A situation in which your dog throws up food hours after eating can be very alarming. Once you realize that your dog is throwing up food hours after eating, you will want to know what it means, what may be causing it, and what can be done about it. This article has the answers.
Common reasons for a dog throwing up food hours after eating include food intolerance, internal parasite infestations and internal obstructions. Infections, pancreatitis and constipation are other common reasons for a dog vomiting food hours after eating.
To identify the exact reason for the dog throwing up food hours after eating, you need to consider several factors.
For instance, you need to consider the state in which the vomit is coming out. A case of a dog throwing up whole food hours after eating has different implications from another one of the dog throwing up digested food hours after eating.
For instance, a case of dog throwing up undigested food and diarrhea has different implications from another one of dog throwing up food but still pooping normally.
Similarly, a case of a dog throwing up kibble and being utterly lethargic has different implications from another one in which we find the dog throwing up after eating but acting normal.
The age of the dog can also be an important consideration. A case of a puppy throwing up food hours after eating may have different implications from, say, that of a senior dog throwing up undigested food hours after eating.
But before proceeding any further, we need to go get a basic insight on why dogs vomit generally.
Even behavioral issues, such as stress and anxiety, can make dogs vomit.
And if dogs eat too fast or too much, they sometimes end up vomiting on account of it.
Therefore there is a wide array of things that can make a dog vomit.
Our focus here, however, is specifically on a dog throwing up food hours after eating.
Most ‘normal’ cases of vomiting entail the dog throwing up soon after eating. If a dog throws up immediately after eating, that tends to be more understandable.
In fact, a dog throwing up undigested food right after eating often turns to be regurgitation, rather than genuine vomiting.
So that is always a possibility, in the case of a dog throwing up right after eating.
In case a dog throws up food right after eating, one knows that the food may simply not have ‘sat well’ with the dog – for one reason or another.
That is normally how we interpret cases of dog throwing up food right after eating.
But our focus here is on cases in which the dog vomits food hours after eating.
Why Is My Dog Throwing Up Food Hours After Eating?
As we observed earlier, it can be alarming to learn that your dog is throwing up food hours after eating.
Once you learn that, you will obviously have questions. Key among them will be, why is my dog throwing up his food hours after eating? Or why does my dog throw up his food after eating?
In case the dog is throwing up digested food hours after eating, the key question becomes, why is my dog throwing up digested food hours after eating?
And in case the dog is throwing up undigested food hours after eating, the question becomes, why is my dog throwing up undigested food hours after eating?
Or, in other words, why is my dog throwing up his food whole – in spite of having eaten it hours before? Why would a dog throw up undigested food hours after eating it?
In case the food is coming out in chunks, you would be entitled to ask, why is my dog throwing up chunks of food – hours after eating? Why does my dog throw up undigested food?
All these are valid questions.
So, indeed, what could be the reason for a dog throwing up food hours after eating?
As it turns out, there are several possible reasons for dog throwing up food hours after eating.
Food intolerance and gastrointestinal obstructions are possible reasons for dog throwing up food hours after eating.
Infections too, may manifest by way of the dog throwing up food hours after eating.
Parasite infestations, pancreatitis and constipation can, in some cases, make a dog throw up food hours after eating as well.
We will now proceed to individually look at some of these possible reasons for dog throwing up food hours after eating.
Food Intolerance As A Possible Reason For Dog Throwing Up Food Hours After Eating
If a dog eats something it shouldn’t eat, then it may end up vomiting it hours later.
Many cases in which dogs throw up food hours after eating are simply due to the dogs having ingested things their bodies can’t handle.
You only need to go through the various dog throwing up food hours after eating Reddit threads, to see how common this is.
Even when you go through the why is my dog throwing up undigested food hours after eating UK answers threads, you see that in many cases, it is simply due to food intolerance.
Sometimes, the food in question may have been spoilt. But there are also cases in which you find that the food is perfectly alright. But the dog is simply not used to it.
All in all, whenever you observe that your dog is throwing up hours after eating, you need to ask yourself the question on what it had eaten.
If you find your dog throwing up food from night before, it may be due to this food intolerance.
Sometimes, this sort of intolerance can even be the cause for a dog throwing up food from 2 days ago.
Most cases of dog throwing up hours after eating are simply because the dog is unable to handle the food.
So you often find that the dog throws up kibble hours after eating it due to intolerance. This is, for instance, if the dog is new to that type of kibble.
