vomiting at night

[pigpog]

I'm hoping some of you can help me out with a strange problem Piggy has had several times over the past month. He wakes up in the middle of the night or very early in the morning (between about 3 and 7AM) and either vomits or licks his lips and gags a lot. Usually it's just a little bit of normal looking vomit, nothing like bile or foam, but he seems to feel quite unwell for about 20 minutes or so afterwards. I've found that taking him outside into the fresh air and letting him walk around the garden for a little while helps a lot, and after about 20 minutes he seems to feel fine and falls back to sleep. He is alert and responsive the entire time, and it seems to startle him as much as it does me when he wakes up; he will jump up off his bed when he starts gagging and seems quite surprised to be awakened so early and in such an unpleasant way.

Piggy has been on the BRAVO! pre-mixed food for about 2 months now (the ones with veggies and bones in it already), and other than this he seems to be doing beautifully. He very rarely vomits otherwise, unless he has gotten into something naughty. Has anyone experienced this night vomiting? I have no clue what it could be, and both Piggy and I are getting a bit weary of these sad early morning wake up calls. It’s a hard thing to tackle, particularly since I’m usually sleeping right before these episodes happen and have only seen him wake twice, so I don’t know if anything strange is going on before he starts vomiting. Any advice would be much appreciated!

[gmacleod]

Mmmm. What exactly is his vomit like? Does it contain food, or is it just plain liquid?

When what's being vomitted is a yellowish bile (sans food) then often the problem is simply that the dog's tummy has been empty too long. You can thus frequently solve the problem by feeding more frequent smaller meals or by giving a late night snack. If that's his case, then trying those options is certainly worthwhile.

But if it's food he's vomitting, then the cause would be entirely different, and possibly a medical problem or something related to the food itself that doesn't agree with him.

[franp]

I have had the same problem with Dari..And I feed her Bravo as well..

She started to throw up (like clockwork) at 4 AM; ONLY bile..The dr suggested feeding her before bed..In Dari's case (to make a long story short) we ended up using medication to solve the problem.

She has what is called"Ideopathic motility disorder".all that means is that after allot of tests, no one knows why she was vomiting even with food and meds..

According to my Vet,this is NOT an uncommon occurance..Usually it can be corrected by a meal before bed..If not, then a meal and an antacid..

Try feeding a meal, not a snack..(if the vomit is bile) If a meal does not work, call the vet and ask about antiacid.

[EllieMae]

Ellie Mae does the same thing and I am thinking that it is her food. She vomits bile (not yellow) or food early in the morning. If she doesnt puke then she gags and coughs. She is getting a new kind of food today, so hopefully that helps. If not she is off to the vet.:( poor baby.

[pigpog]

Thanks so much for all your help..

It sort of looks like bile in terms of color, but there seems to be a bit of substance to it (who ever knew I'd be describing puppy puke online?) I will try feeding my little pig closer to bedtime and see if that helps. I hope Ellie Mae feels better on her new food, and that all the other puppies are feeling well.

Thanks again!!!

[Piperloo]

This is strange but Piper was doing that too. Only first thing in the morning upon getting up. She'd eat her breakfast with no problem and be fine for the rest of the day. It went on for months with no explanation. Then one day she had an intestinal blockage - unbeknownced to me she ate some dead creature off the lawn :eek: - and after she passed it she NEVER vomited in the morning again! Now, I don't know if the dead thing was festering for a while or if the entire thing was a coincidence but all I know is that it rectified itself.

You could try maybe giving Piggy an unsalted saltine cracker or two before bedtime. It may absorb any stomach acid accumulating over night and may help in the morning. I give one or two to Piper when she has an upset stomach in the morning and won't eat breakfast.
Piperloo

[EllieMae]

Ellie Mae is switched to Holistic Blend (Solid Gold) and she is doing way better. I noticed a change in One day, her food was bugging her that much! Poor little Monkey. So that is my advise for your little pig:D

[Lisa]

You could try maybe giving Piggy an unsalted saltine cracker or two before bedtime.
Piperloo

Unsalted Saltine? :confused:
Sorry Piperloo - couldn't resist...;)

Lamont has been doing this a lot lately too.
I'm perplexed but then again, everything Lamont does perplexes me these days.

