Pet Vomiting: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and When to Call the Vet

That sound. You know it, you dread it, and it can send you running through your home to try to avoid a mess: your dog or cat is gagging and ready to throw up. If you’ve ever wondered why pets vomit and when you should consider it an emergency, this blog will give you the info you need.

An important note: the information in this blog is not a substitute for specific veterinary advice, and if you’re worried about your pet’s health, you should contact your veterinary team no matter what.

Is It Food or Not?

What goes in the stomach will come out eventually, one way or another. So whatever they ate could be why your dog or cat is vomiting.

There is actually a difference between vomiting and regurgitation, but in the moment that difference may not matter to you. Just know that eating or drinking too quickly or chewing on grass can lead to throwing up, and that might be an okay thing. If something doesn’t belong in your pet’s stomach, their body may simply expel it. If it’s a single occurrence with no other symptoms, you might not have to worry.

However, if your pet ingests dangerous foods or toxic household products, this can be when vomiting is an emergency for pets. Repeated vomiting can be an early sign of trouble, especially if accompanied by diarrhea, lethargy, disorientation, or other symptoms. Unfortunately, eating certain foods or items can lead to death. 

Know where to find the closest animal emergency hospital, and save the contact information for the ASPCA Poison Control and/or the Pet Poison Helpline just in case. But to avoid this type of emergency pet vomiting, keep foods like onions, grapes, and chocolate and household items like medications, cleaning products, and fertilizers well out of your pet’s reach.

Playtime Problems

Tug toys, fetch toys, and squeaky toys can be incredible sources of fun, but sometimes they can create headaches. Whether on purpose or as an accidental part of play, dogs and cats can swallow bits and pieces of their toys. In the best cases, those pieces won’t be very large or sharp, and they might pass through the GI tract with no issues. However, larger pieces can become foreign body obstructions that block the GI tract at various points. If they don’t allow food or water to follow the normal course, vomiting can be a warning sign, and if your pet can’t vomit up that foreign body, consider it a big problem. Also note that pointed edges can cause damage to internal organs, and strings can become entangled in or around the intestines. X-rays can let veterinary staff know what, where, and how your pet is affected. These situations often require surgical intervention and are considered pet emergencies.

You can help prevent foreign body emergencies by routinely inspecting dog and cat toys to discard those that are torn apart, worn out, or stringy.

Nausea and Vomiting as Side Effects

Sometimes the catalyst for vomiting can be traced back to an existing condition. If your veterinarian just dispensed a deworming medication, throwing up may be part of the parasite eradication process. Antibiotics can cause nausea, and some doctors will recommend prebiotics alongside to help temper that side effect. Even with proper care, your pet may vomit occasionally due to chronic issues like diabetes.

Just because it can be expected, throwing up is not pleasant for the pet or for the owner who has to clean it up. Plus, it could signal that a change in treatment plan is needed. So be sure to talk to your veterinarian to help avoid, mitigate, or track the issue.

What to Watch For

Vomiting in pets can have a single origin or multiple causes, and it’s best to err on the side of caution if it occurs. When you call your vet, they’ll want to know information such as:

• Frequency and volume of vomiting
• Appearance of vomit and what it might contain
• Other symptoms
• Ability to keep down food and water
• Known ingestion of any items mentioned above

It would be so much easier if our dogs and cats could just talk to us about what they ate or how they’re feeling! But even if that’s not the case, they can send us messages through their behavior and symptoms, vomiting included. If your pet throws up or if you have other concerns, consider Coal Creek Animal Hospital a resource for your best furry friend’s medical care.