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This guide helps you triage; it does not replace your veterinarian's exam. When in doubt, call us at 514 223-1197.
Go now: the signs that cannot wait
Any single one of these is enough. Don't wait to "see if it passes", don't wait for morning: head to the clinic or the nearest emergency centre, and call on the way so they are ready for you.
- He keeps trying to vomit and brings up almost nothing. A little foam or drool may come out: it still counts as empty retching, especially if his belly is swelling or tightening and he cannot settle. This is the picture of bloat, or gastric torsion (next section).
- He is vomiting blood: bright red in any quantity, or brown-black grains that look like coffee grounds (digested blood).
- He is severely weak: he cannot stay on his feet, barely reacts. Pale, grey or bluish gums confirm the emergency, but they are a late sign: do not wait to see them before leaving.
- His belly is swollen, hard, or very painful to the touch.
- He cannot stop vomiting: episodes keep coming closer together and nothing stays down, not even water.
- He is trembling, staggering or seizing on top of vomiting: poisoning is possible.
- He swallowed an object (toy, ball, bone, corn cob, fabric) or a known toxin: do not make him vomit, leave now and bring the packaging or a twin of the object.
- He is a puppy vomiting repeatedly: in puppies, everything moves faster (section 6).
Chocolate, grapes, human medications, antifreeze, rat poison: our dedicated pages give the first steps for each product:
Bloat (GDV): minutes and hours, not "tomorrow"
The stomach fills with gas and twists on itself: nothing can leave it anymore, circulation is cut off, and things deteriorate very fast. It is one of the few true races against the clock in veterinary medicine: operated on quickly, it is treatable; every hour of waiting reduces the odds.
The picture to recognize
- Repeated attempts to vomit that bring up almost nothing (some foam or drool may still come out).
- A belly that swells or tightens, sometimes drum-hard: in a stocky or long-haired dog the swelling can be hard to see. Do not rely on that sign alone.
- Restlessness: he cannot find a position, paces, stretches as if bowing.
- Heavy drooling, glances at the belly.
- Later: weakness, pale gums, collapse. Never wait for that stage.
Which dogs?
Mostly large, deep-chested dogs (Great Dane, German Shepherd, Standard Poodle, Labrador...), often in the hours after a meal or exercise. But no dog is immune: the picture always outranks the breed.
What to do
Leave now, even in doubt: an X-ray settles it in minutes, and a false alarm is excellent news. Give nothing by mouth, do not try to make him vomit, do not massage the belly.
Is your dog a high-risk breed? Ask us at an appointment about prevention, including gastropexy (tacking the stomach in place, often done at the same time as a spay or neuter).
Vomiting, regurgitating, or coughing? It changes everything
Three look-alike events, three completely different lists of causes. What you saw is the first thing we will ask about: if you can, film an episode; one video is worth a thousand descriptions.
Vomiting
An active effort: the belly contracts several times, the dog leans forward, and contents come up (digested food, liquid, yellow bile or foam). Often preceded by nausea signs: lip-licking, drooling, grass-eating.
Regurgitating
Passive and effortless: food simply comes back out, often soon after eating, undigested, sometimes tube-shaped. No contractions, no nausea. Occasional in a speed-eater; repeated, it is a signal in its own right that deserves an exam (the esophagus may be involved).
Coughing
Fits of coughing that end with a gag and a bit of white foam: it looks like vomiting, but it is a cough. The list of causes is respiratory or cardiac, not digestive. See our guide on coughing. Managing a relentless cough
Doubt is normal: just describe what you saw, with the video if you have one, and we will sort it out with you.
A single vomit in a healthy adult: watching is reasonable
The most common scenario: a healthy adult dog vomits once (the garbage, some grass, a meal eaten too fast), then is completely himself again. There, and only there, watching at home is a reasonable choice.
All of these conditions at once
- A healthy adult, with no known illness and no current medication.
- One isolated episode, two at the very most, then nothing.
- Alert and bright: he wants his normal life back, drinks, shows interest in food.
- No blood in the vomit, no pain, no tight belly, no marked diarrhea.
- None of the "go now" signs, and no possible toxin or swallowed object.
How to watch (and for how long)
- Let his stomach rest: no new meal right away, and no treats "to comfort him".
- Water in small amounts, often, rather than a big bowl at once: drinking too fast can bring everything back up. If he vomits the water, call us.
- Once everything is calm, restart food as small, light, frequent meals, then return to normal over a day or two. No table scraps.
- Note the time, the number of episodes and what each vomit looked like (a photo is genuinely useful; we are used to it).
- Reassess over 24 hours: that is a ceiling, not a timer to run down. If he vomits again, if any sign appears, or if something worries you, call: the clock is cancelled.
This tier is not for everyone
A puppy or tiny dog, a senior, a flat-faced breed (Bulldog, Pug...), a pregnant or unspayed female, a dog followed for an illness (diabetes, kidneys, heart...) or on medication: for them, do not watch in silence. Call us the same day, even for "just one vomit".
