Why Your Dog is Vomiting and What to do About It

Aug 7, 2020

As a pet parent, you take excellent care of your dog by feeding them a healthy diet and providing them with a safe place to live. No matter your best efforts there will be times when your dog vomits. In most cases, vomiting is a rare or a onetime event usually caused by ingesting something old or bad.

These occasional events usually clear up on their own and don’t cause any long term problems. However, there are times that vomiting can become a serious and reoccurring problem that has a negative effect on your dog’s overall health. The following information will help you learn more about why your dog is vomiting and what you can do to help your dog.

If you are looking for what to do after your dog vomits, check out this article to learn what you can feed him after vomiting.

Causes of vomiting in dogs

Research has revealed that vomiting falls into two categories such as extra-gastrointestinal and primary-gastrointestinal. Common causes include the following:

  • Dietary issues
  • Bacterial infection
  • Viral infection
  • Parasites
  • Consuming a foreign object
  • Canine acid reflux
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Liver failure
  • Kidney failure
  • Pancreatitis
  • Endocrine disease
  • Metabolic disease
  • Hookworm
  • Giardia
  • Roundworms
  • Whipworm
  • Food allergies
  • Side effects of prescription medications
  • Toxins
  • Consuming old food
  • Poisoning
  • Rabies
  • Parvovirus
  • Pancreatitis
  • A lodged foreign object
  • Kennel cough
  • Acid reflux
  • Consuming high processed or people food
  • Suddenly switching food brands or types of food (wet/dry)

Click here to get a more detailed look at the causes behind vomiting in dogs.

Understanding the color of your dog’s vomit

Green or yellow vomit – This type of vomit usually has a foamy consistency and is also known as bile. This substance aids with the digestive process and is produced by the liver. If your dog vomits green or yellow bile it’s usually due to waiting too long to eat. Another time this type of bile will appear is if your dog is vomiting frequently or on an empty stomach. Feeding your dog on a regular basis in intervals or allowing them to free feed (placing a bowl of kibble out for them and allowing them to decide when to eat) will help prevent this type of vomiting. If this tip doesn’t help you need to consult with a veterinarian immediately to determine the underlying reason.

Black or red vomit – When your dog vomits red you will immediately assume that its blood and you are right! Bright-red vomit is also referred to as hematemesis and is a sign of gastrointestinal inflammation due to the ingestion of toxic items, a traumatic injury, partially digested food, intestinal blockage, or stomach ulcers.

Check out this dog vomit color guide to learn more.

Tips to prevent your dog from vomiting

As mentioned earlier, many of the reasons behind dogs vomiting are related to their diet. A complete and balanced diet is essential to helping your dog’s digestive system work at its optimal level. An excellent way you can improve your dog’s healthy diet is to include an all-natural supplement that improves and maintains healthy digestion such as Bernie’s Perfect Poop.

This effective supplement contains flaxseed, pumpkin, and miscanthus grass along with prebiotics, probiotics & enzymes. This high fiber formula supercharges your dog’s digestion and helps prevent vomiting and other digestive issues. Learn more about Bernie’s Perfect Poop here!

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