Dog threw up white foam

Question

My dog threw up white foam. She has thrown up this white foam before so this isn't the first time, but it doesn't happen often.

I assume she sometimes swallows parts of her toys because she tears them to shreds. She always eats normally, the same amount each day and doesn't act as if she is sick.

Is this just normal behavior for a dog to sometimes throw up white foam or is there possibly a more serious issue that I should be concerned about, such as a pathogenic bacteria, worms, etc.? Is my dog trying to tell me something by throwing up?

Note: she has been doing this since I've had her (4 years old now) and she visited the vet in the past year for a check up with nothing wrong.

Update: I took my dog to the vet yesterday because I noticed blood in her poop (about 2 weeks after this post) and it turns out she had some type of stomach virus. It cost about $180 for the vet visit and medications, but they gave her some antibiotic shots and some pills that I have to give her. So for the record: blood in poop is bad.

Answer 1

Try googling about her dog food as she may be sensitive to it. My Doberman used to throw up foam, food and/or bile once in a while. Her urine also really burned up the yard, but she was otherwise happy and healthy. Turns out a lot of other owners had the same issues for the food I had been using. Slowly switched over to a new brand and presto, problems solved.

Also, the vet should be asking for a stool sample on the annual checkups to analyze for intestinal parasites. The test costs a little extra but is worth it.

Answer 2

Sometimes dogs can throw up from eating grass. They either eat grass as they feel they need to throw up something or because they are not getting enough plant nutrients in their diet. I'd keep a log of it to see how regular it is and what preceeds it (if a dog eats too fast, this may cause them to throw up).

If it is because she is eating too fast, buy her a slow-eating bowl (Google search results).

Works wonders for my overexcited Labrador who used to inhale her food. Also, scatter feeding can help to slow down eating. You basically take the amount of dry food and throw it around the backyard. Not only is it a great way to slow down how fast she eats, it's also a great enrichment as it allows her to display her natural scavenger behaviour.

Hope this helps and your little fur baby is feeling better.