Call us today if...
Between "all is well" and "life-threatening" lies the wide middle: the dog who vomits and something is off. In these situations, call the same day: we triage with you over the phone and tell you whether it can wait for an appointment or not.
- He vomits repeatedly, even if he seems alert between episodes.
- The vomiting has lasted more than 24 hours, or keeps coming back in waves over days or weeks: that on-and-off pattern is itself the signal (some underlying diseases, of the adrenal glands, the kidneys or the gut, hide behind exactly this rhythm).
- There are streaks of blood in the vomit.
- He also has diarrhea, or refuses to drink, or vomits the water back up.
- He is flatter than usual, picks at his food, or his belly seems tender.
- He is on medication, especially an anti-inflammatory: hold the next dose until you have talked to us.
- She is an unspayed female and her last heat was a few weeks ago: pyometra (a uterine infection) often starts with vomiting and lethargy.
- He is a senior, or followed for a chronic disease: his threshold is simply shorter.
Dehydration: don't wait to "see" it
A vomiting dog loses water faster than he keeps it. Dry or sticky gums, dull or sunken eyes, lethargy, scant dark urine: these signs exist, but they are late and hard to judge at home. Do not use their absence as permission to wait: if the vomiting continues, call before they appear.
Prepare your call (2 minutes)
- Since when, how many episodes, how close together?
- What it looks like: food, yellow or foamy liquid, blood? A photo of the last vomit really helps.
- What he could have swallowed: garbage, scraps, a bone, a damaged toy, a household product, a plant, a dropped pill?
- His current medications and known conditions.
- Is he drinking? Keeping water down? Eating? Any diarrhea?
Puppies and tiny dogs: everything moves faster
With a puppy, you do not "watch" repeated vomiting: you call the same day. His body has very few reserves, and serious causes are more common than in adults.
Parvovirus
A highly contagious virus that hits puppies hardest, even partially vaccinated ones. Vomiting then diarrhea (often bloody), rapid lethargy: things can tip over in hours. A puppy who vomits AND has diarrhea must be seen without delay. The virus persists for months in the environment; Montreal's parks and alleys see it every year.
Low blood sugar
A puppy, especially a toy breed, who vomits and skips meals can run out of sugar within hours: weakness, trembling, a wobbly walk. That is an emergency in itself.
Objects and poisons
A puppy explores with his mouth: toys, fabric, bones, plants, products. If vomiting comes with the slightest doubt about an object or a toxin, call right away. To prevent it, see our puppy-proofing guide. Puppy-proof your home
The simple rule: a puppy who vomits more than once, refuses a meal, or has diarrhea on top, is a same-day call, not a night of observation.
Give no home medications
It is the most dangerous reflex with a vomiting dog: "I'll give him something to settle it and we'll see tomorrow." Human medications are not gentle dog versions, and several turn a benign vomit into a real emergency.
Ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), aspirin
Toxic to dogs: stomach ulcers, digestive bleeding, kidney damage. Giving a human anti-inflammatory to a vomiting dog is pouring oil on the fire.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Dangerous for dogs, and fatal to cats, even a single tablet: give it to no animal in the house.
Pepto-Bismol and friends
Contains a salicylate (a cousin of aspirin), and turns stools black: exactly the colour we watch for to detect digestive bleeding. It can mask the most important sign.
Gravol, Benadryl, antacids
Never without direction: the dose, the indication and the timing belong to the veterinarian, and a vomit "calmed" artificially can hide an obstruction that keeps getting worse.
Leftover prescriptions
A medication prescribed for another animal, or another episode, is never a stopgap. Even veterinary anti-nausea drugs have contraindications: the exam decides.
What about making him vomit yourself?
Never on your own initiative. Inducing vomiting at the wrong moment (a corrosive product, a sharp object, a weak dog) can make things worse. In dogs, only a veterinarian or a poison line can guide you, in specific cases. The details are in our poisons guide. Toxic foods and dangerous plants
Frequently asked questions
The questions we hear most on the phone, and one people don't always dare to ask.
He vomited once but seems perfectly fine. Am I worrying over nothing?
He vomits yellow in the morning, on an empty stomach. Is that serious?
He eats grass and then vomits: he's treating himself, right?
He vomited right after his medication. Do I give the dose again?
It's the middle of the night. Can it wait until morning?
Can I make him vomit myself if he ate something?
I waited several hours before looking for help. Did I make things worse?
Also worth reading
The honest triage, in one sentence
Empty retching, a swollen belly, blood, marked weakness, a puppy repeating: go now. Repeated vomiting, or any added sign: call us today. One isolated episode in a bright, healthy adult: watch for 24 hours, and call at the slightest doubt. You do not have to decide alone: sorting it out with you is our job.
Your dog is vomiting and you are hesitating?
Stop hesitating: call us and we will triage together. If an appointment is enough, we will say so; if it is more urgent, we will point you in the right direction immediately.