Why is my dog vomiting white foam?

by

Being with a healthy dog is always a beautiful experience but when you see your dog get sick then that is most painful. We as dog owners always be ready to treat or prevent most common diseases like cold or tick fever.

But we get panic when we see our dog is vomiting white foam. Because we are not prepared for this. Why do dogs vomit white foam can range from mild stomach upset to severe rabies. In order to know the severity, you need to observe the frequency of vomiting white foam.

Gastritis is normal and harmless. Can be treated at home but chronic vomiting of white foam you need to get your dog to your veterinarian as soon as possible.

dog vomiting white foam
White foam dog spoiltpups

Causes behind your dog’s vomiting white foam

The leading causes of your dog vomiting white foam are

  1.  Indigestion due to eating the foreign object
  2.  Bilious Vomiting Syndrome
  3.  Pancreatitis
  4.  Bloat
  5.  A kennel cough
  6.  Rabies 
  7. Parvovirus

1. Dog Vomiting White foam by ingesting a toxic foreign object

Vomiting is basically caused by two things one due to a foreign object which is not suitable for digestion and the second one can be toxin which the body needs to throw it out. An upset stomach is the main cause of dog vomiting white foam. Dogs love to keep every small thing in their mouth.

Sometimes accidentally it might have consumed. Keeping the small toys out of their reach is advisable. Some of the household items like floor cleaner liquid cannot be dog safe. If you have a garden make sure he is not near the plants where pesticides are used. There are certain plants which are toxic for dogs, knowing them in prior is a good way to prevent Dog Vomiting white foam.

By taking small steps we can prevent the Ingestion /Upset stomach problem which causes dog vomiting white foam. Avoid getting toxic floor cleaners, instead buy the one which is pet safe. If that is a problem, keep floor cleaning liquid out of their reach or tightly capped. Never use any poison to kill rats or roaches, even if you do make sure you tie your dog away during the time. Keep your garden free from the list of toxic plants. Some plants are not at all good for dogs to consume. It always helps Veterinarians to diagnose what caused white foam if you know any of the above the above is missing or disturbed.

See also  Can dogs eat ice cream? Recipes for Dog-safe Homemade Ice Cream

2. Bilious Vomiting Syndrome can be a cause of dog throwing up white foam

If the dog is throwing up yellowish-white foam in the morning then this could be Bilious Vomiting Syndrome. It could be due to acid building up overnight in his stomach. Also called reflux gastritis caused due to the accumulation of bile and stomach acids. Bile and stomach acids are useful for the digestion of food. But in some cases when the dogs skip the meal or not fed in the regular interval or due to excessive production of digestive juices, this results in excessive accumulation of acids which causes irritation in the stomach and makes a dog vomit the white-yellowish foam.

Bilious Vomiting Syndrome can be treated with feeding small quantities of food at regular intervals. Making sure to provide not acidic food just bland boiled rice and some chicken. Usually, the digestive juices will be more early in the morning due to building up overnight. In order to reduce the effect of digestive juices, feed the dog small snack or a small portion of non-acidic food first thing in the morning and also before going to bed. This is the easiest way to tackle a serious problem.

Even after following this your dog is throwing up yellowish-white foam then the dog needs to be treated with acid-reducing medications. These medications work in a similar way as an antacid for humans. The persisting vomiting can be inflammatory bowel disease which is treatable with antacid medicines. A veterinarian can recommend the best medicine after examining your dog physically. Most of the times these medicines help the dog owners who are not very consistent in the feeding schedule.

3. White foam Vomit in dogs may be due to Pancreatitis

One of the signs of Pancreatitis is the dog will be experiencing more abdominal pain, fever and hunched-over position. What is Pancreatitis? Pancreas help in digestion of food. But when there is inflammation of pancreas this interrupts the normal digestion.

When the food is not properly digested, it causes irritation in the stomach and semi-digested food is thrown out along with white foam (digestive juices). When the Pancreas is not functioning normally there are more chances that the dog will be affected by Canine diabetes. Pancreatitis can easily be recognized from physical pain symptoms along with throwing up of white foam with undigested food. Consulting Vet is a high priority, dogs will stop eating and become too tired even to consume anything.

