Nothing moves a pet owner more quickly than the sound of their dog gagging or retching. You leap into action to move your pet from the carpet or bed to an easy-to-clean surface. Then, you clean up the mess and wonder what triggered your furry pal’s vomiting episode—and if more is coming.

While you cannot possibly know exactly why your dog is vomiting without conducting diagnostic testing, such as blood work, X-rays, a fecal exam, or ultrasound, you can narrow down the culprit. Read on to learn possible causes for your dog’s vomiting, and when veterinary care is required.

Color and consistency of dog vomit

The color and consistency of your dog’s vomit are a great source of information about the underlying cause. Some of the most common vomit types seen in dogs include:

  • Yellow vomit — Yellow vomit typically occurs when your dog’s stomach is empty, and may be triggered by acid buildup, reflux, or another condition that causes nausea on an empty stomach. A buildup of stomach bile is the reason for the yellow color.
  • White foamy vomit — Foamy vomit may develop bubbles because of excessive exercise that resulted in the stomach contents sloshing around.
  • Clear liquid vomit — Clear liquid vomit is often regurgitated water and frequently occurs when your dog drinks too much too quickly or cannot keep water down. 
  • Brown vomit — Brown vomit is usually caused by food. You may notice kibble pieces in the vomit, or an overall brown, mushy appearance, depending on how quickly your dog regurgitated the food. If your dog eats too quickly, or doesn’t chew their food, the vomit will contain whole chunks of food.
  • Slimy vomit — Mucus-like vomit that is exceptionally slimy is often caused by drooling. Dogs drool when they feel nauseous and may vomit up large amounts of slimy drool if they swallow enough.
  • Bloody vomit — Pink- or red-tinged vomit can develop because of bleeding into the esophagus or stomach, or be caused by an ulcer or clotting issue. If the vomit has a coffee-ground appearance, the blood has been digested. 

Your dog can also vomit up grass, intestinal worms, or foreign objects, so although digging around in your pet’s vomit is gross, that can help with a diagnosis.

Common acute vomiting causes in dogs

Acute vomiting occurs suddenly without warning and can be severe (i.e., several vomiting bouts back-to-back) or mild (i.e., only one or two vomiting episodes).

Common acute vomiting causes in dogs include:

  • Abrupt diet change — Any diet change should be conducted slowly over about a week to prevent gastrointestinal (GI) upset.
  • Dietary indiscretion — If your dog eats something they shouldn’t, whether or not the item is edible, they can suffer from an upset stomach.
  • Intestinal parasites — Excessive parasite loads, such as a roundworm infection, can cause your dog—usually a puppy—to vomit up worms.
  • Infectious diseases — Parvovirus is one of the most serious and common causes of infectious disease-induced vomiting. Unfortunately, although appropriate vaccination can virtually eliminate your dog’s risk of contracting an infectious disease, no vaccine is 100% foolproof.
  • GI blockage — Eating an indigestible object that becomes lodged in the GI tract can lead to acute vomiting.
  • Motion sickness — If your dog starts drooling when they step a paw in the car, vomiting may follow.
  • Bloat — If your dog tries to vomit but produces nothing, they may have bloat. Their stomach expands and can flip on itself, restricting blood flow and turning into a life-threatening emergency called gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV). 

Common chronic vomiting causes in dogs

Chronic vomiting can occur constantly or only every so often, but frequently enough to cause concern. Potential chronic vomiting causes in dogs include:

  • Kidney, liver, or pancreatic disease
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Extreme anxiety
  • Food sensitivity
  • Megaesophagus

When you should be concerned about your dog’s vomiting

If your dog suddenly begins vomiting, you may be tempted to rush them to the nearest emergency veterinary hospital. However, not all vomiting cases require emergency care. If your dog has been vomiting for less than 12 hours, they are acting normally, and they are able to hold down some food and water, you can likely wait and monitor their progress.

However, if your vomiting dog also fills any of the following characteristics, give our Westerville Veterinary Clinic team a call:

  • Puppy or geriatric dog
  • Pre-existing medical conditions
  • Lethargy
  • Dehydration
  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Refusing food
  • Unable to hold down water
  • Projectile vomiting—a potential obstruction sign of obstruction
  • Attempting to vomit, but producing nothing—a sign of life-threatening bloat
  • Vomiting blood
  • Vomiting pieces of a foreign object
  • Eating a potentially toxic item
  • Vomiting often or frequently
  • Weight loss from chronic vomiting

Whenever you are concerned about your dog’s vomiting—whether or not a single episode—we are concerned. If your four-legged friend is vomiting and showing other illness signs, schedule an appointment with our Westerville Veterinary Clinic team as soon as possible.