When your dog is ill, it can be worrying, especially if they are vomiting. It is only natural to be concerned about this, especially when you take into consideration that vomiting can be a sign of health issues.
In a lot of cases, dogs will vomit occasionally. This is something that is natural and is typically linked to the dog body’s reaction to eating something that could potentially be harmful to them.
However, when this is something that is persistent, and has seemingly no cause linked to it, this can be a sign of a potential health issue.
It is important to note that if you are ever concerned about your dog’s health, then you should always visit your local veterinary practice.
A trained vet will always be the best person to look to when seeking advice about your dog.
They will be able to advise you on the best treatment and medication for the dog.
You should never administer treatment to your dog without it being approved by your vet, especially when it comes to anti-nausea medication and over the counter treatments.
This is because they may be unsafe for the dog and can potentially make their condition worse.
With this in mind, while we have recommended a handful of potential treatments that some vets recommend as anti-nausea medication in this article, you will always want to chat to your vet before administering it.
What Over-The-Counter Anti Nausea Medication Can Dogs Take?
In the vast majority of cases, your veterinarian will recommend and prescribe treatment for your dog to take if it is suffering from nausea or sickness.
However, in some cases, they may recommend over the counter treatments that can be given if the vet has approved this.
Pepto-Bismol
When a dog is suffering from nausea, your veterinarian may recommend Pepto-Bismol, which is an over the counter anti-sickness treatment.
This is a treatment that many people tend to have in their homes already, and it can be effective.
Pepto-Bismol is a treatment that contains bismuth subsalicylate. On the whole, it does tend to be quite safe for the vast majority of dogs to take, though caution will still need to be taken.
When it comes to the dosage of the Pepto-Bismol, you will want to give the dog one teaspoon of the treatment for every 10 pounds (4.54 kg) that they weigh. It is important to not give more than this.
This treatment can be given every 8 hours, but after a few doses, you will want to speak to your veterinarian.
This is not a treatment that should be given regularly, and it is worth noting that it can cause black stools.
While this is not typically an issue, if your dog is experiencing stomach and gastric issues, this can make the appearance of blood in the stools more difficult to notice.
This treatment is typically given for diarrhea, but when a dog has a digestive upset, this is usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting too.
Pepcid
Pepcid is another over the counter treatment that can be helpful for dogs with nausea.
Its main use is to help regulate stomach acid and gastric ulcers, but it can help with nausea and other issues that come with this too.
Again, this should be recommended by your vet before you choose to purchase this for your dog. But, a lot of vets will recommend using this treatment as it can be useful for a short period.
The dosage will change depending on the size of the dog. However, for a 20 pound (ca. 9 kg) dog, it is recommended to give one 10 mg tablet in a 24-hour period.
The standard Pepcid should be administered, not the one that is the maximum strength.
The active ingredient in Pepcid is famotidine, and it is an effective treatment to consider. There are other similar medications that can be given if there is no pepcid available, such as Tagamet, and Zantac too.
If you are unsure of the correct dosage to give, you can contact your veterinarian for help and advice on this.
Dramamine
If your dog’s nausea and sickness is linked to travel, then Dramamine can be an effective treatment to use. This is a form of antihistamine that is safe for dogs to consume.
If you are looking to use this treatment, you will want to give your dog the treatment at least half of an hour before you are planning to travel.
Preferably, you will want to wait slightly longer than this. This is because the treatment needs to be in your dog’s system in order for it to be effective.
While there are dog specific anti-sickness medications that can be given for motion sickness, this is a useful option to consider if it is the only medication you have access to.
Again, this is something that should first be approved by your veterinarian. Around 2 milligrams should be given in relation to the body weight in an 8-hour period.
It is only recommended that you use this treatment if you are planning to travel with your dog.
Imodium
When it comes to diarrhea and other stomach issues, Imodium is a treatment that can be administered.
While this is not a specific anti-nausea medicine, it can help to stop spasms in the stomach. In turn, this can ease nausea and stomach discomfort.
1 mg for every 20 pounds (ca. 9 kg) of body weight is recommended, and this can be given every 6 hours.
It is not a long term treatment but can be effective in the short term. You will want to ensure this is safe to use with your vet first.
Summary
We hope that you have found this article helpful. As you can see, there are a number of over the counter medications that can be given to dogs who are nauseous.
However, you should always speak to your vet before administering any of these treatments.