Why Is Your Dog Throwing Up Clear Liquid?

Whether you find your dog’s clear vomit by stepping into an unseen puddle of it or by hearing the telltale splat after they gulp down water, it’s no fun cleaning up the slimy mess. Dogs can throw up for many reasons, and vomiting clear fluid is sometimes a cause for concern. Let’s explore some reasons why a dog could have clear vomit — and when you should worry.

Get 20% off 
PrettyLitter, just for our kin

Save on the litter with color-changing tech that helps you better care for your cat.

Get Your Coupon

Why is my dog throwing up clear liquid?

Pet parents may write off an episode of their dog throwing up clear fluid if it’s not happening regularly, or if they know the cause (like housing a bowl of water, then going out to play). The concern sets in when it becomes a repeated issue, resulting in me getting emails like this one: “My dog is throwing up clear liquid again. He seems perfectly fine otherwise and is still his usual playful self. I’m wondering if he’s just drinking water too fast or if there’s something else going on. I can’t remember anything unusual he might have gotten into. Is this something I should be concerned about?”

It’s true that a one-off episode of vomiting — or regurgitating clear liquid — isn’t a reason for concern if your dog is otherwise acting normally. Repeated episodes of a dog throwing up clear mucus could be an indication of a problem, though. Because vomiting can result in complications such as pneumonia, dehydration, or electrolyte imbalances, it’s important to see a veterinarian if your dog keeps throwing up clear liquid.

Related article

Why Does My Dog Throw Up Yellow Bile?

It’s not a pretty sight, but it’s important to know what’s going on.

Reasons why dogs throw up clear liquid

With a physical examination and some diagnostics, your vet can help figure out the likely causes of your dog vomiting clear liquid. Expect questions about the time of day that the episodes happen, what sounds your dog makes beforehand, any recent changes, any toxins in the area, and any other symptoms your dog may be having.

Here are some common causes of vomiting clear liquid. 

Overdrinking

Some dogs don’t know their limits and will try to gulp down an entire bowl of water after playing outside. While this may seem like a great idea at the time, it can result in a massive pool of slimy, watery vomit if the stomach gets overly full. Dogs who seem thirsty all the time, regardless of weather or activity levels, could have issues like diabetes or kidney disease.

Bilious vomiting

This type of vomiting occurs due to the buildup of bile and acid in an empty stomach, so it’s most often seen first thing in the morning or right before a nighttime meal. The vomit can be whitish or clear-yellow in color.

Overeating

Surprisingly, extreme overeating (called food bloat) can cause clear vomiting as well. In food bloat, the stomach is so stretched that it can’t contract well enough to empty during vomiting. This often results in painful-looking episodes of retching and dry heaving that may only produce some white foam.

Pancreatitis

Inflammation of the pancreas in dogs is commonly triggered by eating foods high in fat and other types of dietary indiscretions. Because the pancreas is located adjacent to the stomach, inflammation in the area can affect the stomach as well, sometimes causing vomiting even if the stomach is empty.

Gastrointestinal foreign bodies

Foreign objects in the stomach can irritate the lining of the stomach or block the exit of the stomach, resulting in vomiting. This vomit may be clear if the stomach is empty due to previous vomiting episodes or a lack of appetite due to nausea. Some dogs have even had chronic vomiting due to objects that stayed in their stomach for months to years.

Toxins

Many toxins cause vomiting in dogs, but those that irritate the stomach directly are more likely to result in clear vomiting. Caustic substances such as salt, hydrogen peroxide, cleaning products, and certain plants will irritate the lining of the stomach and trigger vomiting.

Gastric dilatation and volvulus

Bloat is a serious emergency in which the stomach twists on itself. Non-productive vomiting is one of the most common symptoms of bloat, and dogs often bring up clear or foamy saliva as they retch. A sudden onset of repeated attempts to vomit with little to no production should be treated as an emergency.

Kennel cough

This isn’t a true vomiting episode, but it can look like it. Dogs with kennel cough will often cough so hard that they retch at the end of the episode. This retch will sometimes bring up some clear or white foam that can be mistaken for vomit.

