First of all, if your dog has been throwing up for more than 12 hours without drinking water, and refusing to eat – take your dog to the vet.
However, if your dog keeps throwing up occasionally, and then gets better, and can eat and drink water, keep on reading to see what might be the cause for such a health condition.
It might be that you have something in your house that makes your dog throw up. Or, it could be a medical issue as an underlying cause.
As a matter of fact, there are 11 possible reasons why your dog can’t keep its food or water in, but has to throw up.
Some are less serious than others, but they all need our attention. We need to know what caused the problem in order to stop it and help our furry friends. Frequent vomiting can have serious consequences that are much harder to treat.
Why Does My Dog Keep Throwing Up?
If your dog keeps throwing up, it is an obvious sign that something needs to be done. Perhaps it is time to search your house and see if there are some plants that are missing their leaves (or entire branches) or if the cleaning liquid is far away from the dog’s reach.
These two examples are just two of 11 possible reasons why your dog keeps throwing up. There could be a number of medical issues that can cause this problem, too.
But, let’s go from the most likely reasons, especially if your dog is a healthy dog that has no previous health issues which caused him to throw up.
1. The Dog Is Eating Too Much
Sometimes, I think dogs eat until they can’t put in one ounce of food anymore. They just love to eat, and the bigger the dog, the bigger the appetite is. However, I have seen little dogs with big appetites, too.
Whatever the size of your dog is, if you notice they keep throwing up after eating, consider lowering the amount of food. It is very important to notice that they don’t throw up immediately after they finish eating, but after half an hour to one hour.
This just might be it – your doggo eats a lot.
Every dog has its own eating habits and should have its own feeding chart. For example, here is the feeding chart of an Irish Wolfhound. Now, compare that to the feeding chart of a Yorkie. It’s quite different.
If you have a mixed dog, or if you are not sure how much to feed your dog, the best option is to ask a vet.
2. The Dog Is Eating Too Fast
Another common reason for a dog to keep throwing up every time when it eats is when it eats too fast. In other words, when they inhale their food and don’t let their teeth touch the food. It’s just the way it is for some dogs. They can’t eat slowly.
But, you can outsmart them – divide their food into smaller amounts.
They throw up because they eat a lot of food very fast, which causes sudden dilatation of their stomach. It is a good thing when a dog throws up because too much food in a short period can cause bloat in dogs (gastric dilatation and volvulus).
So, divide your dog’s food into smaller amounts, and pace your dog. Don’t let him eat all of it in one bite.
3. The Dog Ate Too Much Grass
If you take your dog out for a walk where there’s grass all around (which is amazing!), keep an eye on your dog. Your goal is to notice if he eats a lot of grass. Dogs have this instinct that comes from their ancestors.
Wild dogs would eat a bit of grass, too, because they had no fibers in their diet. However, your dog should have fibers in his kibble or canned dog food. This means your dog shouldn’t eat so much grass.
Next time you take your dog to the park, pay attention to its grass-eating habits. Stop him if you see him munching on it like a rabbit.
If he stops throwing up after you stop him from eating grass – problem solved!
4. The Dog Ate A Houseplant
Houseplants can be very toxic to dogs… not just to dogs, but to other pets as well. If you plan on having a dog or if you plan on getting a new houseplant, you have to check if that plant is toxic to your dog. The plant toxins usually get into the dog’s system orally – a dog ate the plant.
But, some plants have spikes, thorns, or they exude toxic chemicals that can cause vomiting reactions in dogs even if they just lick the plant.
You can check if the plant is toxic or not online.
5. Toxic Material
Plants are not the only source of toxic materials. There are numerous things that can be toxic to our pooches. It doesn’t have to be something your dog ate. It could be something he sniffed or licked or rubbed his head on.
These are some of the household items that can be toxic to dogs:
- Cleaning liquids
- Cleaning sprays
- Air purifiers
- Insect repellent
- Alcoholic beverages
- Cigarettes
- Coffee
- Fabric softener
- Paint
- Antifreeze
And, many more. These are just some of the toxic things that can cause your dog to keep throwing up.
6. Changed Diet
This can be a reason behind diarrhea in dogs, too. However, throwing up is more common. Once again, this happens after a meal. A dog will not throw up immediately, but after some time, similar to when he eats too much.
If you switch back to the old diet, the vomiting should stop. However, if it doesn’t stop – the best option is to take your dog to the vet.
Also, if you have to change your dog’s diet, talk to the vet about the transition period. Or, in other words, how to make that transition easier for your dog.
Read Next: 13 Worst Dog Food Brands
7. After Too Much Activity
Sometimes, some dogs keep throwing up every time after they had too much running, jumping, or other types of activity.
Keep in mind that different dogs have different exercise needs, just like they have different feeding charts.
The amount of activity depends on the breed, age, and health condition of your dog. A hunting dog will need much more activity than a small lap dog.
Likewise, a young dog will need plenty of exercise compared to a senior dog.
If you notice that your dog throws up after being active for a long time, shorten the time your dog spends outside running or jumping.
If the problem continues, call the vet.
8. The Dog Is Allergic
Allergies are quite common in dogs, especially food allergies. If you are feeding your dog kibble or canned dog food, the allergen could be any ingredient.
If you added a new type of food to your dog’s diet, try replacing it with something else or completely removing it from your dog’s diet.
If your dog is allergic to something, it doesn’t have to be food – there will be other signs, too:
- Itchiness
- Diarrhea
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
If a dog exhibits some of these signs or all of them, of course, it is time to visit the vet. They can do a blood test that can determine what is causing the allergic reaction in your dog.
9. The Dog Is Sensitive To Medication
If your dog has some other unrelated health issues that require you to give your dog medication regularly, this medication can have side effects. One of those side effects could be throwing up.
If you have ruled out other possible reasons, talk to your vet about the possibility of using another medication with the same effects.
10. Coprophagia
Canine coprophagia is a medical term for a behavioral problem where a dog eats its own poop, other dogs’ poop, or even a cat’s poop.
It is nothing unusual for a dog to eat other dogs’ feces or its own, but if it turns into a habit, it can lead to problems. One of those problems is throwing up.
There are ways to stop your dog from eating poop, but before that, it would be best if you could take your dog to the vet so that you can rule out possible health issues that could be behind coprophagia.
11. The Dog Has Medical Issues
Unfortunately, there are so many health problems that could cause your dog to keep throwing up. Throwing up is just one of the symptoms of an underlying health problem.
Some of the health issues that have vomiting as a symptom are:
- Gastroenteritis
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Trauma
- Internal trauma
- Heatstroke
- Infection
- Brain tumor
- Bloat
- Addison’s disease
- Gastrointestinal ulcers
- Constipation
All of these issues need to be diagnosed by a professional, and they require professional help as well.
The Conclusion
The reasons why your dog keeps throwing up are numerous. It is important to keep an eye on your dog when he is throwing up because he can easily get dehydrated.
The chances of your dog getting dehydrated are higher if he also has diarrhea.
If you notice your dog acting lethargic, can’t eat food or drink water, and keeps throwing up, you have to take your dog to the vet.
Don’t wait for more than 12 hours, especially if your dog is still a puppy or a senior dog. These two ages are when they are most susceptible to dehydration and consequential health problems.
But, if your dog acts fine after and before throwing up, follow your dog’s behavior for a day. Is he eating something he shouldn’t eat? Is he eating too much and too fast? Or, is it poop that keeps missing from your cat’s litter box?
These are some of the reasons why your dog keeps throwing up that you can fix at home.