Why Do Dogs Eat Vomit? Understanding This Canine Behavior

Practical advice and expert insights to help manage unwelcome canine behaviors.

By Medha deb

Created on Sep 22, 2025

Practical advice and expert insights to help manage unwelcome canine behaviors.

If youâre a pet owner, you may have witnessed your dog doing something that seems unthinkableâeating their own vomit, or even another dogâs. While this behavior can be stomach-churning to humans, itâs surprisingly common among dogs. This article explores the reasons behind this peculiar habit, discusses when dog vomit eating is a cause for concern, and provides practical tips to help you discourage the behavior when necessary.

Why Do Dogs Eat Their Own Vomit?
Why Do Dogs Eat Other Dogsâ Vomit?
Is It Safe for Dogs to Eat Vomit?
Health Risks and Underlying Issues
When to Consult Your Veterinarian
How to Break the Habit
Dog Vomiting Basics: Causes and Colors
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why Do Dogs Eat Their Own Vomit?

Dogs have some quirkyâand sometimes unsavoryâhabits, but eating vomit ranks as one of the most confounding to pet parents. While upsetting to witness, there are several natural and instinctual reasons why dogs might eat their own vomit:

Instinctual behavior: In the wild, canines are opportunistic eaters. Vomited food, often only partially digested, represents a meal that hasnât gone to waste.
Puppy care mimicry: Mother dogs naturally regurgitate food for their puppies to help them transition from milk to solid foodsâa behavior that leaves a lasting imprint.
Taste and smell: Vomit containing recently eaten food can still smell (and taste) appealing to dogs, especially before any digestion has taken place.
Cleanliness: Some dogs instinctively “clean up” after themselves, a holdover from denning animals attempting to avoid predators by removing traces of illness or food.

For most dogs, this is a normal habit, but understanding why they do it sheds light on their natural instincts and dietary motivations.

Why Do Dogs Eat Other Dogsâ Vomit?

It is not only their own vomit that dogs often find irresistibleâmany will eagerly consume vomit left by another canine. The reasons for this can include:

Curiosity and opportunity: New scents and textures are deeply intriguing to dogs, who routinely use their mouths to investigate their environment.
Social dynamics: Some veterinarians suggest that, in pack settings, eating another dog’s vomit might relate to social hierarchy, dominance, or resource sharing. However, thereâs no strong evidence of a social ritual, aside from maternal dogs regurgitating food for puppies.
Food competition: Dogs who are prone to food guarding or feel nervous about food scarcity may eat any available food, even if regurgitated by a fellow dog.

Despite its natural roots, eating other dogsâ vomit does carry additional health risks that need to be considered, particularly the risk of spreading infectious diseases or parasites.

Is It Safe for Dogs to Eat Vomit?

While the act itself is largely harmless for healthy dogs, there are important exceptions to keep in mind:

If the vomit contains undigested food and the dog shows no other signs of illness, eating it is usually not dangerous.
When vomiting is caused by a medical issueâsuch as dietary intolerance, gastrointestinal infection, pancreatitis, or ingestion of toxinsâre-consuming vomit can exacerbate underlying health problems.
If your dog habitually vomits and eats it, especially accompanied by other symptoms like lethargy or appetite loss, it may indicate a chronic issue requiring veterinary evaluation.

Situation	Is Eating Vomit Safe?
Healthy dog, undigested food	Usually safe, but discourage habit
Recent illness or toxin ingestion	Potentially harmful; see vet
Frequent vomiting (chronic)	Not safeâneeds medical diagnosis
Vomiting with blood or abnormal color	Riskyârequires veterinary attention

If youâre ever unsure whether your dogâs vomiting and subsequent behavior are normal, itâs safest to check with your veterinarian.

Health Risks and Underlying Issues

Certain medical conditions can make eating vomit much more dangerous for your dog:

Gastrointestinal infections: Bacteria, viruses, or parasites may persist in vomit and be reintroduced into the gut.
Pancreatitis: Re-consuming vomit can worsen inflammation.
Dietary intolerance: Continuous exposure to the same offending food may trigger further vomiting.
Foreign body ingestion: Swallowing non-food objects may cause persistent vomiting, and eating vomit doesnât resolve the underlying blockage.
Poisoning: Poisonous substances (such as toxic plants or chemicals) remain dangerous whether first consumed or eaten again from vomit.

Dogs also risk contracting infectious agents, such as Salmonella or parasites, especially when eating another dogâs vomit.

