My friend fed my dogs for me on Saturday night. Unfortunately, I had been cleaning up that day and found an old bottle of salmon oil that had gone rancid and I had set aside. I left it sitting on the counter (dumb move, i know, but it was garbage day) and my friend saw it and gave it to the dogs! It was really rancid, smelled like strong paint.

That same friend was looking after my dogs for me on Sunday (yesterday) while I was out of town. I warned him that the dogs might get sick and to keep an eye on them. Sure enough I got a call, one of the dogs vomited twice (food and grass) and had watery diarrhea. He seemed bright and alert, just a bit lethargic. When I got home last night he was acting mostly normal but a just bit depressed. He had a half ration for his supper which he ate with as much gusto as ever.

This morning he seemed fine but just now had a very soft poop. My friend thinks he may have thrown up his breakfast in his crate and re-eaten it (gross... dogs will be dogs).

I am wondering if he's just a bit nauseous from the bad oil and will get over it or if he might need vet attention. I don't know what the effect of the bad oil would be on him.

Should I give pumpkin for his diarrhea, and what can I do for nausea?

How much bad oil did he get?

I don't know as there wasn't that much left and it was divided by 4 dogs. I would say probably about a teaspoon at most. Oh and he weighs 65 lbs and is about 20 months old.

 Quote: Angela Burrell

I don't know as there wasn't that much left and it was divided by 4 dogs. I would say probably about a teaspoon at most. Oh and he weighs 65 lbs and is about 20 months old.

One teaspoon?

Can you make sure with the person who gave the oil?

One teaspoon with a 65-pound dog sounds kind of unlikely to have this much effect.

(Not to downplay rancid fat -- it's a bad thing to feed.)

If the dog acted nauseated or vomited or had diarrhea again I would call the vet. Acute pancreatitis is not a one-teaspoon kind of thing, but the amount is a guess.

JMO, and maybe I am overreacting, but I've been there with a dog who ate a yummy bite of stinking rancid road-kill fat. So I'd keep my eye on the dog for a day.

OK I just talked to him, it was even less than that. He says he doubts it was even 1/2 teaspoon.

I'm also not sure he even vomited today... my friend just said that the room smelled like it but couldn't find any "evidence".

So at that small amount it was not likely to be the oil, then... so now I have no idea what it could have been. An obstruction wouldn't present like this would it? He is pooping.

Pooping normal poop? I know you said soft, but was it formed?

First thing this morning it was 1 soft log and then some pudding. Later on it was soft but formed.

Edit also it was light in colour. Usually it is dark.

 Quote: Angela Burrell

... Edit also it was light in colour. Usually it is dark.

I would have him vet-checked.

One of the things that a pale stool can indicate is pancreatitis.

Anything else I should watch for? He doesn't have a hunched back and asked to play with his toy. His last poop was about 5 hours ago and it was unusually light-coloured. He looks pretty bright....

this is one of those things I'm just not sure about....

Pain, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy.....


My worry is that pale or clay-colored poop is a symptom for a number of ailments.