Your dog drank from the driveway puddle. Your cat licked wet paws. That’s not rainwater. After a Houston flood it’s bayou, sewage, and whatever washed off the feeder roads.
Don’t wait for vomiting. Rinse the mouth and get a real vet or Poison Control on the line. You’re not being dramatic.
Clinics fill up the same day Brays, White Oak, or Buffalo Bayou jumps. Go early, even if they still want dinner.
Do this now
- Rinse the mouth, paws, and belly with clean water. Don’t use bleach or household cleaner on skin or fur.
- Call your vet or an emergency clinic and say they drank floodwater. If you can’t reach one, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
- Note what they drank, about how much, and when. Bring that to the visit.
- Don’t induce vomiting unless a vet or Poison Control tells you to.
- Keep them off wet carpets and out of standing water while you wait.
Why Houston floodwater is worse than a dirty puddle
Street flooding here mixes stormwater with sanitary overflows, bayou silt, and lawn chemicals. Pets drink it because it’s there. Houstonians often report GI trouble, lethargy, or skin sores a day or two later, not always in the first hour. That’s why “they seem fine” is not a plan.
What to tell the clinic
Species, weight, age, and any meds. Where the water sat (garage, bayou-adjacent yard, first floor). Whether they also ate soaked food or trash. If they already vomited or had diarrhea, say so. If power is out and you only have a phone, a short voicemail with those facts still helps the next person who calls you back.
While you wait for a slot
Offer small amounts of clean drinking water, not more floodwater. Skip rich treats. Watch for repeated vomiting, bloody stool, collapse, or trouble breathing. Those are 911-level if a person had them. For a pet, that’s a drive to emergency, not a wait-and-see night. Don’t leave them in a hot car outside a packed clinic.
Verify live. Status changes hourly. Confirm the clinic is open and the street to it is passable. 311 can tell you about flooded crossings. Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222.