Vomiting in Dogs and Cats: When Is It an Emergency?

Why Do Dogs and Cats Vomit?

Vomiting can have many different causes, ranging from mild to serious. Some common causes include:

Eating too quickly or eating something that doesn't agree with them
Dietary changes or dietary indiscretion
Intestinal parasites
Gastrointestinal infections
Food allergies or intolerances
Pancreatitis
Foreign objects or intestinal obstruction
Toxin exposure
Kidney or liver disease
Diabetes and other metabolic diseases
Certain medications
Cancer

Because there are so many possible causes, the severity and duration of vomiting—as well as your pet's other symptoms—are important when deciding how urgently they need to be seen.

When Is Vomiting an Emergency?

A single episode of vomiting in an otherwise healthy adult pet who is acting completely normal may not require an emergency visit. However, vomiting should be taken more seriously when it is frequent, persistent, or accompanied by other concerning symptoms.

Seek veterinary care promptly if your pet:

Vomits repeatedly over a short period of time
Cannot keep water down
Has blood in the vomit
Has a swollen, painful, or tense abdomen
Is repeatedly trying to vomit but nothing is coming up
Is extremely lethargic, weak, or difficult to wake
Refuses food and water
Has severe diarrhea, especially with blood
Shows signs of abdominal pain
Has pale or white gums
Is having difficulty breathing
Has collapsed or seems disoriented
May have eaten a toxin or foreign object
Is a very young, elderly, or medically fragile pet

Repeated Vomiting Can Be a Sign of an Obstruction

One particularly concerning cause of vomiting is a gastrointestinal foreign body. Dogs and cats can swallow toys, socks, bones, pieces of clothing, string, and other objects that can become lodged in the stomach or intestines.

Pets with an obstruction may vomit repeatedly, stop eating, become painful or lethargic, or have difficulty passing stool.

An intestinal obstruction can become life-threatening and often requires prompt treatment, sometimes including surgery.

If you know or suspect that your pet swallowed something they shouldn't have, don't wait for symptoms to become severe before contacting your veterinarian.

What About a Bloated Dog Who Is Trying to Vomit?

A dog that is repeatedly attempting to vomit but producing little or nothing, particularly if the abdomen looks swollen or feels tense, needs immediate veterinary attention.

These can be signs of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), commonly called bloat. GDV is a life-threatening emergency that can progress rapidly.

Do not wait to see if your dog improves. Seek emergency veterinary care immediately.

What If There Is Blood in the Vomit?

Blood in vomit should always be taken seriously.

Fresh blood may appear bright red, while partially digested blood can look dark or resemble coffee grounds. Blood can occur for several reasons, including irritation of the stomach or esophagus, foreign objects, ulcers, toxins, or other gastrointestinal disease.

If your pet is vomiting blood—particularly repeatedly or in large amounts—contact your veterinarian promptly.

Vomiting and Dehydration

Repeated vomiting can cause dehydration, especially in small dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens.

Signs of dehydration can include:

Dry or sticky gums
Weakness or lethargy
Decreased urination
Sunken-looking eyes
Loss of skin elasticity

A pet that cannot keep water down is at particular risk because they cannot replace the fluid they are losing.

Can I Wait and See?

Sometimes monitoring at home is appropriate, but it depends on the individual pet.

An otherwise healthy adult dog or cat that vomits once and then returns to normal—eating, drinking, playing, and behaving normally—may simply need to be monitored closely.

However, if vomiting continues, your pet's behavior changes, or you notice any of the warning signs above, it is time to contact your veterinarian.

When in doubt, it's always better to call. Your veterinarian can help determine whether your pet should be monitored at home, seen during regular office hours, or evaluated immediately.

What Will the Veterinarian Do?

Your veterinarian will start by taking a thorough history and performing a physical examination. Important information includes:

How many times your pet has vomited
When the vomiting started
What the vomit looked like
Whether your pet is eating and drinking
Whether your pet has diarrhea
Whether your pet is urinating and passing stool normally
Any changes in diet
Possible access to garbage, medications, toxins, or foreign objects
Your pet's age and existing medical conditions

Depending on your pet's symptoms, diagnostic testing may include bloodwork, fecal testing, X-rays, ultrasound, or other tests.

Treatment depends entirely on the underlying cause. Some pets may need only supportive care, while others may require hospitalization, surgery, or treatment for an underlying disease.

Don't Ignore Changes in Your Pet

Vomiting is a symptom, not a diagnosis. While an occasional episode may be minor, repeated or severe vomiting can be an early sign of a serious medical problem.

If your dog or cat is vomiting repeatedly, cannot keep water down, seems painful or lethargic, has blood in the vomit, may have swallowed a foreign object, or is repeatedly trying to vomit without producing anything, seek veterinary care promptly.

When it comes to vomiting, paying attention to the whole picture—how often your pet is vomiting, how they are acting, and what other symptoms are present—can help determine how urgently they need care.