Vomiting on Empty Stomach
We are concerned about Tara, our two-year-old Alaskan Malamute. Several times a week she begins to drool and then vomits a small amount of yellow liquid. This happens first thing in the morning and sometimes causes her to have a poor appetite that morning. We never seem to notice her vomiting at night and her activity and attitude in general is very good. Is there something seriously wrong with her or is it ok as long as she eats later in the day?
How many times a day does she eat and when is her last meal
of the day? This is important because it's possible she cannot
handle having a completely empty stomach which would explain why
she only vomits first thing in the morning. Drooling is often
a sign of nausea. Her drooling may be caused by the reflux of
stomach acid into her esophagus, which can be irritating. The
gastric acids, pepsin, and bile salts usually found in the yellow
liquid probably are causing some mild damage to her esophageal
wall and leaving her feeling like she doesn't want to eat in the
morning.
If you are not already doing so, feed her twice a day and give
her evening meal a couple of hours before she goes to bed. Most
dogs, especially large breeds that are predisposed to bloat, should
be eating twice a day. Try this change in feeding schedule and
consult your veterinarian should the problem persist. If the problem
persists, your veterinarian will recommend diagnostic tests to
determine the cause of the vomiting.
Hopefully it is just a matter of not letting her stomach get empty
and upset. Again, please consult your veterinarian if this initial
plan does not resolve the problem.
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