Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 2/26/2009

Question
My 8 month old Wheaten Terrier got very scared today when a screen door fell. He ran into the living room and began to vomit. He did not produce any bile or food as he had an empty stomach (ate about 24 hours prior). He retched for about 30 seconds, stopped and then fell over on his side and did not move for about 2 seconds until I screamed. He got up and was okay. I have two questions. One-can being scared cause anxiety in a dog and make him vomit? Two-can vomiting cause a dog to fall over (looked like he had fainted)?

Answer
Kim  -

If your dog is high strung there is a possibility that frightening him can cause him to vomit.  Perhaps he had hyperventilated to such an extreme that he caused a fainting episode.

Take your pet to be examined by his veterinarian as soon as possible.  The vet can make sure your pet is healthy and that there are no problems with his heart.  



Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM