Vomiting in the dog: discover what it conceals and how to intervene

Anyone who has had a dog has seen it vomit. Sometimes it's just the recently eaten food, other times strange foamy substances or vomit of various colors.

Generally, we don't worry too much when the dog regurgitates fresh food, but what should we do when the vomit is liquid, foamy, or an unusual color, or contains blood?

And is it possible to understand what substances have been expelled or what the color indicates, so as to intervene promptly?

Vomiting is not only one of the symptoms of the much-feared poisoning, but can also be a sign of various conditions that can compromise the health of your pet.

How to recognize the different types of vomiting in dogs, and how to behave when this situation occurs?

What is vomiting in a dog?

Vomiting in a dog is an event that occurs through the expulsion of stomach contents.

It is the forced and involuntary expulsion of gastrointestinal material through the mouth, and is caused by an involuntary contraction of the abdominal muscles.

It can be of two types, vomiting or regurgitation.

What is the difference between vomiting and regurgitation?

Regurgitation refers to the expulsion of food that has not yet been fully digested. Dogs do not chew much and tend to swallow the bite almost whole.

What has just been chewed accumulates in the esophagus without being able to go down, and when the esophagus is clogged, the dog regurgitates everything.

Regurgitation itself is not dangerous, and the dog often ends up eating what it has just expelled.

It's a completely normal behavior, unpleasant to see but not harmful to the dog.

Vomiting, on the other hand, occurs when the food reaches the stomach and is partially digested, but if it consists of indigestible or dangerous substances for the animal, the body activates a defense mechanism that allows the dog to rid itself of what has been ingested.

Why does a dog vomit?

A dog vomits for several reasons. These are the most common:

Expulsion of something it dislikes or that is dangerous, or of non-edible substances.
Feeling of malaise such as motion sickness, car sickness, sea sickness.
Food allergies.
Different types of allergies.
Ingestion of toxins or products that may cause poisoning.
Excessive fatigue after meals.
Strong emotion, excitement, stress.
Taking medication.
Presence of parasites in the stomach.
Diseases of various severity.

The vomiting is triggered by receptors scattered in the bodies of dogs, especially present in:

Intestine.
Stomach.
Esophagus.
Gastric wall.

And in greater quantity in the duodenum, an organ whose task is to facilitate the breakdown of nutrients introduced with food and necessary for the body, so that they can be absorbed and used by the cells.

But unlike the stomach, the duodenum expands little, and if harmful substances are ingested, it will stimulate the vomiting phenomenon.

And that's not all. The central nervous system, thanks to its receptors, also plays an important part in sending the stimulus as a defense message.

To learn more about dog poisoning, read here!

What are the phases of vomiting?

Vomiting develops in three stages:

Nausea, a general feeling of malaise accompanied by the sensation of needing to vomit. The dog begins to get agitated, salivation intensifies, and then lowers its head and sits.
Retching, a strong urge to vomit due to the contraction of the abdominal muscles. This may occur without expulsion, sometimes because the dog has an empty stomach and other times because the valve separating the stomach from the esophagus remains closed. And as soon as the content rises towards the mouth, the upper airways close to prevent vomit from entering the respiratory system.
Expulsion, which is the act of vomiting, where the food is ejected, and the dog is freed from the content.

When does vomiting occur?

Vomiting can be of two types:

Acute vomiting, when it is stimulated by an event that occurs only once or occasionally, such as in the case of poisoning.
Chronic vomiting, when the condition reoccurs continuously, as happens with particular diseases or food intolerances.

How does vomiting present in dogs?

Distinguishing the various types of vomiting is very important, as in some cases it can help save the life of our four-legged friend, or help us quickly diagnose a problem that could harm the health of dogs in the long term.

The color and consistency of the vomit can be important indicators to assess whether we are facing a dangerous situation or not.

In some situations, based on the color and consistency, it will be possible to decide whether to intervene urgently or not, but in the case of chronic vomiting, it is still necessary to visit the veterinarian.

The dog vomits white foam

Generally, this event follows the ingestion of food unsuitable for dogs or in excessive quantities, or grass.

Dogs often eat grass to digest or induce vomiting, as the grass stems have an irritating power when in contact with the gastric walls that stimulate this reflex.

If it is not chronic and there are no other symptoms, it is not worrying, but if it happens often it is better to visit a veterinarian.

The dog vomits yellow foam

Usually, the cause of this type of vomit is food-related. In most cases, it occurs when the dog has an empty stomach or has been fasting for a long time, or if it has consumed indigestible food, or if the diet is not suitable for the animal.

If the dog continues to vomit even after eating or following a diet change, a visit to the veterinarian is necessary.

And it is important to ensure that this is a sporadic episode and not an event that occurs frequently

Sometimes this type of vomit, if not related to prolonged fasting or poor diet, can indicate the presence of stomach tumors or liver disease.

The dog vomits water

Liquid vomit, composed entirely of water, may seem harmless, but it can be a symptom of serious metabolic diseases such as pancreatic or liver diseases.

In the presence of these situations, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

The dog vomits pink or bright red blood

When this happens, we are in a situation where the dog probably strained to vomit and probably broke some capillary in the stomach due to the effort.

