[TK9NY]

Okay, so i need some help trying to figure out what's going on with Dublin. Vet isn't super worried but i'm a bit puzzled and would like to resolve it if i can.

Dublin has been vomitting bile before we get up for the day. Sometimes super early (between 4-7) sometimes later (between 7-9). Im used to it happening OCCASIONALLY (both dogs would sometimes have this issue) but it's been way more often than usual, especially for him. Like, two or three (or more) times a week. Then it'll stop for a couple of weeks or so and start again. I haven't been able to pinpoint a cycle to it. It appears to be totally random and never happens during the day. There also aren't usually any other symptoms leading up to the vomiting or following it. He's active, alert, normal stool, no fever, etc etc.

I was debating it maybe being his food - i did recently switch him to a new food (not a huge change - same brand, just instead of duck/potato it's duck/rice) and he's been getting canned food of varying formulas (usually chicken or duck but occasionally lamb) in the morning... but wouldn't either of those cause other problems, like loose stool, or even day time vomiting? And no, it doesn't appear to happen "more" following one formula of the canned food or another.

I was also debating it maybe being just an empty stomach... he doesn't eat as much as i think he used to, and doesn't always eat eight before bed. But the past few nights i've been enticing him to eat between 8pm-9pm so he has food in his belly and he still threw up this morning so now i'm not too sure.

Are there any other potential reasons for this kind of thing? Is it just a thing that's going to happen, that has no real cause? Should i try a different food? I was considering switching him to something else that's a bit cheaper anyway (cheaper for me - i work at a pet store so i get more of a discount on certain things and the brand of food i'm eyeing is almost the same as what he's on only i would be saving $30/month with my discount).

Oh - and I would say this started being a more noticeable issue not long after we had to put Kiley to sleep. Maybe because i'm no longer focused on her health issues, now i notice his two fold? It didn't seem to happen as frequently before she passed.... i can't tell if that might have something to do with it, or if it's just coincidence. Same with the food change.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

[Ava.]

Has anything in your home changed? a move, a new couch, new decorations? Have you changed anything? new shampoo, purfume, etc?


Anxiety or stress can be a source of vomiting in both dogs, and humans.. haha!

 

[cowpony]

What sorts of diagnostics has your vet run?

In my menagerie vomiting has been triggered by things ranging from food changes & intolerance, stress, swallowing stupid stuff that needed to come back out, infections & parasites, intestinal obstructions, and cancer.

 

[Spottytoes]

Sounds like the vet isn’t too worried about it. Bobby has done this since he was a little puppy. It happens when his tummy is empty so he always gets a bedtime snack of some of his kibble. If we get up too late in the morning it happens but we are pretty much early birds anyway. While it can sometimes still happen it’s much less often as long as his tummy isn’t totally empty. Our vet wasn’t concerned at all but did say, there is medication if we think it’s needed. We just do the snack thing and keep an eye one it. For a dog who is prone to this I would guess stress could make this worse. Definitely keep in touch with your vet if you are still concerned and of course if it continues to be a very regular thing, food doesn’t help, or if it gets worse but my understanding is that if it’s a simple case of the hunger pukes it’s pretty harmless and not uncommon. Also, I have noticed it seems to ebb and flow with Bobby. He can go a couple weeks without having it happen and then another week it happens 2 or 3 times. I’m so used to it that I don’t think about it much but now I am more curious if stress is a trigger. Hmmmm.... Keep us posted!

 

[Basil_the_Spoo]

Ooooff... What a great thing to wake up to (sarcasm). I wish I knew the answer, instead I will sit with you because cleaning up barf is one of my least favorite parts of owning a dog. That smell...

Oh gosh, what are you doing? [heave 1] Oh no... it's going to happen [heave 2] Not on the blanket!!! [heave 3] Can I move you to the hardwood floor?!?! [heave 4] Great, it's all over the blanket....

 

[Starla]

Does he have access to food and water at night?

 

[TK9NY]

Basil - He sleeps in his crate so thankfully when he barfs it's only on his blanket and i don't have to hurry to do anything about it. It's just like: oh, no, again? I can just roll the blanket up and toss it in the laundry. And yes, i do my dog laundry separate from mine!

It's very very rare that he barfs during the day when he's out of the crate and when he does..... he kinda learned to do what Kiley did. He gravitates to the door while he's heaving and i can actually get him to go outside before the upchucking starts.

He's never actually vomited food except once or twice when he was a puppy and ate too fast (and one memorable time the vet had me induce vomiting because he ate something he shouldn't have). It's always been bile. Occasionally if he eats a treat too fast he'll hack it up, but that doesn't really count.

