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Why is my dog vomiting bile and shaking constantly? Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Havanese | Male | 3 years and 11 months old | 15 lbs

My five year old Havanese dog has been vomiting bile and whole pieces of food on a continuous 30 to 20 minute rotation for the past three hours. He doesn’t seem lathargic or tired but he’s shaking a fair amount and doesn’t want to be left alone. Why could this be happening?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Makenzie Kurth, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 10th, 2018

I’m sorry to hear about Teddy. There are a couple things that can cause severe vomiting like this - none of them good. Parvo virus or an intestinal blockage are first on my list- both need aggressive treatment. Other, less likely possibilities include toxin, anaphylactoid reaction, or severe gastritis. Unfortunately, he needs to see the vet immediately. This is too excessive to just be “I ate something weird and vomited a little”. The veterinarian will ask lots more questions, do a good physical exam and may recommend x-rays, and/or a parvo test to help narrow down the cause of the vomiting. They can also treat the nausea and administer fluids for dehydration. Best of luck to you and Teddy.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are many causes for continuous vomiting- gastrointestinal obstructions, dietary indiscretion, organ dysfunction, certain endocrine diseases such as addison's disease, viral infections, and sometimes acid reflux just to name several possibilities. My advice is to have Teddy seen by a veterinarian if he continues to vomit and shake this afternoon (shaking can be a sign of pain in dogs). Teddy may need blood work and/or a x-ray to help determine the cause. I hope this helps and thanks again for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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