Why is my dog trying to vomit but only spitting up frothy saliva?

Labored breathing and vomiting are very concerning signs. In an older, large-breed dog like your girl, I would be worried about bloat as a possible cause of her symptoms - this can be a life-threatening emergency, so needs to be treated right away. Many other things can also cause vomiting, including pancreatitis, liver or kidney disease, exposure to something toxic, or an intestinal obstruction. Based on your description, I would recommend taking her to the emergency vet tonight - she may have a serious problem that can't wait until morning.

If Jessi has been vomiting for the past 6 hours uncontrollably it would be best to seek veterinary care immediately. It is possible there is an underlying illness, foreign body or other issue that requires immediate care especially if she's continuing to hack and vomit for several hours.

Crying is usually indicative of pain. Your Bimbo is obviously in distress. It could be from a blockage, tumor, or other medical condition. Please do not medicate her without the express recommendation of a vet. If you do not have one nearby, perhaps there is an animal shelter or humane society with access to one. She needs to be seen right away. I hope you have a good outcome.

Hello, thank you for your question about Bubba. Vomiting is a nonspecific sign than can be indicative of problems within the GI tract or systemic disease. Problems within the GI tract can include obstruction, eating foreign material, inflammation, parasites, etc. Systemic diseases that make pets nauseous include liver/kidney disease or pancreatitis. If Bubba continues to vomit and unable to keep even water down I would recommend having her seen by a veterinarian. Severe vomiting can lead to dehydration and abnormalities in some electrolytes. Your veterinarian can examine Bubba and then discuss additional diagnostics such as bloodwork and abdominal x-rays to look for a cause for her symptoms. Hope this helps, good luck!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The material you are describing is most likely bile, which can happen if an animal is hungry. Abbey may be eating dinner too early and getting hungry before going to sleep for the night. I recommend trying to feed her dinner a little later than normal. The signs you are describing can be unrelated to hunger, especially if Abbey does not eat meals. Vomiting can be caused by intestinal inflammation, hormonal conditions such as Addison’s disease or low thyroid levels. I recommend changing Abbey’s mealtime (if she is fed meals) for a day or two to see if this helps resolve the issue. If not, she should be seen by her vet to rule out the conditions above.

If there is any abdominal enlargement or pain he needs to be assessed by a vet as an emergency - non-productive/white foamy vomit is very concerning in a dog which is eating as it can indicate an obstruction. A pancreatitis blood test may also be required depending on the results of the physical exam

If your pet has vomited this much in the past 45 minutes I would be very suspicious of a foreign body or a very intense dietary indiscretion (eating something he shouldn't have). I would recommend you start supportive care (like Famotiidne 05-1.0mg/kg every 12 hrs and a bland diet like Purina EN Gastrointestinal canned food OR boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese. However there is a big possibility that this could have been a toxicity and if any more symptoms start to arise (such as ataxia (staggering) or shaking, crying out) then I highly recommend you seek a personal veterinarian for a physical examination and further diagnostics. - Dr. H