning in dogs can quickly become as deadly as the original poison.
Prevention and how to avoid poisoning?
The absolute best way to deal with poisoning is to ensure that it never occurs in the first place:
- Childproof your home: Teach children to never, ever share their Saturday treats, especially chocolate or grapes, with the dog.
- Lock the medicine: Human painkillers such as Alvedon (cat), Ipren and Treo are deadly toxic to animals. Never leave them lying around on your bedside table.
- Have the emergency number ready: Save our number in your cell phone today, so you don't have to panic Google it when the accident happens and every second counts.
Cost, insurance and compensation
Treatment for acute poisoning of a dog or cat is covered in most cases by your veterinary insurance, provided that the accident was unforeseen and that you do not have an ongoing waiting period. The cost consists of a veterinary consultation and the actual price of the emetic, the injection and monitoring. In the case of a sick visit at home, the delivery is included if you live within 30 kilometers of us, after which a cost will be added. We will of course help you with direct settlement of the costs on site.
Emergency Visit & Inducing Vomiting
A visit where we assess the animal, administer an emetic via injection and monitor the progress.
Usually covered by insurance
Yes, treatment for acute accidents and poisonings is almost always covered by your veterinary insurance.
To think about
For acute medical visits at home, the delivery is included in the consultation price (if you live within 30 km of us). Should activated charcoal or additional medication for nausea be required after the stomach has been emptied, this will be added to your visit fee.
Price from:
1750/kr
Veterinary consultation at home (weekdays)
2,150 SEK
Veterinary consultation Veterinary clinic/Animal clinic Östermalm
1,750 SEK
Delivery fee 0–29 km
0 SEK (Included in the price for medical consultation)
Induction of vomiting including veterinary consultation (Veterinary Clinic Östermalm)
2,600 SEK
30+ years
experience
200k+
Visit
What happens if a dog eats dark or light chocolate?
Chocolate contains the substance theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. If a dog eats chocolate, it can suffer from hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhea, extremely high heart rate and, in the worst case, life-threatening seizures. Dark chocolate is more dangerous than light chocolate.
How much chocolate can a dog tolerate before it is dangerous?
It all depends on the dog's weight and exactly what type of chocolate it has eaten. A large dog that has eaten a little white chocolate rarely reacts at all, while a small dog that has eaten a piece of dark baking chocolate can quickly become life-threateningly ill. Always call us to be on the safe side!
Can dogs eat grapes or raisins?
No, absolutely not! If a dog eats grapes or raisins, it risks acute and life-threatening kidney failure. There is no ”safe limit”; some dogs can eat several without symptoms, while others become extremely ill from a single small grape.
How do I know exactly which plants are poisonous to my cat?
Lilies of all kinds are the most dangerous and can cause fatal kidney failure in cats. Many popular green plants, such as monstera and ivy, are also poisonous. Instead, choose completely non-toxic plants for cats, such as the pansy.
Can cats eat chocolate without getting sick?
No, chocolate is toxic to cats for exactly the same reason as it is to dogs (theobromine). However, cats usually lack a sweet tooth and are very picky eaters, which means they extremely rarely eat chocolate voluntarily.
What are the symptoms if my dog has accidentally eaten rat poison?
Symptoms of blood-thinning rat poison can last for several days and manifest as lethargy and bleeding from the nose or mucous membranes. If it is the alphachloralosis type, the symptoms come on extremely quickly with severe tremors, convulsions and unconsciousness.
How should I dose charcoal tablets for my dog in case of poisoning?
Activated charcoal is dosed strictly based on the animal's exact body weight, and poisoning often involves very large amounts of charcoal. Always consult a veterinarian before you start feeding charcoal tablets to your animal on your own.
What should I do immediately if my dog has ingested xylitol?
Xylitol (common in chewing gum) quickly lowers a dog's blood sugar to life-threatening levels. Give your dog some honey or syrup directly to their gums to temporarily raise their blood sugar, and call us immediately for emergency help!
How do you induce vomiting in a cat or dog?
We use safe, prescription medications (such as apomorphine for dogs) that are given via a small injection under the skin or into the bloodstream. It acts extremely quickly directly on the vomiting center in the brain and provides a very effective emptying of the stomach.
Is it dangerous to induce vomiting in a dog yourself with salt?
Yes, it's deadly! You should never, ever try to induce vomiting with salt, mustard, or other home remedies at home. It can lead to serious salt poisoning, which can be fatal in itself. Always have a licensed veterinarian handle the treatment.
Frequently asked questions and answers
Here you can read some of the most common questions and answers that we often receive from our customers.
Personal animal care in safe environments – Home visits, clinic & reception
We cooperate with all insurance companies
VetAtHome offers both clinic visits, home visits and visits to our veterinary practices – what is best depends on your animal's needs and what feels most convenient for you. We work with all insurance companies, making it easy to get help regardless of your insurance coverage.