Generally, if a dog keeps throwing up food hours after eating, it may be due to this sort of obstruction.
Depending on the obstruction’s location, it may lead to the dog vomiting food undigested. Thus you find that the dog vomits undigested food due to the obstruction.
If the obstruction is high up the gastrointestinal tract, it prevents the food from reaching the stomach, where it can be digested.
If a dog vomited undigested food hours later after eating, it may be due to obstruction in its digestive tract.
You therefore find the dog vomiting whole pieces of food.
But it is not always that an obstruction leads to a dog vomiting whole food (undigested).
If the obstruction is further down the GI tract, the food may actually be digested. But then it ends up being vomited when it can’t go further.
Infection As A Possible Reason For Dog Throwing Up Food Hours After Eating
Some infections have vomiting as one of their major symptoms.
In some cases, the vomiting that is as a result of an infection happens hours after the dog has eaten.
Therefore a case of a dog throwing up food hours later (after eating) may be attributable to an infection.
The infection in question here may be bacterial or viral. Even a fungal infection can in some cases cause a dog to throw up food hours after eating it.
You may therefore find that the dog vomits 3 hours after eating, and it is due to an infection.
Even a case of a dog vomiting 8 hours after eating may be due to infection.
Often the infection won’t affect digestion. But it causes vomiting nonetheless. You thus find the dog vomiting digested food, hours after eating it.
An infection can sometimes lead to a dog vomiting large amounts of food.
Normally, if a dog has an infection, throwing up won’t be the only symptoms. The dog may be lethargic, lacking appetite and maybe even shivering.
Often, it takes very little ‘provocation’ to get a dog that has an infection to vomit. So, for instance, you find the dog throwing up undigested food after drinking water only.
Not all infections cause a dog to vomit hours after eating though. Sometimes, you find that a dog which has an infection vomits right after eating.
Thus the case of a dog throwing up undigested food immediately after eating can be due to an infection.
But a dog may also throw up hours after eating, and that turns out to be due to an infection it is suffering from as well.
Parasite Infestation As A Possible Reason For Dog Throwing Up Food Hours After Eating
Dogs that have major infestations of internal parasites often end up throwing food hours after eating.
The parasite in question may be a hookworm, roundworm, tapeworm and so on.
On account of the parasite infestation, you may find the dog throwing up undigested food, many hours after eating.
Thus if you had the why would a dog throw up undigested food hours after eating it, this is one possible reason.
Or if you are wondering, why is your dog throwing up undigested food 8 hours after eating, then you need to know that it may be due to a parasite infestation.
At some point, the mass of parasites starts functioning effectively as an ‘obstruction’.
Therefore on account of it, the food that the dog eats doesn’t get a chance to undergo digestion. The dog thus vomits it undigested, hours later after eating.
Parasite infestation can thus be cause for a dog throwing up food undigested. If a dog throws up undigested food, parasite infestation is a possible cause worth investigating.
And this is why dog throwing up undigested food treatment often revolves around deworming.
You may find a dog throwing up undigested food in the morning on account of a parasite infestation. Thus if a dog throws up undigested food in the morning, this may be the reason for it.
Or you may find a dog throwing up undigested food in the middle of night due to a parasite infestation.
Ultimately if you had the what would cause a dog to throw up undigested food question, you need to know that parasite infestation is a possible cause.
Thus you find a dog not digesting food throwing up – all due to parasite infestation.
Pancreatitis As A Possible Reason For Dog Throwing Up Food Hours After Eating
One of the symptoms of pancreatitis is vomiting.
And sometimes, the vomiting that is due to pancreatitis occurs hours after a dog has eaten.
The pancreatitis may be due to the dog eating food with too much fat, too much sugar and so on.
You may thus find a dog throwing up chunks of food due to pancreatitis.
A case of a dog throwing up 8 hours after eating can be due to pancreatitis. But this sort of time lapse between eating and vomiting may not be so common, if pancreatitis is the reason for the vomiting.
Nonetheless, pancreatitis can be the cause for a dog throwing up food only in middle of night (depending on when it eats).
Thus in the case of a dog throwing up food in middle of night, this is a possible reason.
Generally, if there is a consistent trend in which the dog eats food then throws it up, pancreatitis is worth considering as a cause.
If a dog vomited food hours after eating only once, it may not be due to pancreatitis. But if there is a trend of the dog vomiting hours after eating, time and again, then it can be due to pancreatitis.