See also  Does my dog know when i am sad?

4. First signs of Bloat is Dogs vomit white foam

Bloat is a serious life-threatening condition for a dog. No one knows when exactly it happens. But in order to prevent bloating avoid dog to be very active after feeding meals. What is bloating or gastric dilation? The dog’s stomach becomes twisted in the abdomen which will trap air, food, and fluids.

This will damage internal organs and the dog will be in immense pain which will lead to death. The major symptom is white foam vomit including excessive drooling, coughing, pale gums, unsuccessful attempts to defecate and restlessness. Immediate Vet intervention is needed in this case.

5. A Dog vomiting white foam can be Kennel a cough

Kennel cough is not a life-threatening disease, nothing to worry about. If your dog is experiencing dry hacking cough all day, with a runny nose or eye discharge accompanied by vomiting white foam, then it could be a sign for kennel cough.

If you have recently taken your dog to any boarding facility, dog park or any multi-dog house or dog training class then this upper respiratory infection can strike. Although Kennel a cough limits itself for two weeks and clears, it is always best to seek Veterinarian attention.

6. Least likely be Rabies

The end stage rabies symptom is dog vomiting white foam. Prior to this, the dog shows really aggressive behavior. The white foam during rabies happens due to damage of mouth and throat nerve damage that makes dog incapable of swallowing food. Nowadays Rabies never can happen for a pet dog who is fully vaccinated. If your dog is up to date on its vaccines then white foam throwing up is not a sign of rabies.

7. Foamy vomit is it Parvovirus

One of the life-threatening disease in the puppies and very young dogs. Usually happens in the multi-dog environment. When the puppies get in contact with the dog feces the chances of getting parvo is higher. The major symptoms are vomiting of white foam, strong odor diarrhea which also contains blood. Signs of illness generally show only after a week of exposure to the virus.

If the dogs and puppies are given proper vaccinations then the immunity is built. Consult the Vet immediately because in very rare cases a parvo infected pup will survive. The mortality rate is high in the pups infected with Parvovirus.

See also  New Study Confirms that Dogs Can Recognize a Bad Person

How do I know if its a Vomit or Regurgitation?

Regurgitation is when the dog throws up food as it is. The process of digestion is not yet started and the dog just throws up whatever it ate. This happens when the dog has eaten its food too fast. If this happens nothing to worry. On the other hand, Vomit is a serious issue. Vomit happens during the digestion process when the dog throws up semi-digested food along with greenish/yellowish white fluids. This needs to be treated as a serious issue and taken to the Vet for the treatment.

What do you give a dog with an upset stomach?

If your dog is experiencing regular Bilious Vomiting Syndrome or reflux gastritis, follow this home remedy

  • Feeding the dog during vomiting or diarrhea will prolong his discomfort, so keep him on fasting for a minimum of 12 hours. A dog can go on starving for a comfortable 12 to 24 hours without any problem, no need to feel sorry for him. It actually helps him to heal quick.
  • Make sure he is within the reach of fresh water all the times.
  • After the fasting is complete feed him bland diet. Boiled rice and boneless chicken. The ratio is 2 parts of boiled rice and 1 part of bread chicken. Chicken should be well cooked. After the 12 or 24 hours start feeding him in small quantities. Three to four times a day for at least 2 to 3 days. After that gradually increase the portion and come back to his normal diet.
    Preferably mix small quantities of his normal food to this bland diet for a couple of days. slowly move on to his original diet. If you feel bland diet is healthy for your dog, continue the same.
  • Always add a spoon full of yogurt or any probiotic medicine to the dog’s food, this helps to soothe the stomach and add helpful bacteria into the stomach.
  • Stomach helping food(that reduces acidity) are pumpkin, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and bananas.

Finally, if your dog will indicate how severe the situation is. If the dog is behaving normally except for the vomiting, you can wait for a bit longer and see what happens. But if he is lethargic or refuses to eat food, then he needs to go to the Vet immediately.