Why Dogs Vomit in the Morning & How Fresh Food Helps

If there’s anything that makes a proud pet owner worry, it’s finding out their dog throws up in the morning. A slight relief is that it’s not necessarily a health-related issue, but most probably a question of diet. 

These “hunger pukes” are pretty standard across all breeds, and it’s a sign that you might want to take a closer look at your furry friend’s diet. One way to avoid such stressful situations is to switch to a fresh-food diet. 

Our Pawy experts will explain how this change can benefit your dog’s health, as well as prevent those yellow bile marks staining your floor. 

What Leads to Dogs Vomiting Yellow Bile?

The most common cause of yellow vomit in dogs might surprise you, as it’s actually hunger. In other words, it’s your pet’s reaction to having an empty stomach for an extended period. So, if you spot your dog throwing up yellow bile in the morning, it’s most likely due to the digestive fluid irritating the stomach lining after fasting overnight. 

This irritation triggers nausea further down the line and leads to early morning vomiting. In this case, it’s a good sign if the vomiting only happens early in the morning. It’s simply an aftermath of the day’s longest fast, since your pet probably has one or two meals throughout the day.

As long as your dog throws up in the morning only, there is a simple solution. Switching to a fresh-food diet, like the tailored plans from Pawy experts, supports digestion and reduces stress on the stomach lining. Plus, giving your dog a late-evening snack will reduce the time between meals, helping prevent bilious vomiting.

Other Reasons for Early Morning Vomiting

If you’re wondering, “Why does my dog throw up in the morning?”, checking the symptoms mentioned above is a good place to start. However, if yellow bile isn’t the only symptom, you’ll need to perform a few additional checkups. These are the other most common potential reasons for morning vomiting:

1. Digestive Problems

In a lot of ways, dogs are like us when it comes to the way food is processed in their digestive systems. That’s why common conditions like acid reflux also happen to them, especially in the case of a poor diet. 

For instance, processed foods that contain artificial additives and preservatives often lead to acid reflux, which might trigger vomiting. On the other hand, there could be something obstructing your dog’s intestines, and the vomiting in this case occurs as a reflex.

2. Food Allergies and Intolerances

Your pet’s organism is just as sensitive as a human’s, so any allergies or intolerances might cause early morning vomiting. It’s simply the immune system reacting, or even the digestive tract struggling to break down certain ingredients due to intolerances.

Food intolerances can cause a whole-body reaction, which can help diagnose the issue. For instance, if you also spot your dog struggling with diarrhea or gas, you’ll know what you’re dealing with. In the same vein, allergies are often accompanied by symptoms such as skin redness, itching, and digestive problems. 

3. Organ Problems or Inflammations

One of the worst-case scenarios is vomiting caused by internal organ problems. It can be an early sign of conditions such as pancreatitis, liver disease, or kidney disease. If vomiting persists, a veterinarian will assess the timing, frequency, and severity to diagnose potential organ problems.

Further analysis, such as blood work or urinalysis, is then conducted to assess the function of your dog's kidneys or liver. The content of the vomit is crucial here, as a dog throwing up yellow bile probably only suffers from an empty-stomach digestive reaction. Still, if the unprocessed food content is high, you should take your pet to a vet and have further diagnostics run.

Why Fresh Food Makes All the Difference 

For those dealing with common vomiting in the morning, switching to a fresh food diet is a simple solution. Everything starts with the food intake, which is why fresh food is much easier to digest than dry kibble or any other heavily processed foods. 

At Pawy, our expert veterinarians and pet nutritionists consider your dog's specific needs and overall health, including known allergies and intolerances. They then craft a custom diet, and you start receiving regular meal packages at your doorstep.

Slow-cooked meat, veggies, and locally sourced items hit the stomach way easier than rock-hard processed foods. That makes them much easier to digest, and sticking to a diet of fresh foods with an occasional late-evening snack might completely eliminate morning vomiting. 

A fresh-food diet also leads to lower stomach acid buildup, and the higher water content helps regulate digestion. Most importantly, that bothersome yellow bile buildup will be gone, and your pet will have a much easier time enjoying each meal.

Make the Switch Today

Ultimately, switching to a fresh food diet is the key to regulating bile and acid buildup in your dog’s stomach. You can reach out to our Pawy experts for tips and a free consultation. 

The key is to start slow and gradually increase the intake of fresh foods in everyday meals. For instance, if your dog is used to kibble or processed foods, you can start by mixing 20% to 30% of fresh food into the diet. From there, slowly add more every week to give your dog time to adjust, and eventually, your furry friend will no longer have digestive problems!