He brings up actual food - he's not digesting something or perhaps his food is too rich.

We're off to the vet this week anyway so maybe he'll have the answer ...

[bgbuash]

i am replying about the early morning throwing up b/c i just feel like i have to tell you what happened with my puppy over the weekend...she threw up early morning, around 4, it was mainly liquid, bile..then went back to sleep...she was sleepy all day, had thrown up once again, but no diarrhea..and i took her to the vet at 4 pm, and then and 2 hours later, she died...13 weeks old...this is the worst thing that has ever happened to me, and probably the worst case scenario, not to scare you, but thought you should know...:(

[Lisa]

Oh my god that’s dreadful!
I’m so sorry!
How terrible for you…

[bgbuash]

yes, it was crazy...just the most unexpected thing...i wasnt worried about a little vomit...then everything just turned

[Jordy Bos]

I am not an expert, but i would change the food. Two weeks ago i gave my frenchie pedigree for about two days, and she was vomiting for two days non stop. Onze i switched back to "duck" burgers, she was doing great again.

Could be an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in the food.

Good luck, and keep us posted...

Jordy.

[pigpog]

Hi everybody...here's an update:

Switching to feeding later in the evening is working pretty well for the Pigman. He hasn't had any more late night/early morning episodes since the switch, which is a big relief. After thinking about it for a while, there seems to have been a definite link between the time of day I was feeding him and the occasions when he became ill.

bgbuash, I almost cried reading your post...I'm so, so, sorry for your loss. I had a terrible experience with Piggy eating half a bottle of Advil that his big brother (a pitbull) chewed open when he was about the same age. It was a close call, and he was in the hospital for a week until we knew for sure that he would be ok. It's wonderful to have a dog you can love so much, but when they're ill it's absolutely heartbreaking. I'm sure that your little puppy had a wonderful, happy life while he was lucky enough to be with you.

Thanks so much again to everyone who offered advice; so far, so good. Piggy says thanks, too, and sends you a *snarklesnarflleoink." I'll keep you posted!

[Rojas]

My frenchie, Butch also has vomiting problems. I have taken him to the vet, but the vet doesn't seem to make a big deal out of it. She just makes suggestions such as change his diet and don't let him play after eating.

He used to vomit kibble when he was younger, but now he only vomits after drinking, with no kibble. So, I don't think it has to do with the food we are feeding him, especially since we have tried to change his diet. He vomits almost everytime he drinks. His activity is normal, he plays, has a good appetite, and doesn't appear to have any discomfort. And the doctor says that overall, he seems healthy.

I believe that this may have to do with his soft pallate and might have to get it shortened. The only recommendation my vet could give is to bring Butch to a french bull dog specialist, which I plan on doing very soon. There is a good chance that Butch might need surgery.

I have met a person at the dog park with a french bull dog who vomits. One of my friends bull dogs vomits as well.

Butch doesn't throw up during specific times such as mornings or nights, mainly after drinking. Does anyone have any advise or could relate to my situation?? Thank you for taking the time to read or reply back to my message. I appreciate it.

[franp]

My suggestion is to get your dog to a a Bulldog specialist ASAP...

Soft palate problems are not just throwing up..They can cause aspirational pneumonia..There is also the issue of cardiac insufficiency..Your dog is not getting enough oxygen..

Every time your dog throws up he risks swallowing the vomitus and getting it into his lungs causing pneumonia..Not an easy one to cure; and one that reoccurs..

Has your dog been neutered yet? Most people have the palate checked(and if necessary) the surgery done at the same time as the neuter.. The ONLY way the palate can be checked is under anesthetic..

[Carolyn]

She has what is called"Ideopathic motility disorder".all that means is that after allot of tests, no one knows why she was vomiting even with food and meds..


Ferris and Dari seem to have the same issue and they are both on the same meds. Ferris is doing just fine now. Like Fran said....get your pup to a vet who knows flat faced breeds......