As a dog owner, you probably know the problem. Your dog ate something wrong and is vomiting. But sometimes these are not leftovers, but yellow slime. The vomit may even be frothy.
For dog owners, this sight can be quite frightening. But is the mucus really a cause for concern?
Here’s what it means when your dog is vomiting yellow mucus. And when you should consult your veterinarian as an expert.
Why is My Dog Vomiting Yellow Mucus?
Yellow foam looks pretty worrisome in the first place. This is what is known as bile. This secretion is collected in the gallbladder and released from the dog’s body after eating.
Bile is by no means dangerous. But on the contrary. Because it helps to activate digestive enzymes in the intestine and to dissolve fats from food. Only then can the nutrients from the feed be absorbed by the small intestine.
Bile consists mostly of water and usually has a yellowish-to-greenish color. Normally, gastric fluid is enriched with it in the small intestine.
However, disorders in the digestive system can lead to what is known as reflux. The bile then returns to the stomach. And you already know the result: your dog vomits yellow.
If, in addition to the vomit, a whitish, foaming liquid is thrown up, this is gastric acid.
This is not necessarily dangerous for your dog. In some cases, however, this vomiting can indicate serious digestive problems or food intolerance, illness, or serious causes.
What To Do If The Dog Vomits Bile
If your dog is vomiting bile as yellow mucus, it can be for a number of reasons. A common cause is being sober for too long.
That means your dog hasn’t eaten anything for a long time. The sphincter muscle between the stomach and intestines then relaxes.
This allows the bile to flow back into the stomach. And this can temporarily make your four-legged friend nauseous. The consequences are nausea. This is why your dog may vomit, especially in the morning.
Causes and reasons when a dog vomits yellow
- Long sobriety
- Stress, nausea
- Stomach upset
- Gastric mucosal inflammation
- Forage slings
- Bad dog food
- Intestinal obstruction
- Poisoning
External circumstances such as driving a car can also cause a dog to become nauseous and vomit bile acid.
Does Your Four-Legged Friend Get New Food?
Oftentimes, vomiting yellow mucus is also related to food and indicates an upset stomach. This can be caused, for example, by incompatible food.
Or it’s the result of inferior dog food. Both causes can lead to excessive gas formation in the stomach.
The yellow foam also occurs when there is inflammation of the gastric mucosa. This disease is known as gastritis. It is also manifested by loss of appetite, excessive salivation, stomach pain, and excessive grass eating.
Other Causes Such as Slings and Heartburn
Sniffing is also considered a common trigger for vomiting yellow phlegm. Because if your dog eats too quickly, the gastrointestinal tract is overwhelmed.
As a result, too much stomach acid and bile acid are produced. Usually, the food is then regurgitated undigested with yellow mucus and foaming stomach acid.
In some cases, vomiting yellow foam can indicate a serious medical condition, such as an obstruction in the stomach or intestines or poisoning. Therefore, pay close attention to whether your dog shows other symptoms of illness.
What To Do If The Dog Vomits Bile
In most cases, vomiting yellow mucus in dogs is a fairly harmless problem. Dog stomachs can sometimes be very sensitive.
If your dog throws up after driving or spits up yellow foam once in the morning, this is usually not a reason to see a vet.
Meal tips
If the nausea was caused by being sober, the symptoms are usually forgotten after breakfast. In this case, the treatment is quite simple. In the morning, after breakfast, don’t let too much time pass before the next meal.
It can also be helpful to spread out your dog’s food portions throughout the day. Divide the food into smaller portions. It is best to simply try out whether your dog tolerates several smaller meals better. For more tips on this, see the in-depth article When to Feed Your Dog.
Make sure your sweetheart doesn’t stay sober for too long before bedtime. That way, not as much bile, and acid can build up in his stomach.
Dog Food Tips
If your dog doesn’t have an underlying medical condition but is still vomiting yellow mucus more often, you may also want to consider switching food. Sometimes switching to a high-quality food brand will help settle your pet’s stomach.
If vomiting is caused by snares, it pays to train your dog to adopt healthier eating habits. A so-called anti-sling bowl can help, for example. Small nubs and obstacles in the food bowl prevent your dog from eating too quickly.
For more tips, see the article My Dog Gulps When Eating, along with an in-depth review of the best anti-gink bowls.
Of course, a feed allergy or feed intolerance can also be the culprit. If you suspect it, you can have your dog tested at the vet.
If your pet is sensitive to its food and throws up frequently, you should consider switching to a compatible, hypoallergenic food.
And you should always keep an eye on the general condition of your pet. Because symptoms such as loss of appetite, pale mucous membranes, listlessness, or high temperature are an indication that you should consult your veterinarian.
When is a Dog Vomiting Dangerously?
In most cases, vomiting yellow mucus is not automatically dangerous for dogs.
That doesn’t mean, however, that you, as a dog owner, should simply ignore it if your dog throws up regularly. Because both the bile acid and the stomach acid can attack your dog’s mucous membranes.
If reflux occurs too frequently and may even become chronic, the mucous membranes can be damaged in the long term. This can result in a variety of health problems.
Your dog continues to vomit yellow bile regularly. And changing the feed does not bring any improvement, just as little as dividing the amount of feed into several small meals. Then you should take your dog to your vet to be on the safe side.
For example, she may prescribe palliative medication such as acid blockers. This protects the mucous membrane. And your dog’s digestive tract can rest.
Under certain circumstances, a blood test and a colonoscopy can also be helpful to rule out serious diseases.
The Most Important Things in a Nutshell
Vomiting yellow foam is a common problem in dogs. It mostly occurs in dogs with an empty stomach. The yellow foam is bile acid that flows back from the intestines into the stomach and is regurgitated.
If this occurs once, there is no need to worry. If your dog throws up regularly and throws up yellow mucus, you should have this checked out by your veterinarian.
Veterinary consultation is a good idea to boost your four-legged friend’s digestion and rule out serious illnesses.