Why Does My Dog Keep Throwing Up Yellow Bile?

A dog may vomit and still be perfectly healthy..

Dogs vomit for many reasons. It can be a sign of illness, stress or overeating. It also may just be regurgitation, which is defined as a passive process. During regurgitation, a dog may just bend his head and the bile comes out, while during vomiting, there is actual physical retching. If it is occurring regularly, a visit to the veterinarian may be in order; however, healthy dogs often vomit with no cause for concern.

Mild Causes

Many dogs vomit yellow bile after overeating or overexercising. Some dogs even vomit yellow bile when first waking up in the morning, which isn't a sign of a serious illness or cause for concern. These are simply caused by a build up of gastric acids overnight or during a meal that result in a small amount of vomiting. In fact, after eating, your dog might try to reconsume the contents of the vomit because there is still edible food.

Illness

Nausea often results in vomiting of a clear or yellow bile and can be caused by a mild illness, such as a flu or cold. Parvovirus can also cause vomiting of yellow bile. If your dog is taking a new medication for an illness, this may also be the cause as many medications have nausea or vomiting as a side effect. If the vomiting is caused by an illness, there will usually be other symptoms, such as diarrhea, lethargy or coughing that may help diagnosis.

Foreign Invaders

Many parasites, such as several different types of worms, can cause vomiting of yellow bile. This is often accompanied by diarrhea, and worms can frequently be seen in either the vomitus or stool. Digesting a foreign object, such as a toy or garbage, can also lead to vomiting yellow bile. If the vomiting begins suddenly, be sure to check your house for anything that might have been consumed, such as antifreeze, medication or garbage. If the vomit was caused by ingesting a foreign object, it will usually go away in a couple of days. However, some objects need surgery to be removed, so observe your dog closely.

Serious Causes

There are a few serious causes of yellow bile vomitus, but they are more rare. Diseases of several organs, such as kidney, liver and pancreas, can cause your dog to vomit yellow bile. These will often be accompanied by other symptoms, such as lethargy, a change in appetite, weight gain or loss and behavioral changes. Stomach ulcers can also cause vomiting of yellow bile, but there will usually be blood in the vomitus as well.

Solution

If your dog is vomiting yellow bile because of an illness or worm, treating the illness will reduce the vomiting. However, if your dog is vomiting yellow bile because of stress or overeating, help reduce this by feeding several small meals rather than one or two large ones and reducing exercise both before and after eating. Consider wetting kibble with warm water so that your dog doesn't gobble dry kibble so quickly. If your dogs eat in the same room, separate them while eating to reduce stress.

References

• Washington State University: Vomiting
• Dog Obedience Training Online: Dog Vomiting Bile
• Pet Encyclopedia: Vomiting in Dogs