As dog owners, we all know that terrible feeling when our pups don’t feel well and–yuck–start vomiting. You feel helpless and unsure of how to make him feel better. But by knowing a few common causes and having a plan of action, you’ll feel more confident and prepared.

The most common causes of dog vomiting are: 

• Dietary indiscretion or the introduction of new foods 
• Ingesting toxins or plants 
• Reaction to medications 
• Infections–bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal 
• Gastroenteritis from eating trash or spoiled food–Pancreatitis
• Foreign bodies, aka things dogs shouldn’t eat, like socks and toys
• Diseases such as kidney disease, stomach ulcers, and/or cancer
• Eating too fast 
• Eating after exercise 

You should bring your dog to the vet if: 

• Your pup vomits multiple times and is unable to keep food down 
• There is blood in the vomit 
• Your pup tries to vomit and is retching (unable to vomit). Retching can be a sign of bloat and is life-threatening 
• Your pup becomes lethargic

What you can do at home if your pup seems stable: 

• Withhold food from your pet for 12 hours until vomiting has stopped, but make sure to continue giving your pup water to prevent dehydration. 
• Once vomiting has stopped consider feeding a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice and slowly transition normal food back to prevent vomiting episodes from occuring again. 

Your pup vomiting does not necessarily indicate that he/she is ill, but if you see signs mentioned above please reach out to your local veterinarian to determine what the underlying problem is.