Dog Vomiting: Why Does My Dog Keep Throwing Up? [ANSWERED]

Dog vomiting is not a strange occurrence; it is not uncommon for dogs to throw up once in a while. There are various reasons why your dog keeps throwing up; dogs are known to eat almost anything, especially puppies, which can turn their stomach and allow them to vomit. However, dog vomiting can also be a sign of an underlying health issue.

The major reasons your dog vomits are: eating too quickly, sudden dietary change, it has food intolerance or allergy, medications, ingesting foreign objects, viral infections, intestinal parasites, motion sickness or car sickness, excessive anxiety or excitement, stress, and ingesting poison.

Most times, dog vomiting is not frequent. It can occur once in a while. However, when it becomes frequent, you need to be concerned and take the dog to a vet for a medical checkup and treatment.

Why Does My Dog Keep Throwing Up?

A dog that is about to throw up goes through; nausea, retching, and vomiting the contents from its stomach and small intestine. Dog vomiting is caused by forceful abdominal muscle contractions, resulting in food, saliva, and fluid expulsion. The major reasons your dog throws up are explained in detail below.

The Dog Ate Too Quickly

This is the most common cause of dog vomiting, and it happens mostly when a dog has been starved for a long time. When you feed a starving dog, it will gulp down the food rapidly. In doing this, the food will not be properly digested, so the dog has to get rid of the obstruction in the stomach, so it will have to vomit the meal.

Another reason dogs rush their food is if you are feeding two or more dogs with the same plate. There will be competition, and each dog eats fast to gulp down more than the rest. To curb this, it is best to feed a dog smaller amounts of food at a time. Moreover, if you have more than one, feed them with different plates and in separate places.

There Is A Sudden Change In The Dog’s Diet

Dogs are not like humans, they need time to adapt to new diets, so if you change your dog’s diet suddenly, you should expect the dog to throw up frequently. This is because the dog is not used to the diet. This also occurs when you include new food into your dog’s diet.

Dogs need time to adapt to various things, which is why a veterinary doctor will advise you to slowly introduce new meals to your dog while you remove the previous meal. The dog gets used to the new meal and enjoys it with time without displaying signs of discomfort, except it has food allergies.

The Dog Has Food Intolerance Or Allergy

Feeding a dog a meal it is allergic to will result in frequent vomiting. Although, this comes with other symptoms, including diarrhea, weight loss, hyperactivity, aggression, as well as lack of energy. All dogs have a list of foods they are allergic to, including chocolate, beef, wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, lamb, grains, gluten, and chicken.

It is best to have a vet analyze your dog and advise on the foods you should avoid giving it. Otherwise, your dog might experience more severe symptoms than the ones we listed earlier. If you notice your dog acting weird when you give it certain foods, you should avoid them.

The Dog Is Experiencing Motion Sickness Or Car Sickness

If your dog vomits when you are both riding in a car, the major cause can be car sickness or motion sickness. This frequently occurs in puppies, especially during long-distance travel. However, some adult dogs also experience motion sickness. All dogs are different, so you should never expect different breeds to react to things the same way.

Puppies experiencing motion sickness will eventually grow out of it. However, if you have an adult dog that vomits due to motion sickness, you need to talk to your veterinary doctor to prescribe medications to prevent vomiting and nausea caused by motion sickness.

The Dog Has Ingested Foreign Objects

Another major reason why dogs throw up is ingesting foreign objects. When a dog swallows objects like strings, socks, toys, balls, hair, stones, sticks, amongst others, it will be forced to throw up to get rid of the object lodged in its system. Other symptoms of swallowing foreign objects are lethargy, anorexia (loss of appetite), and diarrhea.

Once you discover that your dog has ingested a foreign object, you should take it to the veterinary doctor immediately for treatment and prevention of further complications. The foreign objects can result in intestinal blockage and, if not treated promptly, can result in the dog’s death.

What Can I Give My Dog For Vomiting

Some of the things you can do to curb dog vomiting are always giving the dog freshwater; you should keep all other liquids away from the dog. You should also not feed the dog for about 12 to 24 hours; if the dog has not vomited within 6 hours, you should give it a small meal.

The meal should be easily digestible, like cooked white rice mixed with boiled white chicken without skin or bones. You can also feed the dog a small portion of its regular diet. If its condition does not improve after 48 hours, take it to a vet.

Further Reading: Why Does My Dog Keep Coughing? Causes, Treatment, And More

Dog Vomiting Yellow

If your dog throws up and you see yellow-colored vomit, it consists of bile and stomach acids. Bile is the fluid produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder, while stomach acid is produced in the stomach lining and aids digestion. Bile also aids digestion; it enters the duodenum, which is a little distance from the stomach.

When a dog’s vomit is yellow, it means the stomach is empty, and the bile is causing the stomach to be irritated. The stomach lining is irritated by gastric acids, which might be why the dog is vomiting.

Dog Vomiting White Foam

The most apparent reason your dog’s vomit is white foam is GI distress, usually caused by infection from viruses, bacteria, food allergies, parasites, medications, ingestion of foreign objects, or lack of digestive enzymes. When a dog throws up foamy vomit, it could be because there is excess gas in its stomach.

Other causes of GI distress are when it ingests toxins, grass, or other stomach irritants, heatstroke, and eating sugary, spicy, or fatty food. If you notice that your dog’s vomit is white foam, you should take it to visit a veterinary doctor immediately for effective resolution.

Dog Vomiting And Diarrhea

Two of the most common health issues that cause concerns in dog owners are vomiting and diarrhea. Moreover, it is worse if the dog is experiencing both. Although you can resolve these two health issues at home, you need to take the dog to a veterinary doctor for a checkup and treatment in severe cases.

The major causes of diarrhea and vomiting in dogs are sudden changes in diet, ingesting poison or foreign objects, pancreatitis, viral infection, intestinal parasites, stress resulting from routine or environmental changes, chronic diseases, dietary indiscretion, and medications.

Some of the best ways to prevent diarrhea and vomiting in dogs are to avoid feeding them salty, fatty, or spicy foods, giving the dog anxiety medication or calming supplements to ease its anxiety, and ensuring your dog receives vaccination against parvovirus.

More like this: Why Is Your Dog Shedding? A Complete Guide

Final Thoughts

Dog vomiting will cause many dog owners to panic and become afraid or worried. Although several factors are responsible for dog vomit, most of them are little things you can resolve and avoid easily. However, it is best to visit a veterinary doctor in more severe cases.

Related post: Why Does My Dog Fart So Much? How Can I Help?