Caring for a dog means understanding their health needs, including what to do when they’re not feeling well. Pet owners must be prepared for anything, even something as sudden as vomiting. 

Dog vomiting is their body’s way of expelling harmful substances from the stomach. It’s a process that involves active abdominal contractions and can happen suddenly or develop over time. 

While it’s not unusual for dogs to vomit occasionally, frequent or severe puking can signal an underlying problem that requires attention. With that, we’re here to share everything you need to know about canine vomiting. 

What Is Dog Vomiting?

Canine vomiting itself is the active process in which the stomach expels harmful contents. It often involves heaving, drooling, and heavy abdominal contractions. The expelled contents can have foam, food, bile, and even blood. 

Regurgitation is often confused with vomiting, but it’s different. Regurgitation is a passive action that happens without any effort. The contents are usually undigested.

What Causes Dogs to Vomit?

Vomiting in dogs is generally a symptom of a health condition or their own curiosity. Common causes include: 

Dietary Issues

Dietary issues are among the most common causes of dog puking. They are known for eating things they shouldn’t, including table scraps, trash, or even objects. Unfortunately, this behavior can irritate their stomachs and lead to vomiting. 

This is especially dangerous when they ingest toxins such as household chemicals, human medications, and toxic foods such as chocolate and grapes. 

Sudden changes in a dog’s diet can also upset their digestive systems, such as switching dog food brands too quickly or entirely changing the dog’s diet. Even eating too fast can overwhelm a dog’s digestive system, causing them to vomit up the food.

In some cases, certain foods, such as dairy, chicken, or beef, can trigger a dog’s allergies or sensitivities. These can result in gastrointestinal issues, which include throwing up. 

Gastrointestinal Disorders

Issues that affect the dog’s gastrointestinal tract often cause vomiting due to irritation. This includes issues such as:

• Pancreatitis. Canine pancreatitis happens when the pancreas releases digestive enzymes that cause irritation within the organ, resulting in vomiting. 

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract’s lining prevents optimal digestion.

• Liver Disease. Because of the liver’s inability to filter out toxins due to its dysfunction, it leads to gastrointestinal upset, making the affected dog vomit.

• Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus. GDV, a condition in which the dog’s stomach twists and fills up with gas, can cause ineffective vomiting. 

• Parasites. Parasites within the digestive tract can cause irritation and infections, both of which can make dogs puke and throw up.

• Infections. Bacterial, viral, or fungal infections can upset your dog’s stomach. Serious illnesses such as canine parvovirus or gastroenteritis often include dog vomiting as a primary symptom, along with other signs.

Stress

Some dogs experience motion sickness during car rides, which can begin with drooling, nausea, or whining before vomiting. Significant changes in routine, environment, or exposure to loud noises can stress dogs and upset their stomachs.

Other Health Issues

Underlying health conditions such as cancer, pyometra, and kidney disease, as well as adrenal gland disorders, can disrupt normal digestion and cause dog vomiting.

What Does Dog Vomit Look Like?

The appearance, texture, and color of a dog’s vomit give us clues about what caused the issue. Here’s a quick guide:

• Yellow. Yellow vomit comes from bile, which is usually a result of bile backflowing to the empty stomach and exiting the mouth. 

• White. White foam can happen when the stomach is empty and irritated from digestive upset or acid reflux. 

• Clear. Clear vomit is often a sign of drinking too much water and indigestion.

• Green. The green color comes from eating grass, which irritates the stomach.

• Brown. Brown vomit often means partially digested food due to eating too quickly. It can also mean digested blood.  

• Red. Red vomit usually comes from bleeding from the blood vessels along the digestive tract. 

What to Do if a Dog Vomits​?

If your dog has vomited, then it’s important to look at the color. This can guide you on what actions to take. If the color is clear or slightly yellow, then lessen the amount of water you give and withhold food for a few hours. 

If the dog’s vomit is white foam, yellow, or green, then be sure to monitor them. If they vomit more than once during a 24-hour period, then you’ll have to seek vet care. 

However, if your dog puked brown or red vomit, then it’s crucial to visit the clinic immediately.