Constipation As A Possible Reason For Dog Throwing Up Food Hours After Eating
Constipation has the effect of slowing down the movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract.
This slowdown in movement can eventually make a dog nauseous, which then leads it to vomit.
A case of a dog vomiting food whole (totally undigested) hours after eating it is unlikely to be due to constipation. This is because constipation occurs at the intestine level, rather than the stomach level.
Thus if you have a dog vomit undigested food hours later, then constipation may not be the reason.
But in cases of dog vomiting partially digested food hours after eating, then constipation is a potential cause.
Other Possible Reasons For Dog Throwing Up Food Hours After Eating
A dog with conditions such as cancer, liver failure or kidney problems may start throwing up food hours after eating.
Thus after ruling out the more obvious reasons for dogs throwing up food hours after eating, one then needs to consider these ‘far-off’ causes.
Sometimes you may find an old dog throwing up undigested food. Yet none of the common causes seems to be at play. Then further investigation reveals that it is a manifestation of cancer.
Another case of an elderly dog throwing up undigested food hours after eating may be traced back to a liver or kidney problem the dog has.
You need to remember the dog’s body is a complex web of systems that depend on and affect each other. A problem in the kidney or liver can therefore end up having the effect of a dog vomiting undigested food.
If your dog is throwing up undigested food hours later after eating, you need to know that the underlying cause may not be so obvious.
Often, in the case of a dog throwing up undigested food hours later after eating, you have to think further. Only then will you find the cause.
A case of a dog vomiting undigested food at night can be a manifestation of a liver or kidney problem the dog has.
And a dog vomiting undigested food hours after eating can be a sign of an underlying cancer: especially if it keeps on happening.
Dog throwing up food hours after eating
What Would Make A Dog Throw Up Food 2 Hours After Eating?
If the food was something that the dog’s body couldn’t handle, it may end up vomiting it within 2 hours.
But if the dog has parasite infestation, constipation or internal obstruction, that too can make it throw up two hours after eating.
And there are also infections whose presence in a dog may make it vomit 2 hours after eating.
Now two hours is too short a time for the food to have been digested fully.
Thus if a dog is throwing up food 2 hours after eating, chances are that it will be undigested.
And the reasons for dog throwing up food not digested can range from food intolerance to obstructions, parasite infestations and even constipation.
Thus if my dog is throwing up undigested food hours after eating, those are the possible causes I would think in terms of.
What Would Make A Dog Throw Up Food 3 Hours After Eating?
Most of the reasons that we highlighted, with regard to what would make a dog throw up food 2 hours after eating also apply here.
Thus food intolerance, obstruction, parasite infestation or constipation may cause a dog to throw up 3 hours after eating.
Again, 3 hours may not have been enough time for the food to undergo complete digestion.
You may therefore find yourself complaining, “my dog throws up undigested food 3 hours after eating”.
And that necessitates taking a look into the common causes of dog throwing up undigested food. That is how things like food intolerance, obstructions, parasite infestations and various infections come into the picture.
But a dog constantly throwing up 3 hours after eating could be a sign of something else altogether. It may be the manifestation of an underlying cancer, liver problem, kidney problem and so on.
Thus for dog undigested food vomit problem, there are many possible causes.
What Would Make A Dog To Vomit 5 Hours After Eating?
The dog that vomits 5 hours after eating may have eaten something that its body systems can’t handle.
Alternatively, a dog that vomits 5 hours after eating may be having an internal obstruction, which is blocking the food it eats from going down the gastrointestinal tract well.
Parasite infestation can make a dog vomit 5 hours after eating. And some infections may have vomiting (as many as 5 hours after eating) as a symptom.
What Would Make A Dog Throw Up 8 Hours After Eating?
There are several possible reasons for a dog throwing up food 8 hours after eating.
The dog may be having an infection that is manifesting through vomiting as a symptom.
If you find a dog throwing up digested food 8 hours after eating, this may be the underlying reason.
There may also be an obstruction far into the dog’s digestive tract.
So you find that food is able to move through the first part of the digestive tract. But it encounters blockage somewhere further: hence the vomiting 8 hours later.
Some parasites can also make a dog vomit long after eating: as long as 8 hours.
Even constipation, at its worst, can make a dog vomiting long after eating: as long as 8 hours.
One would expect the food that is being vomited after 8 hours to be digested.
But if you find a dog throwing up undigested food 8 hours after eating, then that is very worrisome.
