Have you seen that your dog has had white vomit and you wonder what’s wrong and what to do? The truth is that vomiting in dogs is a possible indicator or symptom that they may be sick, although they can also emit thick, white saliva from their mouths for reasons other than illness. For example, if they exercise too much or eat too quickly, they may have this reaction, but it can also be due to a gastrointestinal problem, among other possibilities.
In the following OneHOWTO article we will answer the question: why does my dog vomit white foam? Keep reading and learn about the possible causes, as well as what to do for your dog or what to give it and when it is convenient to go to the vet.
You may also be interested in: Why does my dog vomit green?
Index
- Main causes of vomiting with white foam in dogs
- eat too fast or too much
- You exercise too much
- Has gastric distension and torsion
- have bilious vomiting syndrome
- Has the rabies virus
- Why does my dog vomit white foam and have diarrhea?
- Why does my dog vomit white foam and does not want to eat?
- Why does my dog vomit white foam and tremble?
- Why does my dog vomit white saliva and can’t breathe?
- What to do if my dog vomits white foam
Main causes of vomiting with white foam in dogs
To begin, as a summary, we cite the main causes of white vomiting in dogs , however there are many more.
- That the dog eats or drinks water too quickly.
- Let the dog exercise excessively in a short time.
- Gastrointestinal problems, such as gastritis, gastroenteritis, stomach torsion, bilious vomiting or biliary vomiting.
- Respiratory problems, such as tracheal collapse or kennel cough.
- Heart problems, such as heart failure, arrhythmias, murmurs, muscle thickening, or valve stenosis.
- Viruses that affect the CNS or Central Nervous System, such as the rabies virus.
In addition, it should be borne in mind that there are some dog breeds that are more likely to vomit white foam, as is the case with brachycephalic dog breeds or breeds with a tendency to suffer from heart problems. Some of the best known are all types of bulldog, pug or pug, boxer and shih tzu.
Below, we explain some of these conditions that cause a dog to vomit white foam. Take note of all this information in order to help your faithful friend, but remember that only a veterinarian can make a diagnosis and indicate treatment.
eat too fast or too much
This is one of the most common reasons why a dog vomits white foam. If you have noticed that your dog seems to be unwell and seeing his symptoms you have thought something like “my dog vomits white slime” or “my dog vomits transparent slime”, it is very likely that he has eaten or drank too much . speed . Normally, if the vomit is like transparent slime, it will be that he has taken a lot of water at once, choked and expelled it, so it is water and slime. On the other hand, if it is white foam, it may be due to eating too quickly or too much and, in addition, in these cases there may also be some remains of food, even whole or little chewed.
It happens in the same way if at the time of serving his food we exceed the portion served, thinking that he will eat in a rationed way by himself, but on many occasions dogs eat until the plate is empty, which causes their diet to be altered.
When vomiting and retching are continuous, it may mean that something is blocked in the dog’s tract or that there is another problem or disease. If this happens, it is best to contact a veterinarian immediately.
You exercise too much
Just as it happens to us, doing a lot of exercise can cause vomiting in dogs . The reasons for this are because, by eliminating too much water when running, they become dehydrated, in addition to the fact that they have also been breathing in a forced way, the latter collaborating with nausea in dogs.
It’s important to exercise your dog in a controlled manner, making sure you don’t exceed his endurance and providing him with a water source whenever he feels thirsty. If you don’t watch this situation, your dog could get heat stroke or faint due to fatigue. You may be interested in this other article on Heat stroke in dogs: symptoms and treatment .
Has gastric distension and torsion
Abdominal distention or gastric dilatation is an abdominal inflammation that affects dogs and is the cause of vomiting in the form of foam or thick saliva. This is a symptom of one of the most serious gastric problems in dogs, since you have to act fast. The swelling of the belly originates due to a torsion in the dog’s stomach , which obstructs the circulation of both food and blood in this area and if hours or a day are allowed to pass, it can cause the death of the dog. Therefore, it is necessary to take him to the vet for an emergency operation .
This serious problem occurs mainly when a dog, especially if it has a wide abdominal region, such as large breeds, eats or drinks quickly and/or right after it jumps, runs or does some type of strong or prolonged exercise. Due to the horizontal posture of your body, the full stomach weighs and falls like a full bag that, if there is enough space in the abdomen, can swing and turn on itself, thus closing the passage and circulation both in the entrance and exit of the stomach.
Luckily, to notice if our furry suffers gastric torsion, we can look at several symptoms: the dog will be more restless, it will be difficult for him to vomit stomach contents or defecate, presence of cough, he will not allow you to touch his stomach and will present a constant drooling which may occur as a “vomit” of thick white saliva . We leave the word “vomit” in quotation marks because in this case it would be saliva, that is, we would only see white foam coming from the mouth and not from the stomach.
In this other OneHOWTO post you can learn how to avoid stomach torsion in dogs .
have bilious vomiting syndrome
Another cause of white vomit in dogs occurs when they suffer from biliary or bilious vomiting. This vomit can be clear and whitish or it can be completely yellow and occurs when the animal has had an empty stomach for a long time, too many acids and bile accumulate in it and, in the end, due to dizziness and stomach discomfort, it expels it in the form of vomit with white and yellow foam.
