Top Reasons Why Dogs Vomit

Reason #1 - Vomiting may be a sign of a gut microbiome imbalance

The bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in your dog’s intestines make up the gut microbiome. They play important roles in digestion, nutrient absorption, metabolism, protection from infection, and immune function. If your dog is missing important beneficial bacteria, their gut microbiome may not be functioning optimally - this is called a microbiome imbalance.

Inflammation in the gut is often linked with a bacterial imbalance that can be associated with a multitude of long-term health conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), cancer of the bowel, and bile acid metabolism.

To determine if your dog has a gut microbiome imbalance consider purchasing a DoggyBiome Gut Microbiome Health Test. You can also learn more about gut microbiome health testing below.

Reason #2 - Vomiting may be a sign of an infection

Vomiting is a common side effect of several types of infections that are common to dogs. Intestinal parasites, such as roundworm infections, may cause your dog to have worms in their vomit or stool. Viral infections, like parvovirus, can affect all dogs. However, young and unvaccinated dogs are especially susceptible. Other viruses like circovirus, norovirus, rotavirus and canine coronavirus have also been detected in sick dogs. Bacterial infections can happen anywhere on your dog’s body - inside and out - and at any age. Some systemic infections, like leptospirosis, can be prevented with proper vaccinations, and others can be treated with antibiotics. Bacterial gut infections that can lead to vomiting include: E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter.

If your dog has an infection, their vomit will likely be clear to yellow liquid. This means they are nauseated, and don’t have any stomach contents to throw up. Untreated infections can lead to some serious conditions very quickly, so it’s important to seek veterinary attention at the first sign of an infection.

Reason #3 - Vomiting may be a sign of a more serious problem

Vomiting can be the first sign of a problem with your dog’s internal organs. Liver disease, pancreatitis, diabetes, kidney failure, urinary blockage due to bladder stones, uterine infection or some cancers are all diseases that could cause your dog to vomit. Blood and urine testing helps your veterinarian determine if there is an issue with your dog’s organs lying outside the GI tract.

We recommend erring on the side of caution and taking your dog to the vet if you’re concerned about their vomiting. Here are some circumstances where you should definitely take your dog in:

  • If your dog's vomiting is chronic
  • If your dog is a puppy - especially if they are vomiting and have diarrhea
  • If your dog is older than 10 years or has a pre-existing illness

  • If their vomiting is coupled with troubled breathing
  • If their vomiting is coupled with blood in their vomit (it may be bright red or look like coffee grounds) or bloody diarrhea
  • If their vomiting is coupled with a fever
  • If their vomiting is coupled with dry gums (this is a sign of dehydration)

  • If they vomit a very large volume, when they have not recently had anything to eat or drink
  • If they had access to anything that is toxic to dogs
  • If they vomit/retch repeatedly multiple times over 15 minutes
  • If they vomit once and are still acting sick and nauseated, more than 24 hours later, even if nothing comes up
 

Get to Know What's Going On Inside Your Dog's Gut

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What Can I Learn About My Dog From Gut Microbiome Testing?

Microbiome testing provides useful insights that no other current veterinary test can offer. If your cat or dog has digestive problems, diarrhea, itchy skin, gas, bad breath, or immune system issues, those symptoms might be related to a gut microbiome imbalance.

Find out what’s going on inside your pet’s digestive system:

Your pet’s unique microbial community

Using DNA sequencing, we identify all the types of bacteria living in your pet’s gut, giving you a detailed picture of your cat’s or dog’s unique gut microbiome.

Imbalances

If important bacteria are missing, the gut microbiome is out of balance. Identifying imbalances early allows you to make changes to your pet’s diet or lifestyle that can improve or prevent symptoms.

Your pet’s diet

Each gut microbiome is unique. Different pets need different dietary adjustments to support the growth of specific beneficial bacteria. Food recommendations based on your pet’s individual results will help you make simple changes that can improve their gut health and overall wellness.

Missing bacteria

A comparison of your pet’s results with the healthy reference set reveals whether your pet is missing any important bacterial groups. The absence may be a result of antibiotic use, diet, illness, or other factors.

Harmful bacteria

Microbiome testing can quickly identify any problematic groups of gut bacteria. These may be pathogens that don’t belong in a healthy pet’s gut or normal members of the microbiome that have grown too numerous.

Here's What Our Customers Have To Say

Good way to see inside your dog.

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