If you have noticed that your dog has been throwing up at night, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we are going to explore the possible reasons for your dog vomiting, and what you can do to help.
If this is happening to you, don’t be alarmed. These are usually nothing to be worried about and may just be your dog getting something out of its system. More often than not, the dogs will recover shortly after vomiting.
In more serious cases, when the vomiting is happening daily, you might need to get in touch with your vet. Below, we will go through what vomiting could mean in dogs, and why this might be happening to your friend.
What Causes Dogs to Vomit?
Dogs could vomit for a variety of reasons. Some common causes include:
Other causes are things that happen outside their control. For example, if your dog gets an infection, they may throw up because they do not feel well.
Vomiting caused by stress is normal as part of the animal’s body’s response to stress. This often happens during times of increased activity, such as exercise, but also while traveling on long trips.
Dogs who eat too much can experience gastrointestinal upset and even become dehydrated, which will make them feel nauseous and lead to them vomiting, even though they did not ingest anything harmful.
Vomiting is a natural way to eliminate toxins from your dog’s digestive system. Sometimes, however, your dog will continue to vomit even when they do not have any obvious health problems.
It is important to look at their behavior and surroundings and determine whether there is a reason behind it.
Types of Vomit
There are different types of vomiting that you should know about, too. Although very unpleasant for both you and dog pet, you need to be able to differentiate between types of vomit.
On top of that, it’s also essential to differentiate between vomiting and regurgitation.
Vomiting – vomiting happens when your pet throws up their partially digested food. This food will come from the upper intestine and stomach.
Regurgitating – regurgitation is the act of ejecting all the contents of your pet’s esophagus.
Yellow Vomit
If your dog’s vomit, it indicates that your dog has thrown up bile. Bile is a liquid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. When your dog vomits, it is full of bile.
Black Vomit
Black vomit is pretty rare, but could indicate that your pet has ingested mud or dirt while playing. If there are what appears to be something resembling coffee grounds in the vomit.
However, it could mean something else. This find of vomit may actually be a very dark red and be indicative of undigested toxins or stomach ulcers.
Green Vomit
Green vomit indicates that your dog has grown up because they have eaten grass. This could be quite dangerous if your dog does not receive proper care and nutrition.
Dogs might eat grass because they see it as a treat or simply because they are bored. Make sure that your dog eats properly so that they can grow healthy and strong.
Some dogs will behave strangely if they don’t feel like they are getting the nutrients they need to be healthy.
Dark Brown Vomit
Any guesses for this one? Dark brown vomit could suggest that your dog has ingested too much… poop. This one is pretty common for some dogs who have an affinity for ingesting what should definitely not be ingested.
If the dark brown vomit is especially pungent, chances are your furry friend has made a meal out of something’s meal from yesterday.
In the small chance that your dog isn’t vomiting because of a fecal fascination, this colored vomit could also indicate intestinal blockage.
White Vomit
White vomit might be white foam that your dog is vomiting up. This is likely because of something they ate to cause an upset stomach. Small quantities of grass could make your pet do this. If you notice that they haven’t eaten for some time before vomiting, the white vomit or froth could be bile.
White foam is typically due to some kind of gastrointestinal issues or bloating. If your dog has been trying to vomit, but seems to be unable to, you will need to call your vet immediately.
Red Vomit
If you notice that your dog has red vomit, there’s a good chance that they are vomiting up blood. You may notice that the vomit is a normal shade of red, as blood usually is.
If this is the case, your pet may have ingested something that is poisonous that they are trying to get out of their system. Alternatively, it could be due to an inflammation or a problem with the lining of their stomach.
Dark red blood suggests that it has been in your dog’s system for a while. If this is the case, your pet may have an ulcer that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible.
Persistent Vomiting
No matter the color of your dog’s vomit, if it is persistent, it is an issue. If your dog vomits once, chances are it is nothing serious. However, if they carry on and vomit multiple times a day, you will need to get in touch with your vet.
The vet will ask you questions about your dog’s diet, activity levels and medical history. The doctor will probably recommend that you change your dog’s diet if necessary.
They may want to rule out other conditions such as worms or parasites. It is important to remember that your dog’s health can be affected by their environment.
Your vet will take into account things like where your dog lives, how many hours they spend outside, what kinds of foods they eat and even if they drink water or soda pop regularly.
Once the vet has completed their examination, they will provide advice on whether your dog needs to go back home immediately or whether he/she is able to recover at home.
How Do I Know If My Dog Is Sick?
Dogs often show signs of illness when they are feeling under the weather. Their fur might become matted; they may drool excessively or seem lethargic. Sometimes, they just stop eating altogether. When you look closely at your dog’s behavior, you’ll be able to tell if they’re sick or not.
You should keep a close eye on your dog whenever you leave them alone. How long does it take for a dog to get over a bout of sickness? If you see any changes in your dog’s appearance or behavior, do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian right away.
What Can You do to Prevent Vomiting?
