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Why Is My Dog Throwing Up? Vomit Color Guide
The color and timing of vomit offer clues about the cause. Find your dog's vomit color below, then use the checker to see how urgent it is.
| Vomit color | Most likely meaning | Urgency |
|---|
| Yellow | Yellow vomit is usually bile, a digestive fluid from the gallbladder | Usually mild |
| White Foam | White, foamy vomit is usually stomach fluid and saliva mixed with air | Depends on signs |
| Clear Liquid | Clear liquid vomit is usually water or saliva | Usually mild |
| Blood | Blood in vomit can look like bright red streaks or like coffee grounds (digested blood) | See a vet now |
| Undigested Food | Bringing up undigested food soon after eating can be vomiting (with heaving and abdominal effort) or regurgitation (passive, often tube-shaped food, with no warning) | Usually mild |
| Brown | Brown vomit is often just digested kibble | Depends on signs |
| Green | Green vomit is usually from eating grass, or bile mixed with stomach contents | Depends on signs |
Vomiting vs. regurgitation
Vomiting is active: your dog heaves, the belly contracts, and partly digested food or fluid comes up. Regurgitation is passive: undigested food or fluid slides up from the esophagus with little effort, often right after eating. Tell your vet which you saw; the causes are different.
Common causes of dog vomiting
- Eating garbage, grass or a new food (dietary indiscretion)
- Eating too fast
- Infections and parasites
- Swallowed objects (toys, socks, bones, corn cobs)
- Toxins: plants, foods, medicines
- Pancreatitis, kidney or liver disease
- Bloat (GDV) in large, deep-chested dogs: an emergency
What to do after your dog vomits
- Remove food for a few hours and offer small amounts of water.
- If no more vomiting, offer a small bland meal.
- Return to normal food gradually over 1-2 days.
- Call your vet if vomiting returns, or any red-flag signs appear.
Also see: what can I give my pet? · my dog ate something · dog poop chart
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