Starla - he sleeps in his crate so no, no access to food/water at night. That's how he and Kiley grew up. I've tried to let him sleep out of his crate, now that Kiley's gone, but he just... kinda doesn't know what to do and goes in there anyway. I never thought to leave food/water with him because, well, when house training that was a no-no.

He has access to food/water most of the day he isn't crated, though - on crate days (IE when i'm at work) he gets breakfast which he eats most of (about a cup of kibble and a couple teaspoons of canned food), then gets fed in the afternoon for lunch (a cup scoop if mom lets him out and god only knows how much when my dad lets him out), then again for dinner (usually another cup... or whatever is left from my dad's attempts lmao.) On days i'm off he almost always has kibble in his bowl and he grazes.

Spotty and cowpony - Vet doesn't seem concerned about it. He's overdue for some shots (thanks COVID) and in the spring he'll be due for his heart worm test and yearly physical. He's going in next week for a dental and to update his rabies - i'll have them do his yearly bloodwork just to double check. He's not losing weight (he's a steady 42 pounds) or anything and otherwise seems okay.

Ava - Some changes, yeah. Biggest one is we lost Kiley. He grew up with her, was never without her except when i took her to a vet appointment or something and left him at home. I also took in ferrets that my friends couldn't keep. He isn't allowed to play with them or be in their room but he gets very riled up when they're out and playing. I usually do their stuff at night... maybe he gets too riled up right before bed?!? Those are the only changes, though. Everything else is pretty much the same.

Something else i just noticed but forgot until i just saw it... he gets a drippy nose sometimes. Like, clear fluid. And sometimes at night he hacks for no reason. Once or twice, but not regularly. Maybe allergies? Other than the ferrets there's nothing "new" in the house (like detergents or candles - i don't burn anything or have any kind of air fresheners because i've always had small pets who can't have those things.) And it's the wrong time of year for seasonal stuff like grass or pollen.

If it's just a thing, then i guess there's nothing be done about it - and that's fine. If we can get it to stop though (or at least go back to being sporadic and not multiple times in a week) that would be great lol

 

[Ava.]

maybe put some kibbles in his crate so he can wake up and eat, or eat throughout the night so you can maybe decrease the vomiting in the morning?

 

[Starla]

I would put food and water in his crate at night so it’s always available and see if that helps. Since he’s house trained, it shouldn’t be a problem, right? (Though I personally believe it doesn’t effect house training, but I’m also a big fan of free feeding and hate seeing my dogs vomit bile-how uncomfortable that must be!)

 

[Countryboy]

It's not really that random. Usually always first thing in the morning. It's Hunger Bile.
Solved by some of the suggestions above.
Best of luck.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

It sounds like classic bilious vomiting to me. Did your vet suggest that might be the case?

Gracie had it. Peggy was starting to show signs, so we began giving her a quarter cup of “treat kibble” as she went to bed (just something different from the kibble she’s free fed during the day) which immediately resolved it. And of course she always has access to water in her crate at night.

24/7 access to water is important, especially when kibble is involved.

 

[Foramini]

My dog was about 6 months old when she started doing this exact thing. It was only random, but when she had her first heat it got scary, there was tiny red specks in the vomit. I took some on a paper towel to the vet (with her) and they said it was blood. She was on Royal Canin Puppy, and was growing, but I noticed they had changed the formula! I started trying so many different foods (elimination diet). Finally I ended up getting a cook book from my vet, and using Hillary's blend vitamin (only from the Vet). In the cook book it discussed Omega Fats - when they are not in balance the result can be dogs develop allergies.
The book is Complete & Balanced 101 Healthy Home-made Meals for Dogs by Hilary Watson.
There is a free website too. http://www.hilarysblend.ca/Default.aspx
I also added a Probiotic called Omega Alpha Probiotic 8 Plus.
This has made such a difference - I have my dog back with vigor and joy again!
Oh and there was plenty of itching going on too!
I did not want to use grain free because the legumes tend to imitate hormones that affect fertility - we hope to eventually breed our dog.
I hope this helps.
Not one single vomiting of bile or blood tinged bile since we took her OFF commercial food and onto cooked homemade. My vet does not want me to fee RAW. Cooked only.

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• Foramini
• Apr 19, 2019

Good luck!

 

[lily cd re]

Hunger pukes for sure. A little overnight snack ability like maybe a little kibble in a puzzle toy in his crate should make that stop pretty easily.