Observing your dog throwing up can immediately put you on edge. What does it mean? Did he eat something that he wasn't supposed to? Is his stomach upset, or is there a more complicated issue at hand? At mybestie.gr, we understand just how quickly owners can pick up on problems with their pets. The good thing is that a single instance of your pet throwing up doesn't necessarily indicate a serious problem – as long as he's healthy and lively in all other respects. Repeated vomiting and vomiting together with other symptoms shouldn't be overlooked, however.

Vomiting, in and of itself, is not a disease. It is a sign that can have multiple, sometimes serious causes.

Is it vomiting or regurgitation?

These two phenomena share similar appearances, but they are different things altogether. Vomiting is a physiological process – your pet will most likely show signs of nausea, salivation, lip licking, and retching before forcefully ejecting his food. In cases of regurgitation, food or fluid is generally expelled without the muscular contractions characteristic for vomiting. This can help identify the source of the issue.

1. They ate something they shouldn't have

Dogs don't have particularly high standards when it comes to food choices. Gastrointestinal irritation from garbage, old food, people food, and plants can lead to vomiting, and veterinarians will often call it “dietary indiscretion.” It could be a once-off incident that won't cause any further issues especially if your dog appears perfectly fine otherwise. But if the vomiting continues, there’s probably more going on.

2. A quick change of diet

Sometimes changes in a dog's diet can result in the irritation of their digestive system. Food intolerances may play a part as well. When transitioning a dog to a new food, it’s usually best to do so gradually rather than suddenly. Of course, the table scrapes do apply here too.

3. Gastroenteritis

The inflammation of the stomach and intestines is known as gastroenteritis. This condition could be due to infection, parasites, medication or food intolerance and is usually accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. In case of persistent diarrhea, lethargy and pain along with vomiting, please see your veterinarian.

4. Parasites

Intestinal parasites could be another reason behind vomiting, especially in young dogs. Other symptoms depending upon the type of parasite may include diarrhea, appetite changes, poor coat and weight loss. Please see your veterinarian and let him assess whether testing and treatment are required.

5. A foreign object or intestinal obstruction

Socks. Toys. Stones. Plastic items. Seemingly, some dogs find it irresistible to test anything about its edibility. However, swallowing such things causes obstructions inside the intestinal tract which could lead to vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, abdominal pain and dehydration and sometimes even become fatal. If your dog has ingested something which he shouldn’t have, then do not waste time. Please see your veterinarian immediately.

6. Toxins or poisoning

The vomiting could happen because the dog swallowed something poisonous. Medicines used by humans, household chemicals, certain foods and plants are examples of such poisons. It is a serious veterinary issue that requires immediate attention of a vet. Do not try to induce vomiting on your own or give any medicines unless your vet tells you to do so.

What does the color of your dog's vomit say?

The color and nature of your dog's vomit can sometimes be useful in understanding the contents of your dog's vomit — but the color does not always reveal why your dog is throwing up.

Here are some of the most common colors and meanings:

Yellow vomit

Yellow vomit is usually a sign that your dog is bringing up bile, which is a fluid secreted by the liver and passed into the intestine. Dogs will occasionally throw up bile after their stomachs have been emptied, and some dogs throw up bile in the mornings due to their empty stomachs. Yellow vomit may, however, be a sign of irritation or disease in the GI tract, so repeat occurrences should not always be attributed to empty stomachs. An isolated incident in a healthy dog is probably nothing to worry about.

White or frothy vomit

If your dog’s vomit is white, then it most likely means that the contents of the vomitus contain only the gastric juice and saliva, mixed with air instead of a big portion of food. The frothing can be associated with irritation of the stomach, and yellow-brown foam may indicate gastroenteritis. However, it should be kept in mind. If your dog keeps retching or attempts to throw up while nothing comes out of his stomach and abdomen is enlarged and painful, do not think that “this is just white foam.” Non-productive retching along with distended abdomen needs prompt attention from the veterinarian.

Brown vomit

Brown vomit is difficult to evaluate since the brown color can easily be associated with the presence of food. Therefore, pay more attention to the consistency of the substance and smell, recent diet and access of your pet to something suspicious, as well as the persistence of the symptoms. But there is one shade of brown that cannot be ignored – coffee-ground appearance of the vomit.

Red / Bloody vomiting

Red streaks or blood may suggest recent bleeding somewhere in the upper GI tract. There may be irritation or injury causing the blood, but gastrointestinal ulcers can cause vomiting with fresh blood. A small streak after repeated vomiting is not the same as a large amount of blood in vomit – but blood in vomit should be investigated by a vet, not self-diagnosed at home.

Dark brown

It's a different category for a good reason. Granules similar to coffee grounds may indicate partially digested blood, and therefore, the presence of bleeding in the stomach or upper GI tract. This type of vomiting is described separately by Cornell and Merck. Contact a vet about this one.

Green vomiting

Green vomit may just be an indication of bile or other ingested substance your dog vomited. According to Merck, vomiting associated with acute gastritis may include bile or recently ingested material such as grass. Green is not automatically poisonous. Nevertheless, when you know or suspect that your dog ate some plants, chemicals, medicines, or something else that can be considered poisonous, do not wait for further symptoms to appear before consulting a veterinarian. According to Cornell, an accidental ingestion of medications or other toxic substances is one of the cases requiring immediate veterinarian intervention.

Undigested food

It is not exactly a color, but owners often observe it. When the food comes out almost undigested shortly after the meal time, it is necessary to find out if it was vomiting or regurgitation that occurred in this case. Typically, vomiting is accompanied by nausea, retching, and contraction of the abdominal muscles.

When should you call your vet?

It is better to consult a veterinarian if your dog has repeated vomiting, lethargy, absence of appetite, diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, dehydration or blood in the vomit. If you suspect poisoning or your dog has swallowed some dangerous item you should contact a vet too. In particular, one very important sign is repeatedly attempting to vomit unsuccessfully, especially if your dog shows a painful and distended abdomen. Such condition is a life-threatening problem, called bloat.

A single instance of vomiting does not always indicate something serious. However, the well-being of your dog should be taken into consideration far more seriously than the mess you have just found on your floor. Observe the frequency of vomiting and, more importantly, its content and behavior of the dog. Remember that when you are confused, your vet is always the better choice over Google.