Sheltie vomitted yellow bile

Question
My 1 1/2 yr old sheltie was sick yesterday morning, vomiting yellow bile.  Afterwards he was asking for breakfast so I fed him his 1/2 cup of kibble.  He ate it and he has been fine since.  (He eats Royal Canin Calorie Control) Is this any cause for concern?

Answer
Vomiting yellow bile is usually indicative of the pancreas, liver and bile ducts being upset. Bile comes from the bile ducts and they are at the bottom of the liver and empty into the small intestine.

Bile is used in fatty digestion so it is usually something fatty that sets it off.
Since you are feeding a calorie reduced diet I am going to guess this guy already has a weight problem. Shelties are commonly prone to obesity and to pancreatitis and liver issues with fat.

So the question is, what did he eat that set him off? If he is prone to vomiting bile like this you must be very careful about not feeding him ANY kind of human food, no scraps and such. Be careful with treats too, as they are high in fat, salt and sugars.

One thing you might want to do is get him on a better low cal diet. Royal Canin's low calorie diets have as many calories as Science Diet regular maintenance food, so it really is NOT a low calorie diet at all. If you truly want him on a reduced calories yet balanced diet then slowly switch him to Science Diet's Adult Light food. It is the first food that will actually help reduce your dog without a loss of nutrients at the same time.

You must slowly switch over a seven day period so as not to start this vomiting again. After three weeks you will start to see difference in your dog. This food has carnitine which helps burn fat and gives them a really shiny coat too.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. If he continues to vomit of course you want to get him into the vet's right away- pancreatitis can be life-threatening- so don't wait.