Accepted Answer

Hello there.

I'm sorry to hear that your dog is unwell.

I wonder if she may be having an adverse reaction to the pesticide. Even just a small bit of exposure to a chemical can spur a reaction in a dog who is sensitive. So for that reason, I think I would recommend a visit to the vet.

Another thought is that this is completely unrelated and that this is the result of a stomach upset. It's not uncommon to see licking at the floor, eating grass, biting at carpeting and swallowing air in a dog who experiences stomach discomfort. This, combined with the burping, drinking lots of water and vomiting suggests a stomach upset. The panting and tongue out suggests distress and discomfort. But I'm concerned that it could be due to eating a non-food item or something along those lines, so again, a vet visit would be a good idea to rule out a problem like that. Plus, there's medications like pepto bismol that can be helpful, but we don't want to give her that if she's reacting to the pesticide. And dehydration is a concern due to vomiting, so we'll need to get fluids injected under her skin at the vet until this resolves or she could be at risk of having her organs start to shut down.

In the meantime, I have a few things you can check and do to help make her more comfortable until she recovers or gets to the vet:

I would also try to feed her some food that will be easy on her stomach for a few days, since it's possible that an upset stomach could be to blame for her issue. After four hours of not vomiting, you can offer a bite or two. Wait four more hours and offer a bit more than the first time and repeat until you're at about 1/4 of the normal meal size.

Also, dogs are more apt to eat "people" food and foods they see as a treat when they're ill. You'll want to offer a small meals of bland food (rice, cottage cheese, chicken, hamburger, as discussed above). In the cases of the meats, be sure to drain and cut away any fat. The key is to keep these foods light on the stomach. To start out, only offer one or two spoonfuls. If he keeps this down for four hours, offer a bit more than you did the first time. Wait another four hours and repeat the process until you get up to about 1/4 or 1/3 of his normal meal size. And feed her this food three or four times a day for two full days. On the fourth day, you can begin to feed her normal dog food. But don't do this changeover suddenly. Mix four parts of the bland food with about one part normal dog food. On the fifth day, mix three parts bland food to two parts normal dog food and continue at this rate until she's back on his normal dog food.

If she's continually vomiting and won't go for the food, you'll want to give pancake syrup - one to two large spoons for a small dog like yours, every 4-6 hours. This helps keep the blood sugar up. And it could pep her up and feel a bit better.

Here's some things to assess on your dog to see if this is a more urgent situation:

Temperature can be checked rectally with a bit of vaseline on the thermometer - this can give you an idea of general condition. It should be between 100-102. Anything below 100 or above 103 is a serious problem. A fever could also cause chills and shivering, so this is an important thing to check.

Checking the gums is an indicator of your dog's circulation. If there's internal bleeding, anemia, a disruption of normal blood flow, or serious illness, the gums will turn very pale, almost white in appearance. This means that the blood is not properly receiving oxygen or there's a loss of blood or red blood cells.

Normal gums will be bright pink to a pale pink. Abnormal gums are white with greyish, blue, or yellow.

Here is a link to a photo of normal gums:
http://www.petmed.co.nz/images/gum_healthy.jpg

Here is a link to a couple of photos of pale gums:
http://www.petplace.com/images-slide-show.aspx?id=3819&imageIndex=0
http://www.petplace.com/images-slide-show.aspx?id=728&imageIndex=0

I should note that I've seen perfectly healthy dogs with gums that are slightly paler than those pictured in the "normal gums" picture, but there's always a distinct pink tone.

For more information on checking your dog's gums, visit:
http://www.ehow.com/how_3028_check-gums-dog.html

The normal heart rate varies depending on the size and age of the dog. A puppy has a heart rate of about 180 beats per minute. And adult dog will have a rate between 60-160 beats per minute. Small toy breeds can have normal heart rates of 180 beats per minute. The rule is the younger the dog, the faster the heart rate (for puppies). And the smaller the dog, the faster the heart rate.

Normal pulse is between 60 and 120.

Also, you can check capillary refill time. If you apply firm pressure to the gums, the area should turn pale and then quickly return back to normal (you can try this on your own skin to see what I mean). If there's no difference, or if your dog's gums take a long time to return back to normal, there could be a problem. The gums should return to normal in no less than one second and no more than two 1/2 seconds.

To determine how dehydrated she is, look at the skin. If you pinch the skin between the shoulder blades up into a "tent", ideally, it should flatten right out. The more dehydrated she is, the longer it will take the skin to return to normal. So I would monitor this several times a day to ensure that she's not getting worse. If he's really dehydrated, a vet visit is in order. You can also feel his gums. They should be slick and wet. If they're sticky and not slick, then that's a sign of dehydration, which can be really bad because it starts the organs shutting down.

To help combat dehydration, you can add some unflavored pedialyte to her water in a 50/50 mix. If she won't go for that, offer some chicken or beef broth (no onions in the ingredients - they're toxic) or water with a bullion cube, as this will give it an appealing flavor. We want her to drink more than usual because her body will need extra fluids to fight off whatever is causing this.

I also have an article I've written that you may find helpful:
http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_tell_if_your_dog_is_sick

I hope this helps give you some direction with your dog. I hope she's feeling better soon! Just "reply" if you have any additional questions, okay?

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-Mia Carter
Pet Expert

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Expert:	Mia Carter
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Answered:	6/25/2008

Animal Expert

Specializing in the training and care of ill pets and special needs animals! Mom of 22 pets!