What this means
Bile is a greenish-yellow fluid the liver makes and the gallbladder stores. It helps digest fats, and normally it moves one way only, from the gallbladder into the small intestine. When the stomach has been empty for a long stretch, bile can wash back into it and irritate the lining. The dog then brings up yellow or foamy material with almost no food in it.
The giveaway pattern is that it happens early in the morning or late at night, many hours after the last meal, and the dog is completely normal afterwards and keen to eat. In that case it is worth asking your vet whether the meals should be spread differently across the day — sometimes a late evening meal alone settles it.
It is a different picture when the yellow vomiting repeats through the day, when weight is dropping, the stools have changed, or the dog seems flat. Then the colour is no longer the important part: what matters is that the vomiting is not settling, and that needs a vet to assess.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
-
A long gap between meals
On an empty stomach bile irritates the lining. The pattern is vomiting early in the morning, after which the dog behaves completely normally and eats keenly.
-
Inflammation of the stomach or gut lining
An inflamed lining reacts more readily to bile. The stools may change too, and the vomiting is no longer limited to an empty stomach.
About the condition: Gastroenteritis -
Inflammation of the pancreas
An inflamed pancreas causes vomiting, belly pain and lethargy. Dogs often object to having the belly touched.
About the condition: Pancreatitis -
Gallbladder and liver problems
When bile cannot drain properly, or the liver is not working well, the vomiting becomes repeated. There may also be lethargy, a poorer appetite, or yellowing of the gums and the whites of the eyes.
-
An imbalance in the gut's bacteria
A shift in the small intestine's bacteria causes vomiting that keeps returning along with softer stools. The signs tend to build up rather than appear suddenly.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- What time of day it happens, and how long since the last meal
- Whether your dog eats keenly and behaves normally afterwards
- Whether there is blood or food in what comes up
- Whether the stools or body weight have changed
- Whether the gums or the whites of the eyes look yellow
When to book a routine visit
Book a visit if the yellow vomiting happens on several days in a row, if it occurs when the stomach is not empty, or if weight or stools have changed with it. If your dog is flat or the belly is painful, go straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Pancreatitis Digestion and liver Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, in which digestive enzymes become active too early and start to irritate the pancreas itself and the tissue around it. It can come on suddenly or smoulder for a long time with repeated flare-ups, and in more severe cases it affects other organs too. The causes vary, so working out what is going on with a particular dog is a job for the vet.
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) Digestion and liver This is a long-term disorder of the digestive tract in which inflammatory cells build up in the wall of the stomach or intestine, so it becomes less able to digest food and absorb nutrients. The exact cause is not fully understood; an interplay between the immune system, gut bacteria and food is thought to play a part. Because many other digestive problems look much the same, a vet works out what is really going on with tests.
- Gallbladder mucocele Digestion and liver A gallbladder mucocele is a condition in which thick, mucus-like bile builds up and gradually fills the gallbladder. It can go a long time without any signs, but it can block the flow of bile or cause the gallbladder to burst. A burst gallbladder is life-threatening, so a dog that falls ill suddenly needs a vet immediately.
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) Digestion and liver This is a condition in which too many bacteria, or the wrong kinds, take hold in the small intestine. They compete with the dog for nutrients and irritate the gut wall, so food is digested and absorbed less well. It can be the result of another intestinal or pancreatic problem, so a vet also looks for the underlying cause.
- Liver shunt (portosystemic shunt) Digestion and liver A liver shunt is an abnormal blood vessel that carries blood from the intestines around the liver instead of through it. As a result, the liver cannot clear the toxic substances coming from the gut, and they enter the general circulation, affecting the brain and the whole body. A shunt can be present from birth or develop later because of other liver disease.
Body systems: Digestion and liver