Vomiting in Dogs: What It Means & Natural Remedies to Help

Seeing your dog vomit can be alarming, especially if it happens more than once. Whether it's just a bit of grass or something more serious, vomiting is a symptom, not a disease itself. The key is understanding why your dog is vomiting and how to respond with calm, natural care.

In this blog, we’ll cover:

• Common causes of vomiting in dogs

• When you can treat it at home (and when you can’t)

• Natural remedies to soothe your dog’s stomach

• How to prevent future flare-ups with holistic gut support

Vomiting vs. Regurgitation: Know the Difference

Before jumping into treatment, let’s clarify what you're seeing:

• Vomiting involves effort. Retching, heaving, and usually expelling partially digested food or bile.

• Regurgitation is more passive. Food comes up shortly after eating, often undigested.

Vomiting usually indicates irritation or inflammation in the stomach or small intestine. Regurgitation is more often related to esophageal or structural issues.

Grass eating can help a nauseous dog vomit

Common Causes of Vomiting in Dogs

1. Dietary Indiscretion

The most common cause. Your dog ate something gross. Spoiled food, garbage, fatty leftovers, or foreign objects can all irritate the stomach.

2. Rapid Diet Change

Switching kibble, adding raw food too fast, or overfeeding can trigger digestive upset.

3. Food Intolerances or Allergies

Proteins like chicken, beef, or grains can inflame the gut lining and trigger vomiting, especially in dogs with leaky gut.

4. Parasites or Infection

Roundworms, giardia, or viral infections like parvo (especially in puppies) can cause acute or chronic vomiting.

5. Motion Sickness or Stress

Travel, boarding, or even emotional stress can cause nausea and vomiting, just like in humans.

6. Liver, Kidney, or Pancreatic Issues

More serious internal conditions often show up first as vomiting. This is especially true if it’s accompanied by lethargy, weight loss, or changes in thirst and urination.

7. Toxins

Ingesting chocolate, medications, pesticides, or toxic plants may cause immediate vomiting and requires emergency care.

Dogs will often eat grass to induce vomiting. This helps them to bring up foreign bodies in the stomach like bone fragments. always have a look at the vomit they have done. It might be useful information for the vet. You can see if there is blood, grass, rocks or undigested food, or foamy bile.

When Can You Treat Vomiting at Home?

You can usually treat at home if your dog is:

• Bright, alert, and acting normally

• Vomiting only once or twice in 24 hours

• Still interested in water (even if skipping food)

• Has no other symptoms (like diarrhea, fever, or bloating)

Natural Support for Vomiting in Dogs

1. Gentle Fasting (12–24 Hours)

Let the gut rest. Remove food for 12–24 hours (always allow access to water). This gives inflammation time to settle.

2. Soothing Teas or Broths

Offer small amounts of:

• Chamomile tea calming, anti-spasmodic

• Slippery elm or marshmallow root coats and protects the stomach

• Bone broth nourishing and hydrating (make sure it’s onion-free)

Start with 1–2 tablespoons every hour for small dogs, ¼ cup for large dogs.

3. Reintroduction Diet

After fasting, feed bland, easy-to-digest food in small amounts:

• Cooked turkey or white fish

• Steamed pumpkin or sweet potato

• Boiled rice (optional, depending on tolerance)

Avoid kibble, treats, or fatty meats for several days.

4. Herbal Digestive Support

• Ginger natural anti-nausea (tiny pinch of powder or tea)

• Licorice root tea soothes stomach acid

• Peppermint tea (only in small amounts, and not for puppies or toy breeds)

5. Allow them to rest

• postpone their regular walks.

• Keep them cool and comfortable.

  
  

Resting is important for recovery

When to See the Vet Immediately

Seek veterinary care if your dog:

• Vomits more than 2–3 times in 24 hours

• Has bloody vomit or vomits something black (digested blood)

• Shows signs of pain, bloating, or shock

• Is lethargic, refusing water, or has concurrent diarrhea

• Is a puppy, senior, or toy breed (they dehydrate quickly)

Persistent vomiting can be a sign of more serious issues like:

• Pancreatitis

• Liver or kidney dysfunction

• Foreign body obstruction

• Parvovirus (in puppies)

• Toxin ingestion

Prevention: Protecting Your Dog’s Stomach Long-Term

• Feed a fresh, balanced diet with minimal processing

• Introduce new foods slowly

• Avoid known food triggers or allergens

• Limit rich, fatty treats or table scraps

• Offer daily probiotics and prebiotics for a strong microbiome

• Use seasonal detoxes or gut resets for dogs prone to vomiting or gut upset

Vomiting is never pleasant, for your dog or for you. The good news? With the right natural supports, most mild cases resolve quickly. But knowing when to act, when to wait, and how to support recovery can make all the difference.

Need Support for Your Dog’s Sensitive Stomach?

Download our Digestive First Aid Guide Learn natural remedies, diet tips, and when to seek help

Build a strong gut from the inside out

Give your dog a pat for me!

Kerrie