What do you do when your dog throws up bile? What to Know

Treatment of Vomiting with Bile in Dogs

Treatment will obviously be correlated to the reason for the vomiting with bile. Acute vomiting is sometimes treated with a fasting approach. Food is withheld for a period of 24 hours, and then small amounts of a bland diet are gradually reintroduced. The amount of food is increased very slowly so as not to induce more vomiting. The veterinarian will decide if your dog needs to be hospitalized for the duration of the treatment. A reason for this may be because if water must also be withheld, monitoring of your pet and the administration of fluids by the intravenous method may be required. There may also be a need for intravenous therapy in order to balance electrolyte levels.

In the case of parasites, a medication will eliminate the problem and will be prescribed once your dog has been stabilized and the vomiting controlled. If an obstruction is causing the vomiting with bile, it is possible that the endoscopy may have been able to free the blockage. If not, surgery will be performed to remove the obstruction.

For problems like a gastric motility disorder, medication may be prescribed. In some instances of bilious vomiting, simply adding a small evening meal to reduce the chances of stomach reflux (caused by bile leaking from the intestine into the stomach when inactive) may be enough to end the vomiting cycle.

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Why Is My Dog Vomiting Bile?

There are many reasons why your dog could be vomiting bile, perhaps your dog ate something toxic or they have an underlying illness such as Addison’s disease.

Food sensitivities and allergies can manifest as gastrointestinal issues in dogs, leading to vomiting bile. Not only can a sudden switch to a new type or brand of food trigger allergies, but food allergies can even be developed later in life with seemingly no rhyme or reason.

Compared to other causes of vomiting bile, although serious sounding, bilious vomiting syndrome (BVS) is actually comparatively benign and non-life-threatening. BVS is described as a condition in which dogs vomit bile after not eating for a long period of time, typically during early morning hours or in the middle of the night. When bile leaks back into the stomach from the small intestine, the gastric mucosal barrier becomes irritated and the stomach becomes inflamed, leading to vomiting.4

The easiest way to prevent or stop BVS is to feed your dog smaller meals more frequently. Shorten the time between meals with snacks, especially a late night snack before bed, but keep track of your dog’s caloric intake to keep them at a healthy weight.

If your dog prone to chewing and eating anything they can get their paws on is vomiting frequently but not producing stool, they may very well be suffering from an intestinal blockage.5 Often caused by ingesting foreign objects such as toys, yarn, bones, and rocks, blockages inhibit foods and fluids from passing through the gastrointestinal tract. This can be very dangerous as not only do intestinal blockages prevent the absorption of essential nutrients, leading to dehydration and imbalanced electrolytes, but they can also severely injure the intestines, causing a rupture or even necrosis.5 In many cases, surgery is the best method to remove any intestinal blockages, so it is key to contact your vet as soon as possible.

A dog vomiting bile can indicate a number of gastrointestinal diseases, from inflammatory diseases to parasite infections. Gastroenteritis, the inflammation of a dog’s stomach and small intestines, is often coupled with abrupt bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. While at times mild and easily treated with antibiotics, gastroenteritis can become deadly if allowed to develop into hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Watch for blood in your dog’s vomit and diarrhea, and take them to the vet immediately to avoid sepsis or other complications.6

Parasites like Giardia can also cause vomiting with bile. Spread by water, food, soil, and surfaces contaminated by feces, Giardia is an extremely contagious parasite that can exist in the intestines of dogs.7 Luckily, parasitic infections are relatively simple to prevent; maintaining a clean living environment and keeping up with routine deworming are good first steps to follow.

Along with diarrhea and poor appetite, endocrine disorders such as pancreatitis often result in vomiting with bile. Typically the result of ingesting garbage or too much oil and fat, pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that can cause repeated vomiting over the course of a few hours or days. As your dog empties their stomach and becomes dehydrated because of pancreatitis, they are more likely to vomit bile. Addison’s disease is another endocrine disorder, particularly a disorder of the adrenal glands, that is characterized by severe vomiting. With adrenal glands that aren’t producing enough corticosteroids, or stress hormones, dogs with Addison’s disease can be critically affected by the tiniest amount of stress.8

Causes of Vomiting with Bile in Dogs

A dog with a clinical sign of vomiting with bile should be evaluated to rule out the following list of possible causes:

  • Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas; that results in disruption of enzymes that help with the digestive process and can often result in vomiting with bile
  • Acute gastritis may lead to vomiting of bile as there is no food in the stomach to be brought up
  • An intestinal blockage may result in vomiting with bile because the foreign body that is lodged in the intestinal tract does not allow for the processing of food into waste, but will cause vomiting instead
  • Parasitic illnesses such as Giardia will manifest in symptoms that include acute vomiting with bile
  • Bilious vomiting syndrome exhibits as intermittent vomiting of bile, usually on an empty stomach
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