In this other link you can learn more about why my dog vomits yellow .
Has the rabies virus
When a dog vomits white foam easily, we think it may be rabies , since this disease causes excessive salivation. It is important to understand that vomiting in rabies occurs as the final stage of the disease, being preceded by other symptoms that are easily detectable, such as our dog becoming very aggressive or beginning to behave differently from those it usually has, for For example, when it comes to food.
However, today it is not very worrying in most countries because, if you visit the veterinarian frequently , this situation is easily avoidable, since rabies vaccines are usually administered to dogs. For you to know more about this disease, here we tell you How to know if your dog has rabies .
In addition, there are cases in which we can see more symptoms at the same time as foamy vomiting , as we will see in the next sections, along with the possible causes.
Why does my dog vomit white foam and have diarrhea?
Sometimes it can happen that the dog vomits whitish foam and, in addition, has diarrhea. In these cases, it is clear that the animal’s digestive system is affected. Some of the main causes of a dog having diarrhea and white vomit are:
- Indigestion or congestion.
- Obstruction in the digestive tract.
- Stress or fear.
- Gastric, intestinal or gastrointestinal infection.
When a dog has these symptoms, it is necessary to go to the veterinarian and it must be done urgently if there is blood in the stool or in the vomit. This is one of the usual symptoms in some serious diseases, such as canine parvovirus.
So that you have more useful information if you find that your furry has these problems of vomiting and loose stools or diarrhea, we recommend these other articles from OneHOWTO in which we explain What a dog with diarrhea should eat and My dog has diarrhea and vomiting, ¿ what can i give you?
Why does my dog vomit white foam and does not want to eat?
Sometimes, the dog may vomit and does not even want to taste his food, even if it is his favorite. In these cases, it is likely that you feel sick to your stomach or even heartburn and, therefore, do not want to eat anything. Normally, it will be a gastritis in which there is inflammation of the internal part of the stomach, that is, of its mucosa. The most common is that gastritis is caused by a virus, so stomach inflammation and its symptoms, such as vomiting and loss of appetite among others, will disappear when the virus ends its cycle.
If your dog vomits white foam and does not want to eat , it is necessary that, although you need patience, you must offer him water in small quantities and some soft foods, such as chicken broth, grilled turkey meat or sausage without added salt, etc. . Here you can learn more about What can a dog with gastritis eat . In addition, you will have to follow the indications and the treatment that the veterinarian tells you.
Why does my dog vomit white foam and tremble?
When a dog trembles it can mean several things, which we detail in this other post on Why my dog trembles . For example, in the event that the dog has white vomit and tremors, it may be due to stress, anxiety or fear , but also to diseases such as canine distemper or distemper, intoxication or poisoning , hypoglycemia or even it may be due to the side effects of any medication you take.
Due to the fact that the causes for which a dog vomits white foam and trembles are very varied and can be something mild or very serious, it will be vital to speak to the veterinarian as soon as possible, especially if more symptoms appear, it is a puppy or a can be elderly or with a previous health problem or if the animal has been like this for a day and has not improved.
Why does my dog vomit white saliva and can’t breathe?
In this case, the dog may be suffering from what is known as tracheal collapse , a degenerative pathology that mainly affects small dogs and, above all, from the age of six. What happens is that all or some of the rings of the trachea have some deformity or flattening, which causes their obstruction, so the dog suffocates or chokes. The dog can have an outbreak in situations such as exposure to allergens and irritants, if the collar is used and the leash is squeezed or pulled causing the collar to press on the trachea, if it is obese, if it runs very fast, if it drinks very fast or even when upset, even if it is for emotion or joy.
When this happens, the dog has trouble breathing and, in the most severe cases, can have white foam and vomit and require veterinary attention so that they are administered bronchodilators so that they do not choke. However, in most cases, it goes away on its own, without treatment, by stopping what you were doing, for example removing the collar or preventing it from drinking at the time, also helping it to calm down and gently massaging the area of the throat.
What to do if my dog vomits white foam
Finally, after knowing the possible causes of why a dog vomits white foam, we will tell you what you can do in such a case with this series of tips to care for a dog with white vomit :
- Pay attention to more symptoms.
- Do not allow him to eat or lick his vomit, as some dogs have this behavior, which can occur for various reasons.
- Offer him some cool water, but don’t force him to drink or give him too much.
- Remove possible objects that he may have bitten and caused his vomiting.
- Call or go to the vet and follow all their instructions.
- Observe if the vomiting is repeated and if they do, write down how often to tell the vet.
In this OneHOWTO article we tell you more about what to do if your dog vomits .
When to go to the vet if my dog vomits white foam
In principle, it is best to go to the vet whenever our dog vomits white (or has any change in behavior or appearance) or, at least, call him to discuss it and, depending on what we explain, tell us what to do, what other symptoms to observe or at what time to take him to his consultation.
