What To Do When My Dog Is Throwing Up.

Bottom Line

As a dog owner, there can be some situations where you are unsure of what to do. One such case is when your dog throws up. Puking, vomiting, upchucking, whatever you call it – is not usually an indicator of health, and it sucks to clean up! But, though it is not an unusual occurrence, it can be concerning since you can’t be sure it is not a sign of something more serious. 

So, what should you do when your dog throws up? Different situations require attention, and some are entirely normal. Here’s a closer look at the causes of dogs’ puking and what to do.

The Important Stuff

The first cause that you should look at is whether or not your dog is vomiting or if it is just regurgitation. Sometimes the throw-up will contain undigested food, water, saliva, or grass. Regurgitation happens more suddenly, and there isn’t much effort coming from your dog when it throws up. So it isn’t a concern unless it is happening too often where you are worried that your dog may not be keeping anything down. 

The act of vomiting will have your dog making the retching sounds before it comes up, and you may see partially digested food along with a clear liquid if coming from the stomach, or yellowish/green coloured bile if coming from the small intestine. In addition, there may be other signs before the vomit happens that you can watch out for, like your dog is drooling, pacing, or you might hear a lot of gurgly noises coming from their stomach.

What is Causing Your Dog To Vomit?

• The ingestion of foreign objects like bones, sticks, balls, or other small toys
• Eating garbage or too many table scraps
• A viral infection or intestinal parasite
• Diseases including cancer or stomach ulcers
• Motion sickness
• Too much excitement or stress/anxiety

When your dog simply regurgitates, it is because they usually ate too fast or overate. In some instances, it could also just be your dog’s breed. Regurgitation is more common in dog breeds such as German Shepards, Irish Setters, Great Danes, and Miniature Schnauzers. 

What To Do When You’re Concerned?

It can be challenging to know when to worry about your dog throwing up. But you might consider getting veterinarian help if you are unsure at any point whether your dog should be looked at.

There are some more reasons that can cause concern, such as:

• There is any blood in the throw-up
• Your dog is not acting right, such as not eating or acting picky about food, sleeping a lot, or has diarrhea with the vomiting
• The dog doesn’t stop vomiting

All of these are reasons to get a vet on the phone immediately. Again, if at any point you feel there is concern over your dog throwing up, do not hesitate to contact your vet and try to find out why. You may need to take your dog in for treatment.

Dogs who throw up don’t always need medical attention, but watch for signs that there might be something more severe happening, and contact your vet with any questions. Cleaning up dog puke is no fun, but having a sick dog is worse, so make sure your dog is okay before you grab the mop.