The dog’s stomach should take a maximum of 4 hours to empty out after eating.
Thus even if the dog threw up undigested food 6 hours later after eating, this may be very troubling.
It may mean that the food is not even getting into the stomach. This may be due to a condition such as megaesophagus, which prevents the food from entering the stomach.
Or it may be due to a condition that affects the peristaltic process.
What Does It Mean When A Dog Throws Up Undigested Food Hours After Eating?
If a dog vomits up undigested food hours after eating, it may mean that something is hindering the entry of the food into the dog’s stomach.
A condition like megaesophagus may be culpable here. The food doesn’t transition from the esophagus into the stomach.
Therefore the dog ends up vomiting it whole.
Alternatively, it may mean that the food is entering the dog’s stomach, but not moving along/getting a chance to be digested.
For instance, the stomach muscles that ought to facilitate peristalsis may not be working as they should. Or the chemicals that facilitate digestion may not be working as they should.
So the food gets into the stomach, but undergoes no digestion. Then the dog ends up vomiting the food whole/undigested.
Thus if you had the what causes dogs to vomit undigested food question, that is the brief answer to it.
If my dog vomited undigested food hours after eating, these are the factors I would consider.
It may be that my dog is vomiting up undigested food because the food is not getting into the stomach in the first place. So something is hindering its progress into the stomach.
Or it may be that the food is getting into the stomach, but not getting digested.
This may be due to mechanical problems (in the peristalsis muscles) or due to chemical problems (that is, with regard to the chemicals in the dog’s stomach that facilitate digestion).
Those can make a dog vomit food not digested.
Thus if a dog vomits up undigested food hours after the food should have been digested, then these may be the reasons.
When Should You Be Concerned About A Dog Throwing Up?
If a dog throws up too regularly, then that should be cause for great concern. Thus, for instance, if my dog throws up everytime he eats, I would have reason to worry.
On another note, if a dog throws up too much – to the point of risking dehydration – then that would be cause for concern.
If the dog’s vomit comes with blood, then obviously that is very concerning.
And if there are other worrisome symptoms accompanying the vomiting, such as diarrhea, lethargy and loss of appetite, then that is cause for concern.
If the period of time between when the dog eats and when it vomits is long, then this may be troubling.
For instance, the case of a dog throwing up 12 hours after eating would be cause for great concern.
It can be even worse if the food stays inside the dog for such long periods of time, then the dog vomits it undigested.
Thus, for instance, a dog throwing up undigested food 12 hours after eating may be a sign that something is very wrong.
Consequently, if my dog is vomiting undigested food so long after eating, I would have reason to worry.
To put it differently, if (clearly) my dog is not digesting his food and vomiting, this would be worrying.
Similarly, if you find a dog throwing up undigested food and has diarrhea, this would be troubling.
All in all, vomiting is a sign that something is not right in the dog. Therefore all cases of throwing up warrant attention.
Dog Throwing Up Food Hours After Eating – What To Do?
If a dog persistently throws up food hours after eating, then you need to take it to the vet.
The underlying problem may be an obstruction, parasite infestation or infection: all of which require urgent care.
Meanwhile, provide the dog that is throwing up with adequate water, to compensate for what it may be losing.
Consider putting the dog that is vomiting on a bland diet. Even for a dog throwing up undigested food help can often be found in a bland diet.
But once the problem is resolved, get the dog off the bland diet, onto a normal diet. Don’t keep the dog on the bland diet for too long.
Consider giving the dog probiotics, especially if it happens to be throwing up food undigested.
In case the issue of the dog throwing up food hours after eating seems to be due to a newly introduced food, you may consider withdrawing that food.
Sometimes withdrawing a particular food is all you need to do. Thus doing that solves the problem of a dog throwing up food hours after eating.
Final Verdict – Dog Throwing Up Food Hours After Eating
A dog may throw up food hours after eating simply because it ate something that its body can’t handle.
An internal obstruction can also cause a dog to throw up hours after eating. So can an internal parasite infestation or even constipation.
Some dog infections have vomiting as one of the symptoms. And quite often, the vomiting takes place hours after the dog eats.
Dog throwing up food hours after eating
Even conditions like cancer, liver and kidney problems can manifest through a dog throwing up hours after eating.
It is important to check whether the vomit that is coming out is made of undigested, partially digested or fully digested food.
Often, changing what you feed a dog gets it to stop vomiting hours after eating.
Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️
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