What to Do When Your Puppy Is Throwing Up and Lethargic

What to Do When Your Puppy Is Throwing Up and Lethargic

Puppies are like babies. It's easy to fall in love with them.

But, just like babies, they also easily get sick. And when they do, you can't experience a moment of peace.

This is exactly what this owner named Lisa feels about her puppy as she discussed the problem on PetHelpful's Ask a Vet section: "My 32-week-old puppy stopped eating or drinking water yesterday. Then he threw up white foam. He's been weak and just lying around since then, and tonight he started throwing up brown stuff. What could be the cause, and what do I need to do?"

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Lisa's message was answered by Dr. Mark dos Anjos, who first talked about "Garbage Gut or Intestinal Blockage." Puppies love to eat anything, so it's possible that Lisa's pet could have eaten something that upset its stomach. The brown stuff that her puppy threw up could also be a foreign matter like a piece of pillow stuffing that has now blocked its intestines.

But more worrisome is parvovirus infection, since Lisa didn't mention anything about her puppy's vaccination status. Parvo kills most young puppies if they don't receive aggressive treatment early.

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According to the American Kennel Club, "The Merck Veterinary Manual classifies the virus as a disease of the stomach and small intestines, as this is where the virus does the most damage. The virus prefers to infect the small intestine, where it destroys cells, impairs absorption, and disrupts the gut barrier. Parvo in puppies also affects the bone marrow and lymphopoietic tissues, and in some cases can also affect the heart."

These are the common symptoms of parvo infection:

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  • Lethargy
  • Loss of appetite
  • Bloody diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Fever
  • Dehydration
  • Depression
  • Weight loss
  • Weakness
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Hence, Dr. dos Anjos advised Lisa to take her puppy to the local veterinarian immediately. The vet may require her pet to undergo a blood test, parvo test, or x-ray examination to determine the cause of the puppy's depression and vomiting. Once the illness has been diagnosed, Lisa's puppy will be given proper treatment. If the vomiting was caused by something the young animal has eaten, an injection to stop this reaction could easily make it feel better.

But, if it's parvo infection, the earlier the puppy receives treatment, the better its chances to survive.

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Doris de Luna

For more than 20 years now, I’ve been devoting my heart, energy, and time to fulfilling my dream, which – many people may agree – is not among the easiest aspirations in life. Part of my happiness is having been able to lend a hand to many individuals, companies, and even governments as an investigative journalist, creative writer, TV director, and radio broadcaster.


At home, I spend my free time learning how to cook various cuisines. Tiramisu, chocolate mousse, and banoffee pie are my favorite desserts. Playing with our dogs, Mushu and Jerusalem, is also a special part of my day. And, of course, I read a lot – almost anything under the sun. But what really makes me feel alive is meeting people from various walks of life and writing about their stories, which echo with the tears and triumph of an unyielding spirit, humanity, and wisdom.

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