Why Does My Dog Throw Up After Eating?

What it usually means

First, notice whether your dog is vomiting or regurgitating. VCA Animal Hospitals explains that vomiting involves heaving, with the belly contracting, and is often preceded by drooling, lip-licking or restlessness. Regurgitation is passive: food simply comes back up, often within moments of eating and with no warning, usually still shaped like the tube of the esophagus. The two point to different problems, so a quick phone video of an episode is useful for your vet.

Roughly from most to least common, causes include eating too fast and swallowing air, which the AKC links to gagging and bringing food straight back up; gulping a lot of cold water at once; a sudden change of food or a rich treat; eating garbage, grass or something spoiled; food intolerance or allergy; and intestinal parasites. More serious causes include an infection, pancreatitis, a swallowed object partly blocking the gut, liver or kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease and, for regurgitation, esophagus conditions such as megaesophagus.

When to call your vet today

Call your vet if your dog vomits more than once or twice in a day, keeps vomiting for more than a day or two even if otherwise bright, regurgitates after most meals, is losing weight, or seems less interested in food. Puppies, seniors, small dogs and dogs with existing health conditions become dehydrated faster and should be seen sooner.

Call the same day if vomiting comes with diarrhea, a fever, lethargy, a tender belly, a dog that hunches or stretches in a prayer position, or refusal to eat. A dog that coughs, makes a gurgling sound or breathes noisily after regurgitating may have inhaled some food, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia, so that needs prompt attention too.

When it's an emergency

Go to your vet or the nearest emergency vet immediately if your dog is retching or trying to vomit but nothing comes up, especially if its belly looks swollen and it is restless or drooling. In large, deep-chested breeds this can be bloat, which is life-threatening within hours. Also go at once for vomiting with blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, repeated vomiting where your dog cannot keep water down, collapse, pale gums or trouble breathing.

If you know or suspect your dog swallowed a toy, sock, bone, corn cob or anything toxic, call your vet or an emergency clinic straight away rather than waiting to see if it passes. For possible poisons, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is at (888) 426-4435 and Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661; a fee may apply. Do not try to make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to.

What you can safely do at home

For a single episode in a dog that is otherwise bright, drinking and acting normally, it is reasonable to watch closely. Offer small amounts of fresh water rather than letting your dog gulp a whole bowl. Ask your vet whether a short pause from food and then a bland meal is appropriate for your dog, rather than guessing, especially for puppies, small breeds and dogs with health conditions.

Do not give any human medicines. Many common anti-nausea and stomach products are unsafe for dogs or can mask a serious problem. If fast eating is the pattern, the simplest fixes are a slow-feeder bowl, a food puzzle, scattering kibble on a large tray, splitting the daily amount into smaller meals and feeding dogs apart so no one races.

What the vet will likely check

Your vet will ask when it started, how soon after meals it happens, what comes up, whether it looks like vomiting or regurgitation, what your dog eats, and whether it could have eaten something it should not. They will examine your dog's belly, hydration, temperature and mouth. Your video of an episode can help them tell vomiting from regurgitation.

Depending on what they find, tests may include blood work, a urinalysis, a fecal test for parasites, and X-rays or ultrasound to look for a foreign object, a blockage or an enlarged esophagus. A dog with ongoing regurgitation may need imaging of the chest. Treatment is aimed at the cause, along with fluids if your dog is dehydrated.

Prevention

Slow the meal down. The AKC suggests slow-feeder bowls, food puzzles, a cookie sheet or muffin pan to spread kibble out, and smaller, more frequent meals. Offer water in smaller amounts after hard exercise rather than letting your dog drain a bowl. Change foods gradually over about a week, mixing increasing amounts of the new food into the old.

Keep trash cans closed, pick up toys your dog likes to chew to pieces, and keep human food out of reach. Stay current on parasite prevention as your vet recommends. If your dog still vomits after meals once eating speed is under control, book a check-up so your vet can look for a medical cause.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.