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Throwing Up in the Morning in Dogs
Written By hannah hollinger
Published: 06/27/2017Updated: 10/28/2021
Veterinary reviewed by Michele K.
What is Throwing Up in the Morning?
It is not normal behavior for your dog to be throwing up in the morning. You need to have your dog thoroughly checked by a veterinarian to determine the cause of your dog’s morning sickness. Most likely your dog is throwing up bile, which is a yellowish liquid, early in the morning or even sometime in the middle of the night. This occurs because their stomach is empty and has been for some time. This is referred to as reflux gastritis. Another possible cause for unaltered female dogs is pregnancy. If your dog is pregnant, the morning sickness will stop once she delivers her puppies.
If you notice your dog is throwing up most mornings, you need to make an appointment with your veterinarian. Your dog may just need to be fed smaller meals more often to alleviate stomach upset or it may be a more serious condition that requires veterinary care.
Possible causes of your dog throwing up in the morning include:
- Reflux gastritis
- Pregnancy
- Pancreatitis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Colitis
Why Throwing Up in the Morning Occurs in Dogs
Reflux Gastritis
While reflux gastritis sounds horrible, it occurs when your dog’s stomach is no longer able to tolerate a large buildup of the acid that in the stomach that occurs when they rest for long periods of time, such as at night. Most dogs go to bed with an empty stomach so there is no food within the stomach to act as a buffer for the acid. Giving your dog a small snack before bed can help alleviate reflux gastritis and stop them from throwing up in the morning.
Pregnancy
Just like with humans, dogs can experience morning sickness when they are pregnant. The morning sickness should go away once she whelps.
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is when there is inflammation in the pancreas. It can cause your dog to throw up bile in the mornings. You may notice your dog is lethargic, weak and has a decreased appetite, and this is a serious condition requiring medical care. Your veterinarian can run diagnostic tests to help determine if your dog is indeed suffering from pancreatitis.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Also known as IBD, inflammatory bowel disease can cause your dog to throw up in the morning. IBD develops for a number of different reasons. Your dog may suffer from gastric immobility and that may cause IBD to occur. When your dog first wakes up and becomes active, they may vomit anything that is in their stomach. Your veterinarian can suggest diet change and possible medications and dietary supplements.
Colitis
Colitis will impede your dog’s ability to normally process food and this causes gastric distress. Parts of your dog’s bowel system will become inflamed and cause regular diarrhea, flatulence and vomiting. Your veterinarian can recommend diet changes and possible medications to alleviate colitis.
What to do if your Dog is Throwing Up in the Morning
Be sure to have your dog thoroughly checked by your veterinarian when you notice that they are consistently throwing up in the morning. Once your veterinarian has examined your dog, they will probably order diagnostic tests to determine the exact cause of your dog’s vomiting. Medications may be prescribed to alleviate the symptoms of your dog’s symptoms. Be sure to give all medications as prescribed to avoid overdosing your dog.
Ask your veterinarian about changing your dog’s diet and adding a dietary supplement. In some instances changing the amount of food given or the number of times per day that you feed your dog will help alleviate the throwing up in the morning.
Prevention of Throwing Up in the Morning
Preventing your dog from becoming afflicted with reflux gastritis can be relatively simple. Do not feed your dog one large meal per day; instead, feed them several small meals throughout the day. Your dog’s final meal for the day can be a small snack right before they go to bed.
Never feed your dog table scraps, this can cause stomach upset. Table scraps can cause pancreatitis in dogs. Do not give your dog excessive treats that can cause your dog to experience stomach upset.
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Cost of Throwing Up in the Morning
The cost of treatment will largely depend on the diagnosis that is given for your dog. If your dog has been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease treatments can cost between $300 and $6000. Pancreatitis in dogs can be treated for $800 to $6000. Treatment costs for colitis can range from $300 to $2000. Curious about which health plan is right for your dog? Head over to Forbes' breakdown of pet insurance.
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Throwing Up in the Morning Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Five Years
20 found this helpful
20 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
My dog has thrown up three mornings in a row at 4 am. It’s processed food from the night before
Jan. 2, 2021
Answered by Dr. Linda S. MVB MRCVS
20 Recommendations
There are many reasons this could happen.
It shows his gut isn't digesting the food as it should as we should rule pout a gut obstruction.
A vet check is best and they will examine him and may do some imaging such as an abdominal xray or scan.
Jan. 2, 2021
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Dachshund
Ten Years
28 found this helpful
28 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
Yesterday and today she has vomited once in the morning. Yesterday it was all clear and I figured it was because she drank her water too fast (she had just guzzled). This morning there was food in the vomit as well. Still acting and eating/drinking normally. She still seems to have energy and is going to the restroom normally. No blood in the vomit and she hasn't gotten into anything to my knowledge.