When to Consult Your Veterinarian

Vomiting now and again isn’t uncommon, but recurring or severe vomiting always warrants a consultation with your veterinarian. Consult your vet if you notice any of the following signs alongside vomiting or vomit eating:

Repeated episodes of vomiting (several times in a day or ongoing for more than two weeks)
Lethargy or listlessness
Loss of appetite or sudden dietary changes
Diarrhea or blood in stool
Excessive drooling, pale gums, or respiratory trouble
Vomiting accompanied by foaming, head pressing, jaundice, or seizuresâsigns that suggest poisoning

Documenting the color, consistency, and timing of your dogâs vomit can help your veterinarian diagnose any issues more effectively.

How to Break the Habit

While eating vomit may not always be dangerous, most pet parents prefer to discourage the behavior for both health and hygiene reasons. Hereâs how you can help your dog kick the habit:

Immediate clean-up: Promptly remove vomit so your dog doesnât have the opportunity to eat it again.
Training: Use basic commands like âleave itâ or ânoâ when your dog approaches their vomit. Positive reinforcement with treats and praise can help reinforce good behavior.
Supervision: Watch your dog closely when they are unwell or have just vomited, especially in multi-dog households.
Feed smaller, more frequent meals: Dogs who eat too quickly or too much at once are prone to vomiting. Slow-feeder bowls can also help.
Rule out medical causes: If vomiting is frequent, persistent, or unusual, see your vet to ensure there are no underlying problems.

For dogs who tend to eat quickly and vomit, splitting daily food intake into multiple small meals or using a slow-feeder can dramatically reduce incidents.

Dog Vomiting Basics: Causes and Colors

Common Causes of Vomiting in Dogs

Dietary indiscretion: Eating too much, too fast, or eating something unusual (e.g., grass, garbage, foreign objects)
Infections: Bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections in the gut
Food intolerances or allergies
Motion sickness
Systemic illnesses: Kidney or liver disease, pancreatitis, or chronic conditions
Toxin ingestion: Chocolate, certain nuts, household chemicals, plants, and prescription/OTC medicines

What Does Vomit Color Mean?

Vomit Color	Potential Meaning
Yellow	Bile is present, usually from an empty stomach
Green	Your dog has eaten grass or green materials
White foam	Indicates mucus; potentially bloat or acid reflux
Red or black	May indicate the presence of blood; signal for veterinary attention

Always seek veterinary advice if vomit is persistent, contains blood, or if your dog shows other signs of illness.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it normal for dogs to eat their vomit?

Yes, this behavior is gross to us, but it is quite common in dogs. Usually, they do so instinctively, and it is rarely harmful as long as there is no underlying health issue.

Can dogs get sick from eating vomit?

If the vomit is the result of a mild stomach upset and contains no toxins or infectious material, most dogs will not get sick. However, if the vomiting is due to a more serious illness or ingestion of a harmful substance, eating vomit can make things worse.

Should I let my dog eat their vomit?

It’s best to discourage this behavior, especially if there are health concerns or if your dog vomited due to ingesting something potentially dangerous. Always clean up promptly and consult your vet if you are concerned.

Why does my dog vomit and then want to eat more food?

Some dogs eat too fast or too much and throw up as a result. They may still be hungry since much of their food hasnât been absorbed, prompting them to eat again or seek out the vomited food.

When is vomiting in dogs an emergency?

Seek emergency veterinary care if your dog vomits multiple times in a short period, vomits blood or a substance that looks like coffee grounds, shows signs of pain, disorientation, severe lethargy, or has recently ingested a known toxin.

Can dogs pass illnesses through vomit?

Yes, dogs can transmit certain bacterial or parasitic infections through vomit. This is why dogs should not eat other dogsâ vomit and why good hygiene is essential if dogs have been sick around each other.

Key Takeaways for Pet Parents

Eating vomit is a natural, instinctual behavior in dogs but can present health risks in certain situations.
Frequent vomiting or vomiting accompanied by other signs of illness should never be ignoredâsee your veterinarian.
Prevent your dog from eating vomit by cleaning quickly, supervising at-risk dogs, and providing slow-feeder bowls for those who eat too fast.
If unsure about your dogâs health status, always consult your veterinarian for tailored advice.

References

Author

medha deb

Medha Deb is an editor with a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad. She believes that her qualification has helped her develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts.

Read full bio of medha deb