Vomiting can be signs of a serious problem, including obstructions in your dog’s intestines. If your dog has suddenly started vomiting, please take your dog to your vet for care.
Some dogs, despite being in otherwise good health, have chronic vomiting. They may vomit up undigested food soon after eating or they may vomit yellow bile. If your dog has been given a clean bill of health but continues to vomit on a regular basis, you should take a look at what’s in their dog food.
Dogs can develop a food intolerance, especially after eating the same food regularly for years. Food intolerances often show up as gastric distress such as bloating, diarrhea and vomiting. Food intolerances can also contribute to chronic stomach problems such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
The first step is to look for a high quality food that does not contain the usual culprits, wheat, soy and corn. Check to make sure that your dog is not getting chemicals in their diet through chemical preservatives or artificial colors. By-products can be another factor. By-products can contain things like beaks, feathers and feet which have no nutritional value and are difficult to digest. Also, beware of sources that are simply listed as ‘animal’ or ‘meat,’ such as ‘animal fat’. This won’t tell you what animal it is from. If you’re trying to avoid certain proteins, this can make it hard to know what’s really in your dog’s food.
For the chronic vomiting dog, we suggest a limited ingredient diet using a protein source that you have not fed your dog before. Chicken and beef are common allergens, so look for foods that do not contain chicken or beef. Though there’s nothing wrong with foods that use multiple proteins and lots of ingredients, this can make it hard to determine what might be causing the problem for your dog. Stick to foods that use a single protein source and have limited ingredients so that it will be easier to determine what your dog is allergic or sensitive to.
Still not sure if it’s your dogs food? Check out our e-book for a list of other symptoms that your dog could use a diet change.