Oct. 2, 2020
Answered by Dr. Sara O. DVM
28 Recommendations
Hello so sorry to hear about your dog. Some dogs will eat their food very fast or drink water very fast and cause them to vomit. Try to get her to slow down when she eats. She may also have an upset stomach, it this continues, try a bland diet of chicken and rice to see if that settles her stomach. Good Luck.
Oct. 3, 2020
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Silver Lab
5 months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
He has thrown up water the last several mornings in a row & has had a decrease in appetite.
Sept. 29, 2020
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question, I'm sorry that your puppy is not feeling well. I do get very concerned in puppies for intestinal parasites, infectious diseases like parvovirus, or things that they should should not have eaten that can cause GI upset. If this is something that is not improving, I think it would be best to have your puppy seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. They will be able to examine your puppy, see what might be going on, and get treatment before she becomes more ill. I hope that all goes well for your puppy.
Sept. 29, 2020
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Redbone Coonhound
Five Years
16 found this helpful
16 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Throwing Up Bile Am Day 3
Is there anything I can give him to prevent the reflux gastritis in the mornings
Sept. 27, 2020
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
16 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. .
Some dogs do better with a small treat in their stomach at bedtime. Otherwise, without knowing more about your dog, it is difficult for me to say. If he is still having this problem, It would be best to have your pet seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine them, see what might be going on, and get any treatment that they might need.
Oct. 13, 2020
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French Bulldog
Seven Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
My dog has been throwing up saliva most mornings for about a month or so. I have gone to the vet 3 times and I don't have a straightforward answer as to what is wrong with him. His bloodwork show there is no serious underlying issue. When given antiacids, he still continues to throw up in the morning. Now I am adding probiotics to his meals, and he still throws up 3/4 times. I have spaced his meals to every 8 hours (3 times a day). He is not lethargic, and is just his happy normal self. He already eats hypoallergenic food, so we have not changed that yet, but are considering it... any advice?
Sept. 25, 2020
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. I apologize for the delay, this venue is not set up for urgent emails.
I think, if x-rays and/or an ultrasound have not been performed, that would be the next step, as your veterinarian may be able to identify possible pathology in the intestinal tract.
It would be best to have your pet seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine them, see what might be going on, and get any testing or treatment taken care of that might be needed.
Oct. 20, 2020
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Australian Shepherd
Penny
9 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Throwing Up In The Mornings.
My sweet girl is a 9 months old Australian Shepard. She has thrown up at 5:00 am for the past 4 mornings. It is a light brown/yellow color and not a huge amount. No food in it. She eats,drinks, poops etc normally and has same energy level. She eats in morning at 6 am and again at 6 pm. Any thoughts?
Lab/shep/corgi
California (Cali)
1 Year
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomit Mucos, Violent Hiccups
My puppy is 1 now. She has always been prone to vomiting, like carsickness and her vet was not concerned. She also got the hiccups a lot. Both have suddenly escalated, but she is fine otherwise. Appetite and play. She vomits mostly when it is morning, or at the time I get home after being gone 10 hours.
toy poodle
Belfy
25 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Tierd
Yellow Vomiting
It's about 3 days my dog vomiting yellow liquid, he is eating normally, once or twice a day. he was ok before and after vomiting in first 2 days but in 3 days he looks so tired and his stomach make some noises and he is not eating anything even his favorite food (Boiled chicken), any advice. right now I'm writing this I'm waiting for his veterinarian to response if this is something I have to worried please let me know
Siberian Husky
Koba
1 Year
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Morning Vomiting
My 1½yr old Husky keeps throwing up yellow/slightly foamy bile with grass in it almost every morning. He's fine right before and fine after. He drinks water all day and is energetic when he wants to be. But both of my Huskies sleep a lot during the day between play times. They're not your average overly energetic Huskies. They eat twice a day but since they're not extremely active they don't eat a lot and some nights will eat just a little bit. Then they snack on hard food throughout the day. He seems perfectly normal otherwise, no changes in attitude or energy, still very well built and muscular as well. Not sure what could be causing this. If I split their meals up to 3-4 times per day, it's a matter of getting them to actually eat it.
Boxer
Sandy
5 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
Sandy has been throwing up off and on for a week. Wake up in the morning and she throws up what looks like food from the night before. She had not touched her breakfast yet but it has bits in it. It’s usually with a large amount of clear slimy liquid and foam. She doesn’t try to eat right after or even a few hours after.
