Dog vomiting frequency, what's normal?

[SugarCubes]

I have two boxers, and my 4 year old male throws up pretty frequently compared to my 7 year old female. Since he was a puppy, I’d say he throws up about once every other week. Usually he throws up bile, but sometimes it’s food. Both dogs get fed the same thing twice a day, they get no people food and they don’t get into the trash. I watch them when they go outside, so I know they aren’t eating anything weird there either. My male does like to try eat grass though…like every time I let him out . He is an energetic, happy, healthy boxer other than this. Is this normal or do I need to be concerned that he has a GI issue or something bad going on? He threw up again this morning, but it was just foamy slobber. Is a vet appt in order?

Oh, I’ve had them on a few different foods also, nothing has made a difference there either.

[GoForAGallop]

Yes, a vet appointment is in order.

Is he throwing up entire (unchewed) pieces of food?

Vomiting, at any frequency, is not really ever “normal.” Some dogs may do it more than others if they are prone to eating disgusting things, I have one who occasionally runs in circles so quickly that she makes herself dizzy, but it’s not normal.

[Simkie]

I did have a dog, years ago, that would urk up some yellow, frothy bile if she went too long without eating. We had to be careful to feed her on a pretty set schedule. She would also regurgitate water if she drank too much too fast. Perhaps the vets these days would have something to say about those things, but our vets then just told her to feed her on a regular schedule and not let her drink too much too fast.

Aren’t Boxers particularly known for pancreatic insufficiency and some sort of weird colitis? It may be worth a discussion with the vet, although I wouldn’t make it an emergency appointment.

Might also be worth a try to feed a small lunch meal to see if that helps things?

[wendy]

That’s definitely not normal. Most dogs don’t vomit at all, really. Years should go by between vomiting episodes.

It’s not very healthy at all to feed dogs nothing but dry food- perhaps the vomiter needs some healthy fresh food added to his diet? In many people’s experiences, and mine, dogs fed a variety of foods are much healthier and have much more robust digestive tracts than dogs that are fed under the “no people food” dogma. At the very least add some fish oil to the dog’s diet. Kibble doesn’t contain sufficient omega-3 fatty acids to keep any dog healthy.

[SugarCubes]

Thanks for the quick responses! I have tried several different foods for them, wet, dry, organic, grain-free, etc. They are on the highest quality kibble and have never been fed the “cheap” stuff. They are both very picky eaters and will skip meals if fed people food…that’s why they don’t get it. Plus, I hate begging dogs. I think a vet appointment is in order to get to the bottom of this, but I appreciate all of your helpful responses! Thanks!

[spotted_draft_x_fill]

Mine did that, then one night she vomited blood. Turns out she had ulcers and she still had worms even though she had been dewormed. She was on meds for about a week and has been fine ever since.

[S1969]

I had one dog (out of 3) vomit this year; and that was an odd occurrence. She was sickly for about 8-10 hours, but only vomited once. We figured she ate something rotten (which would not be surprising) but did watch her.

Same dog does, however, like to eat grass. Not sure why, but she enjoys it. Every few weeks she “gags” some grass back up. I don’t consider that vomiting, though…it is usually when there is a long piece and she can’t swallow it. :rolleyes:

I have a friend whose dog will vomit if he goes too long without food; he had some sort of ulcer problem, I think, and she does have to watch his eating schedule and ingredients carefully. I’d make an appointment.

[Guin]

A healthy dog should not be throwing up regularly. If you were vomiting every ten days, wouldn’t you go to the doctor?

[Angela_Freda]

Meh… my dog throws up sometimes if she eats too fast.
Or drinks too much after eating.

Maybe keep a record of when the vomiting happens, and the circumstance so when you do go to the Vet you have more info to share with them about it?

[Beethoven]

Agreed that vet visit is in order.

Those that have mentioned some dogs they know that vomit bile when not feed on a strict schedule might want to read about Bilious vomiting syndrome.

[Mosey_2003]

Are you feeding once or twice a day?

My Delilah Boxer started out vomiting randomly, and then went downhill completely within a week with what they think was atypical Addison’s, but never confirmed.

I’d go in and at least get blood drawn, especially since it’s a Boxer.

[arapaloosa_lady]

[QUOTE=Guin;7785552]
A healthy dog should not be throwing up regularly. If you were vomiting every ten days, wouldn’t you go to the doctor?[/QUOTE]

Not if it only happened after I chugged a gallon of lake water or ate a pile of grass at the park Welcome to the world of derpy dogs!

OP: I’d definitely ask the vet about it at your next visit, but I’d look to see if there are any patterns you can identify. My dog has a sensitive tummy & an indiscriminating appetite, so she does puke every so often. There’s a definite correlation between the two, and my vet has told me that in my case she thinks it’s just my dog being derpy.

[SugarCubes]

I did just start keeping a journal of when (and what!) he throws up. Thinking hard about it, I don’t think it happens as often as I thought…probably more like monthly but it feels like more often when you’re scrubbing puke out of the carpet :eek:! And yes, the times he vomits bile, it’s always in the morning before he eats, so I wonder if it’s caused by an empty tummy. Anyway, appointment has been made so we will see what the vet thinks! Thanks for all of your responses!