There are a few key things you can do to prevent your dog from vomiting, or needing to vomit in the first place. It’s important to know that dogs vomit for a reason, and if they need to vomit, you shouldn’t try to stop them. Vomiting is a natural reaction from the body.
With that being said, you should do everything in your power to make sure that your dog doesn’t need to vomit. This means that you should keep your dog healthy, giving them a balanced diet and plenty of exercise.
A dog’s diet should consist of balanced nutrition. A balanced diet helps to avoid weight gain or loss. Most dogs’ diets include high-protein food sources such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.
In addition to these protein-rich foods, dogs should also receive carbohydrates (such as rice), vegetables, fruits, and fat sources (including oils). These essential nutrients help dogs maintain proper energy levels throughout their life spans.
You need to be careful when introducing your dogs to new food, however, Though relatively rare, it is entirely possible for your dog to be allergic to food.
For example, some dogs are allergic to beef or pork, and others might be lactose or gluten intolerant. Whenever you introduce a new item of food into your dog’s diet, watch them carefully to see how they react to it.
Start with small doses to see what happens, and once you’re happy with how your dog reacts, you can give them more.
Foods that are too rich can also cause dogs to have an upset stomach, much like humans. Often, we add fish oils to our pet’s food to make sure they get enough Omega 3.
However, you need to be careful not to add too much. Always read the instructions given on the oil you are using to see how much your dog should consume based on their size.
There is also the possibility that your dog could react badly to the oil, so you will need to keep an eye on them as you introduce it to their diets. Even different brands of fish oil can have a different effect on your pet.
Exercise & Movement
Having regular exercise will improve your dog’s overall well-being, while helping to make them feel healthier. Your dog needs to move every single day, whether they go for a walk or play in the yard. Regular movement can help the digestive system to function properly.
When dogs get enough exercise, they will become more healthy all-round, but also less destructive. If your dog likes to destroy furniture, they have too much energy that they need to get rid of.
There is a good chance that if you exercise your dogs enough, they simply won’t have the energy to destroy anything.
With that being said, however, if you exercise your dog too much, you may cause them to vomit. Do not overexert your pets.
Why Your Dog is Vomiting at Night
Usually, dogs who only vomit at night do so because of bile. This is often the case when too much time passes between meals. When this happens, the dog will vomit up a yellow-white foam or froth.
This happens because there isn’t enough acid in the stomach lining to digest food properly. When this occurs, the dog will feel very uncomfortable, and they won’t want anything but a bowl of water to relieve themselves. To avoid this, make sure that your dog eats regularly throughout the day.
If you notice that your dog is having regular bouts of nighttime vomiting, call your vet immediately. Most of the time, these are signs of something more serious than simple indigestion.
If you think that your dog may have ingested an object that contains toxic chemicals, such as lead paint or rat poisons, then you must contact your local authorities immediately. These substances are highly dangerous to both humans and animals, especially small children.
How You Can Help Your Vomiting Dog?
If your dog is suffering from vomiting, it’s important to keep them hydrated. Make sure they have plenty of water to drink at all times while you figure things out with the vet.
Unless your vet instructs you otherwise, try giving your dog plain foods. Some boiled chicken is a good option as it isn’t overpowering and is unlikely to make things worse for your pet.
It’s also essential to give your dog frequent breaks during their mealtime routine. This way, you’ll ensure that they don’t eat too quickly or ravenously.
They can still enjoy a full meal without making themselves sick. Additionally, you should never feed your dog table scraps. Doing so will only put stress on their digestive system, which can cause them to throw up more than once.
Often, the scraps from our tables have unnecessary salt on them, as well as other herbs or seasonings. These additions to food are not good for dogs, and could either make their symptoms worse, or cause symptoms.
Final Thoughts
It can be scary when your dog starts throwing up out of nowhere. You might wonder what you did wrong, or what they could have done, but don’t worry yourself over nothing. Usually, the vomiting doesn’t last long and the problem solves itself. On the rare occasion that this isn’t the case, it is your job to try to figure out what could have happened.
Occasional vomiting might be normal, depending on the circumstances. Female dogs in heat are known to vomit occasionally because of hormonal changes, but it shouldn’t happen frequently.
If your dog is vomiting a lot, or their vomit looks worrying, the best thing you can do is get hold of your vet. A checkup will help rule out any dangers, and will help you keep your dog healthy.
If your dog only vomits at night, the issue is probably too much time in between meals. If this is the case, you should try giving your dog smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day and later at night.
This should solve your problem, and if it doesn’t, you should get in touch with your vet.
Hi, my name is Megan Turner and I have worked in a dog’s shelter for four years now. It is truly my dream job, and I see hundreds of dogs every month being united with new owners to give them a loving forever home.
Unfortunately, handicapped dogs are much more likely to be ignored when a family is picking out their new pet. Handicapped pets need more care than non-handicapped pets, so it is understandable why they are often harder to rehome.
