Causes of Dog Vomit and What They Mean

Kara Murphy

December 9, 2021

It's not unusual for dogs to throw up. In fact, there are many reasons why your pet might vomit, and some are more concerning than others. So how can you tell if the dog barf on the grass is a sign of serious trouble? Are there different types of vomit? Read on to find out.

It’s important to distinguish between whether your dog is vomiting or simply regurgitating.
Some of the most common causes of vomiting include consuming table scraps/fatty foods, random objects, various infections/diseases, motion sickness and stress/anxiety.
If your dog is having repeated vomiting episodes, the vomiting is accompanied by other signs such as poor appetite, weight loss, or there is abnormal discoloration of the vomit such as blood or a dark brown color, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Vomiting vs. Regurgitation

What causes a dog to vomit? First, you should understand the difference between vomiting and regurgitation. When a dog regurgitates, the coughed-up material typically consists of undigested food, water and saliva. It is often expelled in a cylindrical shape since regurgitated material is usually the food or matter in the esophagus. It comes out seemingly effortlessly, without muscle contraction. It's unlikely there will be any warning — either for you or your dog — that anything is coming up.

Vomiting, conversely, is much more active. It will cause muscles to contract and the whole body to tense. When a dog vomits, the food or object is typically coming from the stomach or upper small intestine. You will likely hear the dog retching and see food that is undigested or partially digested, along with clear liquid if it's from the stomach, or yellow or green liquid (bile) if it is from the small intestine. You might also have a little more warning that vomit is coming, such as drooling, pacing, whining or loud gurgling noises from your dog's stomach.

Common Causes of Vomiting

The Chagrin Falls Veterinary Center & Pet Clinic, identifies the eight most common causes of dog vomit as:

Consuming garbage, fatty foods, and table scraps
Ingesting bones, rubber balls, stones, hair, sticks and other foreign objects
Intestinal parasites, such as roundworms
Viral infections, such as distemper, parvovirus and coronavirus
Diseases, such as kidney disease, cancer and stomach ulcers
Ingesting poisons like rat poison, antifreeze, pesticides or household drugs, like acetaminophen and aspirin
Motion sickness
Stress, excessive excitement or anxiety

The most common reasons for regurgitation are:

Gastic reflux and esophagitis
An obstruction or stricture in the esophagus
Congenital esophageal disease (megaesophagus), which is more common in breeds including the Shar-pei, German shepherd, Great Dane, Irish setter, Labrador retriever, Miniature Schnauzer, Newfoundland and Wire Fox Terrier.

A dog who throws up is not necessarily ill or in need of immediate veterinary attention.

Kara Murphy

When to Be Concerned

Because vomiting is not that unusual in dogs, pet parents are typically not fazed if a dog throws up occasionally. But when should you worry?

The Animal Hospital of North Asheville notes that there are few dog vomit scenarios that should be cause for concern:

Other signs are present: If your dog has not only thrown up, but is also acting strangely — such as sleeping more than usual, refusing to eat or having diarrhea — you should call your veterinarian.
There are signs of blood: If you see blood in the vomit or if your dog is throwing up something that looks like coffee grounds — digested blood — call the veterinarian. The blood can be a sign of serious problems, such as gastric ulcers, or a dog who has eaten a sharp foreign object, such as a bone or toy.
Your dog won't stop vomiting: While occasionally throwing up isn't unusual, if a dog throws up routinely or excessively, consult a veterinarian to find out why.

If you're concerned at all about your dog’s health, don't hesitate to call your veterinarian for advice.

What Your Veterinarian Will Do

When your veterinarian evaluates your dog, they will likely first want a good history of anything your pet may have eaten or gotten into and information on how often they are vomiting or regurgitating. They may want to do bloodwork to look for causes of vomiting such as kidney disease or pancreatitis. They may also need to do X-rays if they think your pet may have an obstruction in the GI tract or the esophagus is not working properly.

Once your veterinarian is able to identify the problem, they can start treatment to get your pet feeling better quickly.

What You Can Do

If your veterinarian determines what causes your dog to vomit and says that at-home care is sufficient for your pup, you'll want to know how to treat them to alleviate their symptoms. Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine has these care tips for your vomiting dog:

Withhold food for a few hours, but make sure to consult your veterinarian on how long first. (However, the college notes, water should never be withheld from a pet with certain health conditions. It's a good idea to talk to your veterinarian before withholding fluids from your dog.) With persistent vomiting, dehydration can be a real cause for concern, which is why fluids are so important.
Once vomiting stops, introduce a bland, low-fat food, and feed your dog small amounts three to six times daily for a few days. Gradually increase the amount of food and decrease the feedings as you transition to the dog's normal food. If your veterinarian asked you to withhold water, re-introduce it slowly in small amounts.
If you determine your dog is throwing up because they are eating too fast, one solution might be a "puzzle feeder," which forces dogs to eat slower as they work to obtain food.
Your veterinarian can guide you in selecting a suitable high-quality nutrition for your pet. If your veterinarian makes a recommendation, switch to his new food slowly, rather than all at once or you might exacerbate the problem.

A dog who throws up is not necessarily ill or in need of immediate veterinary attention. But if you see signs that make you believe something might seriously be wrong, call your veterinarian to determine what the problem is and how to solve it. You'll soon be back to petting your pup rather than cleaning up his puke.