It can happen when the dog has had several consecutive episodes of vomiting and the situation might not be serious, but in doubt, it is better to have it checked anyway.

And be careful, we're talking about a bit of blood, because if it's bright red but the dog vomits blood obviously you should rush to the veterinarian.

Vomit with dark or brown blood

In this case, the dog should be taken immediately to the emergency room, without hesitation.

Dark blood in vomit indicates factors that can indicate the presence of serious pathologies, for example gastrointestinal, or of injurious events such as:

Erosion of the stomach wall.
Ulcers.
Presence of foreign bodies.
Traumas.
Poisoning.
Internal hemorrhage.

Brown Vomit

This condition can be a manifestation of a very serious problem and definitely requires veterinary intervention.

When the vomit is brown, it's possible that the cause is an intestinal obstruction, and the feces, unable to exit normally, back up into the stomach.

This could be a case of prolonged or persistent constipation, or the obstruction could be due to foreign bodies that prevent normal fecal transit, or from a temporary paralysis of the intestinal muscles (paralytic ileus).

This last condition occurs especially after surgery, or can be a consequence of pancreatitis, kidney diseases, kidney colic, or medication intake.

Green Vomit

In most cases, episodes of green vomit should not be a concern: it's often due to the ingestion of grass which is then expelled through vomiting, and generally helps the dog to eject something it dislikes.

When this happens, there's no need to do anything, just skip a meal or not feed or give your pet any water for a few hours, and it will resolve itself.

However, if the liquid is entirely green and without any fragments of grass, it could be bile, meaning the dog might suffer from gastritis, pancreatitis, or a parasitic or other infection.

For more information on canine pancreatitis, read here!

What are the diseases that present vomiting among the symptoms?

There are various, and these are the most common:

Neurological diseases that affect the central nervous system.

Metabolic diseases, for example, Cushing's Disease and puerperal hypocalcemia.

Abdominal pathologies, such as neoplasia, peritonitis, pancreatitis, and some liver diseases.

Intestinal pathologies, such as tumors, IBD (stomach inflammation), polyps.

Hiatal hernia, or the protrusion of a part of the stomach or esophagus outside the thoracic cavity, near the diaphragm.

Cardiac diseases, such as myocarditis and heart failure.

Inflammatory forms of the intestine due to tumors, viruses, or parasites.

Endocrine pathologies, affecting organs like the pancreas and thyroid. These include diabetes mellitus, uremia, hyperthyroidism, and various liver diseases.

What to do when the dog vomits?

First, assess the situation: if it's acute vomiting, not of a worrying color, and the dog seems to be relatively well immediately after the episode, it might be enough to let it rest and keep it fasting for a while.

However, if the dog appears very depressed, arches its back, seems to be in pain, or continues to vomit, it's better to go to the veterinarian.

Also pay attention to signs such as manifestations of neurological problems (difficulty moving, trembling, and compulsively shaking the head), or if the dog is very thirsty, as it could be poisoning.

Can a dog drink when it vomits?

The administration of fluids can depend on the type of vomit.

The dog vomits liquid.

If the dog vomits liquid and seems to be extremely thirsty, it's better not to let it drink at will from the bowl but to administer water little by little after a few hours. However, not knowing the cause of the vomiting, it's still necessary to call the veterinarian and follow their directions.

It's better to also keep it fasting for at least 12 hours, and reintroduce lean, boiled, and light food only in small amounts.

But as specified several times, it's always necessary to seek a professional's opinion. And finding the causes of vomiting is essential to understand the most appropriate treatments.

It's important to pay particular attention to other symptoms such as:

Dehydration.
General weakness.
Lethargy.
Fever.
Localized pain in the abdomen.
Diarrhea.
Bleeding of the mucous membranes.
In this case, an urgent veterinary visit and immediate diagnosis might be needed.

The dog vomits solid.

If the dog vomits solid or has simply regurgitated the food and seems to need water, it can be allowed to drink normally.

Can a dog eat when it vomits?

It's better to wait a few hours, or even 12 if the attack was severe. However, if the dog has only regurgitated its food, it can be fed, provided it hasn't already eaten its own regurgitation.

When to worry about vomiting?

If we consider vomiting as a symptom of a condition, we need to ask ourselves some questions each time it happens.

Obviously, we must consider what the causes are, whether it's due to disliked foods, objects, or substances contained in the bolus or liquid, the frequency of vomiting episodes and retching, and the color of the vomit and gastric juices.

Then, of course, there are accompanying symptoms, such as nausea, diarrhea, lethargy, blood, and everything we should notice to give the right information to our trusted veterinarian.

Since this event can occur anywhere, as it may depend on the ingestion of harmful products, it's advisable to have the veterinarian's number handy and contact them as soon as something abnormal is noticed.

An immediate diagnosis is the best cure for your animals, and it's important to do the right thing to keep them in good health.

Author's note

I invite all readers to share their experience on this topic in the comments section.

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From the Staff of Khani.co.uk

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Disclaimer

The information on our site is of a general nature and does not replace the advice of a veterinarian or industry experts in any way. For any doubts, always refer to a veterinarian.