As your puppy explores and learns more about their world, they can often eat things you’d rather they didn’t. Anything from mud, grass, other animals’ or birds’ poo, fluff… you name it, they will try to put it in their mouth - and this can result in vomiting.
Vomiting is a way for dogs to rid their system of anything indigestible, and isn’t uncommon, however sometimes it can be a sign of something more serious.
If your puppy is vomiting, you might be wondering whether it is serious and if you should be contacting your vet - or whether it is mild, if rather unpleasant, and will settle on its own.
Keep reading to discover the possible reasons why your puppy may be vomiting and what you should do about it.
Understanding Why Your Puppy Might Be Vomiting
Eating Too Quickly or Overeating
Puppies who eat their food too quickly, don’t chew properly, or eat too much may bring their food back up - and may even try to eat it again. It’s not pleasant but it is not usually a cause for concern. Try feeding smaller meals more often and look at ways to slow down their eating.
In these cases, the food is often brought back up shortly after eating and may look almost the same as it did when it was first eaten!
Hunger
If your puppy brings up yellow bile, it can sometimes mean they have an empty stomach or they have gone too long between meals. This may happen first thing in the morning. However, yellow bile can also have other causes, so if it happens repeatedly or your puppy seems unwell, it is best to speak to your vet.
Dietary Changes or New Foods
Puppies often have sensitive digestive systems, and a sudden change of diet can easily upset their stomach, and they can vomit as a result. This is why any new foods should be introduced gradually. Food that has been left out and has gone off can have the same effect. Usually, they will bring up the whole meal.
Ingesting Inappropriate Items or Toxins
Vomiting is a way to clear the system of indigestible items - so if your puppy has been chewing grass, eating mud, or has just eaten something they shouldn’t have, it is not unexpected that they might vomit. Usually, you will see evidence of the offending item in the vomit. If, however you think they have eaten anything that could be toxic or poisonous, that is a veterinary emergency.
Parasites
Parasites such as worms can sometimes cause vomiting in puppies, especially if the worm burden is heavy. Because puppies are especially vulnerable to parasites, it is important to follow your vet’s advice on regular worming and parasite control.
Stress or Anxiety
Stress affects the digestive system in dogs, and this may lead to vomiting when they are feeling worried, fearful or overwhelmed.
Motion Sickness
Puppies need time and patience to get used to car travel. If you try to do too much too soon, go for a drive straight after a meal, or if they have had a previous bad experience, puppies can easily suffer from travel sickness.
After or during exercise
It’s important to schedule your puppy’s food and exercise properly so they are not running around or playing on a full stomach. That can cause a variety of issues - including vomiting.
Teething
Teething can make puppies chew more and put more things in their mouths, which may sometimes lead to stomach upset if they swallow something that does not agree with them. However, puppy teething itself is not usually considered a direct cause of vomiting. If your puppy is vomiting repeatedly or seems unwell, contact your vet.
Other Underlying Medical Conditions
Many clinical conditions will have sickness and diarrhoea as one of their symptoms.
First Steps: What to Do When Your Puppy Vomits
If your puppy vomits, make a note of what the vomit looks like, whether they have just vomited once or if it is repeated, and if they have any other symptoms.
If you can see why they have vomited (for example if there is grass in the sick), and it is a one-off event, keep your puppy quiet and watch them closely to make sure they remain bright, comfortable, and there are no more bouts of sickness.
In many cases, puppy vomiting is a one-off event. If however, your puppy vomits repeatedly, if it is accompanied by diarrhoea, or if there are any other symptoms (such as panting, pacing, lethargy, signs of stress or if there is blood in the vomit), contact your vet immediately.
If the cause is a simple dietary upset, they may recommend a special diet. However, sometimes they will recommend further investigation to try and find the underlying cause.
Vomiting vs. Regurgitation: Key Distinctions
It’s helpful to know if your puppy has vomited or regurgitated, as the two are slightly different. You can often tell by how the episode happened.
Regurgitation is the bringing up of undigested food from the oesophagus during or immediately after eating. Because the food has not yet reached the stomach, there is usually no retching or stomach contractions. Your puppy probably not seem bothered, and it tends to happen with no warning - and some puppies may try to eat the food again. This is fairly common in puppies and can be a result of rushing food, not chewing or over-eating.
Vomiting is usually more forceful and involves abdominal heaving, retching, drooling and nausea., It brings up partially digested food from the stomach. Usually, you will get warning signs such as drooling, lip-licking, pacing, and signs of discomfort.
When to Contact Your Vet
If your puppy vomits repeatedly, if it is accompanied by diarrhoea, or if there are any other symptoms (such as panting, pacing, lethargy, signs of stress or if there is blood in the vomit or diarrhoea), contact your vet immediately. If there is any suspicion your puppy has eaten, or has been in contact with, anything toxic or poisonous, treat this as an emergency.
FAQs
Puppy vomiting isn’t unusual - and in most cases it is caused by something mild and short-lived. It is important that you understand why your puppy is vomiting, and if you have any concerns whatsoever, you should contact your vet.
Purina Editorial Team
