My dog is coughing and throwing up yellow stuff, and then has these breathing attacks. What is it?

If it doesn't clear up in a day or two, you should take him to the vet. He may have been bit by something or it could be that he ate something he shouldn't have (poison?) or it may be allergies. I know it's expensive but that's what you need to do when you take on caring for another living being. Good luck.

That yellow stuff is bile. Go to Petsmart and see what sort of medicine they have there. Make sure your dog drinks enough.

Your dog is more than likely suffering from what some of the others have mentioned: reverse sneezing. It's harmless. Seach youtube with that description and you'll find at least two videos BY VETS showing this (one w/ an Italian Greyhound). Pollen can certainly bring it on.

NOW A WORD TO ALL THOSE FLAMERS. It would be SO HELPFUL if you would READ the post completely before reaching for your phones to speed dial Animal Control. The poster CLEARLY said it was late at night and that she'd call the vet in the morning. Throwing up bile is not an emergency based on what OTHER INFO the poster mentioned.

Good grief. I can only suppose you rush your children to the ER everytime they sneeze.

It is not against the law (yet!) to leave your dog outside and not provide a monogramed heated theraputic dog bed by the fire. Dogs are dogs, and you have to treat them individually. You don't leave a chihuahua out all night in the cold, and you don't keep a northern breed inside a well heated house.

The dog comes back with kennel cough so you turn him loose to run all night unsupervised again? Turn this poor animal over to the Humane Society before you get it killed.

Have you had the dog tested for heartworm? Due to the result of a death in the family, we were given a dog that had had heartworms for several years. What you described are the same symptoms this dog exhibited. Her breathing attacks got bad enough that we decided it was time to have her put to sleep. Was so sad, but it was worse to see her have these attacks.

This is going to sound more reprimanding than I intend it to....but...

Why on earth would you bother writing about this here? If your pet isn't acting normally isn't your first instinct to go to the vet?

Good grief.

Take him to the vet.
We are not Doctors. Not even Witch Doctors.
Your dog needs help and PRONTO.
Poor thing.

OK well YEAH - take him to the vet. But a few things I've experienced with my dog Lou as we got him from a shelter and he was in bad shape.
He has some breathing attacks - they sound terrible and I thought it was asthma. The vet said some dogs do this. Kind of a reverse breathing. I blow on his nose - kind of into it and it shocks him enough to re-regulate his breathing.
The yellow vomit is most likely bile (but since you let him run lose there's no telling if he ate something dangerous). Since I've put Lou on a high quality food I've not had this problem. Also, no table foods, etc. How do you know your dog came home with kennel cough? I don't think you can diagnose that yourself. Another major indication he needs to see the vet.
I'm sorry but your dog sounds as though he is in terrible shape. I don't think he got that way overnight. This sounds like long term neglect and you should probably go ahead and give him to someone who can care for him properly.

I agree with most here - 1st - take him to the vet BUT like Citysky - my dog, especially when pollen is high, does what the vet calls a backward sneeze - they sound horrible and I even think that Casey looks miserable when he has an "attack" (thanks for the idea of blowing on his nose - I am going to try that!). I usually pet him and soothe him until it is over. Also, when the pollen is high (and I know his allergies are bothering him because he will constantly lick his paws - sometimes until the hair starts coming off - little bare spots), he will spit up the yellow stuff (like Konrad said, bile, but also, the vet said, mucus) - like humans, when our allergies act up - we have drainage and sometimes it will upset my stomach and it upsets Casey's - so we give him a piece of bread every morning - 1st thing - it settles his stomach. Then we wait to put the food down - just water and that piece of bread then after a bit (I am home all day), his food - and voila! No spitting up!

Good luck - just notice in my answer - all my answers came from me taking my dog to the vet FIRST to make sure there wasn't something more serious going on!

Our dog had similar signs, and so she was taken to the vet. It turned out she has a heart mumor and it was fluid on her lungs making her cough.

She is an 11 year old Australian silky terrier.

I'd take your pup to the vet, better to be safe than sorry.

Please take your dog to the vet. Have them listen to their heart and breathing. Maybe an x-ray. I just had to have my 10 year old dog euthanized today. Running and excitement caused him to have severe breathing attacks and he coughed a lot. So definitely go to the vets!