Gastrointestinal parasites

In a young puppy, vomiting white foam could be an indication of intestinal worms or other parasites like Giardia or Coccidia. While older dogs are susceptible to GI parasites as well, puppies are more severely affected due to their small size and immature immune systems.

Related article

How to Tell If Your Dog Is Sick

Look out for these warnings signs so you know when to call the vet.

When to see a vet about clear dog vomit

It’s never wrong to call your vet if your dog is vomiting. They can let you know if you need to schedule an appointment or if there are steps you can take at home to prevent future episodes. 

Some symptoms indicate that your dog might need veterinary care.

Frequent vomiting

If your dog is throwing up clear liquid multiple times, or if they begin by vomiting food, then continue vomiting on an empty stomach, it’s time to call a vet. Although it’s sometimes impossible to pinpoint the cause of vomiting (after all, dogs aren’t the best at telling us what they got into), your vet can help rule out serious causes of vomiting, give medication to ease the discomfort of nausea, and administer fluids if needed for dehydration.

Decreased appetite

It’s usually best not to encourage your dog to run straight to the food bowl after vomiting. But a decreased appetite accompanying episodes of clear vomiting means that the cause is likely more than a transient upset stomach.

Bloody vomit

Blood in vomit is always abnormal. Clear vomit flecked with blood may simply indicate inflammation of the stomach walls due to repeated episodes of vomiting, but it could be more serious. Stomach ulcers, foreign bodies, bleeding disorders, nosebleeds, and even respiratory diseases can cause blood to show up in a dog’s vomit.

Foreign objects

Throwing up foreign materials is a big concern, especially if the vomiting of clear fluid continues after the objects come up. Unless you witnessed your dog eat the foreign object and are 100 percent sure that they vomited up the whole thing quickly, it’s still a good idea to see your vet. I once saw a dog who was witnessed eating a red ball — his parents brought him in quickly, so I recommended medication to induce vomiting. He vomited up the red ball, as well as a green and a blue one.

Changes in behavior

Talk to your vet if your dog’s vomiting is accompanied by symptoms like weakness, lethargy, decreased activity, or hiding. Behavior changes can be a clue that your dog isn’t feeling well.

Other symptoms

Increased thirst, increased hunger, diarrhea, labored breathing, panting, or abdominal discomfort can be associated with vomiting and point to more serious conditions. Always check in with your vet if your dog is showing new symptoms or is worrying you for any reason.

Treatments for dogs throwing up clear liquid

There are many ways to treat vomiting. For a dog throwing up clear liquid, home remedies are limited. If it’s just been one or two episodes of vomiting and your dog is acting fine otherwise, giving your dog’s stomach a break may be the key. You can try holding off on your dog’s food and water for a couple of hours, then reintroducing them very gradually as long as there’s been no further vomiting.

However, this strategy isn’t effective for dogs with bilious vomiting. Dogs who regularly vomit on an empty stomach should see their vet for care and recommendations. Getting bilious vomiting under control often involves a change in their feeding schedules and may require a daily antacid as well.

Veterinary care is recommended for dogs who have vomited multiple times, continue to vomit after intake has been restricted, have other symptoms, or just aren’t acting right. Your vet can base treatment on your dog’s physical examination, blood work, and abdominal imaging. Common treatments include injections or prescriptions of anti-nausea medications, administration of fluids, and a temporary switch to a bland diet.

Bottom line

• It’s never normal for a dog to vomit clear fluid, but the explanation is sometimes as simple as having drunk too much water. 

• Though an occasional, isolated episode of clear vomiting isn’t usually a reason for concern, any frequent or repeated episodes should be reported to a veterinarian. They can help to isolate the cause and start treatments to get your dog feeling better.

References

• Ferguson, Leah et al. “Bilious Vomiting Syndrome in Dogs: Retrospective Study of 20 Cases (2002-2012).” Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association vol. 52,3 (2016): 157-61. doi.org/10.5326/JAAHA-MS-6300.

• Lim, Sue Yee et al. “Management of acute-onset pancreatitis in dogs: a Narrative Review.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association vol. 262,9 1231-1240. 5 Jun. 2024, https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/262/9/javma.24.02.0107.xml.